For considerable time now the mobile phone company Vertu has been known solely for its production of expensive, yet technically limited handsets, generally desired by an affluent client more interested in acquiring a new status item then a satisfactory mobile phone.
A short train ride outside of London in the picturesque Hampshire countryside lies the company’s headquarters. Opened in 2000, the building houses the entirety of their operations. It’s an impressive space that exudes an air of secrecy from the exterior, where the large electronic gates and austere black architecture contrast starkly with the surrounding green landscape.
Standing in the entrance lobby of the building, a visitor can’t help but notice the immense glass wall that stretches the width of the building, dividing it roughly in two. On one side of this wall, office space is dedicated to the sales, press and corporate teams, on the other, the company’s factory, which opened onsite in 2002. On the wall a statement reads,
‘While other phones are mass-produced in their millions, a Vertu is hand built by craftsmen, one at a time; right here behind this glass.’
It’s a thought provoking statement that, whether intentional or not, stimulates concern for the often dubious conditions that some workers manufacturing electronic goods overseas often endure.
In the factory, attention is currently focused on assembling the latest handset, the Vertu Ti, a game changer for the company. Launched earlier this year, it is the first Vertu to utilise the Android operating system (Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich), finally bringing access to the full array of applications previously unavailable on the company’s handsets. Replacing their original software, it is this upgrade that now elevates Vertu into a league alongside existing Android smartphones.
But with other handsets available at significantly lower cost, why should a consumer consider investing in Vertu? It all comes down to the same reason that we chose to invest in any well-made commodity: the quality of construction. Starting with an almost scratch resistant sapphire crystal screen, a material that is grown over a two-week period specifically for the handsets, each stage of manufacture is carefully curated to ensure standards remain exceptional throughout.
Vertu continue to utilise a selection of unique materials in their handsets, as they have always done, though the opulent options are slowly being paired back in favour of less audacious elements. For those who still desire a requisite of diamonds, specific cosmetic modifications are available on request. The focus now is instead on durability with the Vertu Ti proving a perfect example. Made from brushed and polished titanium, along with polished ceramic, this is a handset built to endure. Shatter when dropped this handset will not. The value may be higher, but the quality of construction is apparent, especially when turning a finished handset over in the palm of your hand.
This tough outer shell is deceptive, hiding an interior delicately completed and installed by hand. From the soldering of circuit boards, to the insertion of screws in to casing, each stage of production is carefully executed to the meticulous standards set by the company. True to form, each handset is also individually polished and signed after a final stage of checks before being allowed to leave the factory. A typical handset will take several weeks to prepare in this way, with the entire process undertaken within the walls of the factory. Faults in construction are quite simply unheard of.
Through this method of production, each handset is essentially unique. Similarly to the creation of a tailored suit or an exquisite timepiece, the attention to detail and degree of care that comes with the placing of components by hand, provides a quality of finish that as yet is still not replicable through mass machine manufacture.
With such a great deal of time devoted to the production of each handset, a Vertu, contrary to the very nature of a mobile phone, is an investment item, not another disposable commodity to be upgraded after a year. It is something enduring that should be appreciated, admired and enjoyed.
With the introduction of the Android operating system, Vertu have taken the opportunity of improving the everyday function of their phones, starting with a refinement of the concierge services available on earlier handsets. Fortunately, the improved service now sits alongside everyday social essentials from Facebook to Whatsapp to Twitter, providing users with a much broader range of resources then ever before.
The new Ti model showcases an evolution on this feature called Vertu Life, allowing users to adjust and track the status of requests in real time, ranging from dinner reservations to travel arrangements. A further addition to this feature provides tailored benefits based on each individual owner’s interests. Upon purchase of a new handset, Vertu operators make contact to ascertain which topics will be of most interest, ranging from V.I.P. music event tickets to city break packages.
Further improvements are evident in City Brief, a service that automatically displays a selection of local attractions upon arrival at your destination. With details for 150 cities worldwide, the service is compiled with suggestions sourced from writers native to each location. Now with full access to a range of Google services and web browsers, the information from the service operates more intuitively with a far greater degree of guidance then before.
The features may be impressive, but they are no longer the sole selling point of a Vertu handset. With attention fixed firmly on the Vertu Ti, there is no question that the addition of Android technology will allow users to consider this as a phone capable of performing day-to-day mobile functions along with tailored benefits suited to their no doubt substantial budget.
Whatever a users lifestyle though, Vertu are moving away from the shortcomings of their earlier designs, committing time and energy to improving the interface of their handsets, whilst continuing to create finely crafted pieces of handmade technology.
For individuals who value manmade over machine, and who choose enduring objects over short-term commodities, then perhaps now is the time to consider an investment in Vertu.
Feature originally published in JOSHUA’s Magazine Issue ONE (2013)
