The Vertu company was founded back in 1998 in the UK as a branch of the venerable Nokia. The brand has become a pioneer in the market for luxury mobile gadgets. It was thanks to him that such concepts as “premium” and “elite” phones appeared.
The company, albeit with leisurely but very confident steps, went forward and subsequently became a kind of benchmark for other brands involved in the production of premium mobile devices. In the assortment of the company there are no gadgets from the mid-price segment, not to mention the budget. Vertu cell phones are only luxury and premium; the brand is not exchanged for “little things”. The latter deals with Nokia.
The range of gadgets from Vertu on the market is small. And there are very good reasons. Each Vertu mobile phone is a work of art, originality and the highest quality of workmanship using expensive materials. Prices for this pleasure start at 500 thousand rubles. Not everyone can afford the original Vertu phone. Therefore, there is no need to talk about the general public, as well as the variety of assortment. In the crowd, such a gadget is clearly not lost and will in any case look like a white crow, in contrast to consumer goods, which pours on us from the Middle Kingdom.
Still speaking about the assortment and model range, and in our “luxury” case - collections, it’s worth clarifying that the brand has released several key items: Constellation, Ayxta, Ascent and Signature. All of them turned out to be exceptional in terms of quality and reliability, with different finishes and, of course, incredibly expensive.
Assembly
Original devices are assembled only in the UK. All that is released outside this country is duplicates, copies, and in the case of China, fakes. Reviews about the Vertu phones of the English assembly, that is, the original products, are completely positive. Consumers are satisfied with everything and everything - from appearance and performance to accessories in the kit. Of course, they approach such an expensive purchase with great care, more than once weighing the pros and cons.
As for the duplicates, the most flattering reviews are about the Vertu phones of the Finnish assembly. Yes, there are no luxury materials and the same alloys with precious stones. But consumers note that the quality of gadgets is at a very high level: a good set of chipsets, an excellent screen and good protective characteristics. In addition, the cost of models in this case is not so biting - from 25 to 100 thousand rubles. Users do not mention any critical flaws.
Vertu Signature Touch
Vivid and most popular representative of Vertu can be called the latest model from the Signature collection - Vertu Signature Touch (United Kingdom). We will analyze the technical characteristics of the gadget, usability and other critical points. We take into account the opinions of experts in this field, as well as reviews on the Vertu phones from the owners.
Contents of delivery
The device comes in a plain gray box with the brand logo on the front. The packaging is large and large, because here the manufacturer refused floor-by-floor placement and distributed all accessories on the same level, where each element has its own, rather spacious compartment.
Inside the box you will see:
- the gadget itself;
- power adapter;
- micro USB cable;
- branded headset at 3.5 mm;
- the documentation.
Exterior
Judging by the reviews, Vertu phones always looked great, and this model was no exception. Users note that the design of the gadget attracts the eye and does not even closely resemble the usual conveyor devices. Moreover, each model from Vertu is assembled manually.
As for materials, there is nothing “ordinary” here. If leather is declared, then there can be no talk of any leatherette - only calf or crocodile (alligator). If there is metal, then at least titanium, and as a maximum - platinum with gold. Naturally, the material directly affects the cost of the device. The most “simple” Vertu phones in Moscow can be purchased for 450 thousand rubles. For the device with alligator skin and platinum will have to pay more than a million rubles.
The screen of the smartphone has a sapphire crystal, which provides it with the highest class protection. Experts, as well as users, in their reviews of the Vertu Signature Touch phone note that the glass is not afraid of any drops, bumps or scratches. The latter can leave only a diamond. And the model has a red button, not a glass or plastic one, but a ruby one.
As for convenience, the phone rests in the hand like a glove and you can easily reach each control element without breaking your fingers. If anyone complains in the reviews about the inconvenient location of the buttons, then only left-handed people, and even then a smaller part of them.
Screen
Here we have a 5.2-inch screen running on an IPS matrix with Full HD resolution (1920 by 1080 pixels). The quality of the output image matches everything else: juicy, truthful and contrasting. The viewing angles of the matrix are maximum, and the colors do not rush to the dance when it changes.
Judging by the reviews on the Vertu Signature Touch phone, there are no problems with working on a bright sunny day. The screen does not act as a mirror, but information is still not so easy to read in direct sunlight.
Platform
The only thing that Signature Touch users have mixed reviews about is the platform. Many people have a sense of disharmony when, when they turn on the incredibly stylish, and at the same time expensive Vertu phone (photo below), the usual Android operating system version 5.1.x is opened to their eyes.
Moreover, the platform, one might say, is “naked”. Last, so as not to bother, they complete the devices of the mid-price and budget segments. Of the branded "chips" here are only wallpapers from "Vertu" and a few redrawn icons. If you look at what firmwares are offered to consumers by NTS, Huawei or Lenovo, then this is heaven and earth.
Performance
Our respondent has no problems with performance, and all thanks to a very powerful set of chipsets. Advanced Snapdragon 810 series and 4 GB of RAM grind any modern and resource-intensive applications.
To store user data, a 64 GB drive is provided. If this is not enough, then you can always increase the volume using external SD cards, up to 256 GB. So there are no problems with free space here.
The interface works stably and even without a hint of brakes or lags. Some users in their reviews, although they note increased heat dissipation of the processor, which is characteristic of this series, but this does not interfere with normal operation with the gadget. Moreover, the case is thought out in this regard and will not only withstand temperatures critical for most mobile devices, but also lower them.
Camera
The model received a sensible 13 megapixel matrix from Sony (Exmor RS), but nothing superlative. She has quite adequate, or rather, correct color reproduction, a good supply of brightness with contrast, and also a quick response. As for sharpness, dynamic range and detail, here we have a solid middling.
According to the latest parameters, the model loses to premium smartphones like the Galaxy S9 or the latest Xperia from Sony. The fact is that the manufacturer does not have much experience in writing the software part: it’s not enough to put an explanatory matrix, you also need to “teach” it to correctly process incoming data.
Nevertheless, users respond rather warmly about the camera and its capabilities. Yes, she does not have enough stars from heaven, but she copes with the tasks more than worthily: the quality of shooting in the light, indoors and close-up is excellent. In addition, as polls show on the official Vertu website, the camera is a secondary point for potential customers. Here, first of all, they look at materials, appearance and ease of use, and only then at everything else.
Autonomy
The model received a 2275 mAh lithium-ion battery. Despite the gluttony of the Android platform, the smartphone is quite enough for the whole day with a mixed use mode. If you properly load the gadget with "heavy" games or high-resolution video, then the battery will last for three hours.
On web surfing and communications, and businessmen and other powerful people of this world use the “Vertu” devices just like that, the model will calmly last for several days.
Summarizing
You can safely judge by the Vertu Signature Touch model about other devices of the brand. The company approaches the production very, very responsible. Vertu phones are devices for pretentious users who do not accept compromises and want to emphasize their high social status.
Manual assembly in tandem with the most modern technologies eliminates even a hint of backlash, gaps and other problems that gadgets of the mid-price and sometimes premium segment sin. Many experts consider Vertu a synonym for ideal. To find fault with the quality of smartphones is simply impossible. On specialized forums, there are not so many reviews about the model, but all of them are entirely in a positive way.
Yes, there are some software flaws like the “bare” Android platform and the camera’s unsolved features. But to call these moments critical is simply not turning the tongue. In addition, some users, on the contrary, need a clean OS, and they do not turn on the camera at all. This is not a gadget for a student or those who like to spend time playing games and watching videos. This is a status and serious business-level luxury device. And at this level he is justly deserved.