Vertu Constellation mobile phone review

Vertu made its name in the early 2000s by selling handsets encrusted with diamonds, but since those days of ostentation the world’s only ultra-luxury mobile phone brand has turned down the bling. The new Constellation costs from around £4,000 – that’s a lot for a phone that runs Nokia’s Symbian operating system, even if it does have a sapphire screen and is handcrafted in Hampshire. Sit it on a table next to an iPhone or a new Motorola Razr and it looks expensive but not distasteful.

But in fact the Vertu is about much more than either technology or jewellery. Deals with members clubs around the world mean owners can gain access to exclusive facilities in major cities; a similar deal can offer customers top security facilities, whether that means holiday advice or personal protection; and there’s the firm’s traditional personalised concierge service, now enhanced with access to Berry Bros and Rudd’s expert sommeliers.

In that sense, one might even argue that Vertu is doing what every other mobile brand wants to do, just with a different budget. Orange offers a handy wifi hotspot finder app; Vertu offers access to a network of private security guards. The clue is in the company’s slogan: “Life beautifully arranged”.

Running Nokia’s Symbian operating system might sound like a massive hindrance, but in fact Vertu has more than tweaked it. Redesigned, with a focus on exclusive web content and other exclusive services, the OS is adequate. It highlights that customers don’t always care what the software is; they just want the thing to work.

Posted in: MOBILE PHONE TECHNOLOGY