X

The most luxurious phone we've ever held, made of titanium and calfskin (pictures)

The Vertu Signature Touch is an Android phone that costs £6,750. What sort of a phone do you get for that much money? We went hands-on.

Andrew Lanxon
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Andrew Lanxon
vertu-signature-touch.jpg
1 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Think the Samsung Galaxy S5 is a lot of money? Think again. The Vertu Signature Touch costs a whopping £6,750 ($11,350 or AU$12,140).

Why? It's hand-made from titanium, sapphire and various real leathers, it encrypts your calls, comes with a concierge service that gets you almost anything you want, and it's packed full of the best tech around.

The Signature Touch will be available this month in Vertu "boutiques" around the world, including Beverly Hills, Old Bond Street in London and Red Square in Moscow.

vertu-signature-touch-14.jpg
2 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Forget the aluminium frame of the Sony Xperia Z2 or the plastic body of the Galaxy S5, the Signature Touch is encased in grade-5 titanium. This really isn't a phone you want to drop on the concrete.

vertu-signature-touch-5.jpg
3 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Its angular face is quite aggressive -- it's far from the minimalist appearance of the iPhone.

vertu-signature-touch-16.jpg
4 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

If nothing else, you'll certainly stand out from your Galaxy S5-packing friends. I had numerous people asking me what the phone was when I was testing it -- most of whom were subsequently appalled when I told them the price.

vertu-signature-touch-19.jpg
5 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Forget robots and assembly lines, Vertu's phones are hand-built in England. You'll find the engineer's signature inscribed inside the access panel on the back -- a lovely touch.

vertu-signature-touch-15.jpg
6 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The base model, shown here, is wrapped in real, hand-stitched calfskin leather. Other dead beasts are available, including lizards and alligators.

vertu-signature-touch-12.jpg
7 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The top model, costing an immense £13,000 (around $21,900 or AU$23,400) combines a variety of different metals, including "pure jet red gold".

vertu-signature-touch-7.jpg
8 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

On the side of the phone is this red button. Pressing it will give instant access to Vertu's concierge service -- essentially, a person at the end of the phone who will provide anything you ask. A taxi to the airport, tickets to the most exclusive clubs, or hiring a giraffe for the afternoon are just a call away.

vertu-signature-touch-10.jpg
9 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Towards the bottom of the phone are the speakers. These are provided by high-end audio specialists Bang & Olufsen.

vertu-signature-touch-11.jpg
10 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

There's a 13-megapixel camera on the back, which Vertu says is certified by camera experts Hasselblad.

vertu-signature-touch-27.jpg
11 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It's running the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat -- but you'd hope it would be up to date, considering the massive price.

vertu-signature-touch-2.jpg
12 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Vertu has heavily skinned the look of Android, but the fundamental architecture remains the same.

vertu-signature-touch-3.jpg
13 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It's the extra software that Vertu includes that sets this phone apart from other Android handsets.

vertu-signature-touch-4.jpg
14 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The Vertu Life app tells you where exclusive restaurants, clubs or services are nearby.

vertu-signature-touch-13.jpg
15 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The calfskin leather feels fantastic. It can also be wrapped in various real lizard- and alligator-skin finishes.

vertu-signature-touch-6.jpg
16 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

There's a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera for taking selfies in the most expensive places in the world.

vertu-signature-touch-8.jpg
17 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The back panel isn't removable, so you can't swap out the battery. It does make it feel extremely solid in your hand though.

vertu-signature-touch-9.jpg
18 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

There's a cool access panel for you to pop in your SIM card. It's 4G LTE-enabled and uses a wide selection of radio bands so you can connect to networks wherever you've parked your yacht.

vertu-signature-touch-17.jpg
19 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

That button is just begging to be pressed.

vertu-signature-touch-18.jpg
20 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The buttons are metal too of course.

vertu-signature-touch-20.jpg
21 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The display has a full HD 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution.

vertu-signature-touch-21.jpg
22 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It's covered in a 5.1-inch slab of 118-carat sapphire. Try bragging about that in a bar. It's sure to impress everyone.

vertu-signature-touch-22.jpg
23 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The phone comes with a host of protective software, including Kaspersky anti-virus, to stop sneaky malware stealing whatever secrets you have that have helped you become an oligarch.

vertu-signature-touch-23.jpg
24 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

It'll also encrypt your calls and text messages, so nobody can listen in while you're arranging high-level summits.

vertu-signature-touch-24.jpg
25 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

A subscription to iPass lets you connect to almost any public Wi-Fi network in the world.

vertu-signature-touch-25.jpg
26 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The phone is essentially your ticket to the fanciest of cocktail bars.

vertu-signature-touch-26.jpg
27 of 27 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Not all of the services you'll find on Vertu Life are for you. It took me a moment to understand this was advertising high-end tuition for my kids. It's a different world.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos