6 ms·

Vertu chooses Android over Windows for luxury handset

31 points by klearvue 14y ago

StanS 14y ago
Nokia still retains an ownership stake in Vertu and yet Vertu doesn't seem to have much faith in its former parent's strategy.
- delinka 14y ago
  While I can appreciate the irony, they claim to be making a practical decision. Since the device is not disposable, and since Windows doesn't yet hold the market share that makes them feel warm and fuzzy about the long term ... Android.
usaphp 14y ago
How can anybody associate android with Luxury? Was not android made to be very inexpensive in the first place?
- mtgx 14y ago
  Because Symbian before it was associated with luxury? What does hardware have to do with the OS anyway? Would Android on iPhones be less luxurious? If so, why? Android looks 10x better than the Symbian Vertu used in the passed.
- andyjohnson0 14y ago
  They can't licence iOS and Symbian is at end-of-life. So the choice was between Windows Phone or Android. Since neither of these are particularly associated with luxury, the decision was presumably made using other criteria such as ecosystem size and brand recognition.
  - kryptiskt 14y ago
    I don't think Microsoft would allow them to bling up the Metro interface, so the choice was probably Android by default.
- delinka 14y ago
  In addition to the other replies to your question, certainly Android is customizable by Vertu to "feel" more "luxurious."
meaty 14y ago
I genuinely can't see why anyone would pay that for a handset. They are an icon of conspicuous consumption, nothing more. Regarding the OS choice, they are right about market share which is why they were on Symbian and are now on android. Only time will tell where they end up.
- buro9 14y ago
  The product that they're selling isn't the phone, it's the concierge service.
  - jzwinck 14y ago
    People that buy these phones likely already have a concierge service from at least one of their credit cards, their place of residence, their country club, their airline, or whatever else. The phone coming with a concierge service is a little in-joke: the point is that you have it, and John Q. Public doesn't even know it exists.
- VMG 14y ago
  > I genuinely can't see why anyone would pay that for a handset. They are an icon of conspicuous consumption, nothing more. So while you know the term conspicuous consumption, you doubt that it actually exists?
  - meaty 14y ago
    Would vs did. I think the comment is spot on and you are being a pedant.
    - VMG 14y ago
      You know that there are people who do consume conspicuously, yet you claim to be unable to understand why people would pay. I'm sure you know why you wouldn't pay, and I think it is obvious why others will. I'm just trying to find out if the original comment was meant to say "I'm disgusted by luxury items"
- 14y ago
moccajoghurt 14y ago
> The only thing that scratches it is a diamond. Too bad since their target market is probably in possession of a lot of diamonds.
- vidarh 14y ago
  "oh no, I left my phone in the same pocket as my loose diamonds"
meerita 14y ago
Before: a luxury phone with crappy software. Now: a luxury phone with good software. Buy it if you like to burn money.
olgeni 14y ago
> Each device has a "concierge" button ...and a 10 billion yen balance...
djmdjm 14y ago
They'll be flying off the shelves faster than you can say "Veblen good"
- arethuza 14y ago
  Fascinating: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good "for consumers who want to use exclusive products, price is quality"
huhtenberg 14y ago
It's a status symbol. It can be running MS DOS and still have the same niche demand.
SlipperySlope 14y ago
Looks like a wise decision on the part of Vertu. Why doesn't Nokia make the same decision!
- toyg 14y ago
  Because they're not the same company anymore? Vertu was sold by Nokia last year.
cpursley 14y ago
I just don't get it. Then again I don't get Rolex or Land Rover, both inferior products compared to digital watch / Toyota.
Zigurd 14y ago
I do not know if Vertu was ever run at a profit, but, evidently, their new owner thinks it is possible. The future prospects for Vertu are probably on an upward trend. If they can keep the software on their devices updated, a nice Android phone should have a five year lifespan before it is hopelessly out of date and unable to run new versions of the OS or lack the peripherals to support new features. The size of phones, and screen resolution might be stabilizing. Several years of incremental improvements to power efficiency and other parameters will still add up to obsolescence. But, eventually, phones may become more like wristwatches. I have worn the same watch for more than 20 years, and it was made to last.

31 points by klearvue 14y ago

StanS 14y ago

Nokia still retains an ownership stake in Vertu and yet Vertu doesn't seem to have much faith in its former parent's strategy.

delinka 14y ago
While I can appreciate the irony, they claim to be making a practical decision. Since the device is not disposable, and since Windows doesn't yet hold the market share that makes them feel warm and fuzzy about the long term ... Android.

usaphp 14y ago

How can anybody associate android with Luxury? Was not android made to be very inexpensive in the first place?

mtgx 14y ago
Because Symbian before it was associated with luxury? What does hardware have to do with the OS anyway? Would Android on iPhones be less luxurious? If so, why? Android looks 10x better than the Symbian Vertu used in the passed.
andyjohnson0 14y ago
They can't licence iOS and Symbian is at end-of-life. So the choice was between Windows Phone or Android. Since neither of these are particularly associated with luxury, the decision was presumably made using other criteria such as ecosystem size and brand recognition.
- kryptiskt 14y ago
  I don't think Microsoft would allow them to bling up the Metro interface, so the choice was probably Android by default.
delinka 14y ago
In addition to the other replies to your question, certainly Android is customizable by Vertu to "feel" more "luxurious."

meaty 14y ago

I genuinely can't see why anyone would pay that for a handset. They are an icon of conspicuous consumption, nothing more. Regarding the OS choice, they are right about market share which is why they were on Symbian and are now on android. Only time will tell where they end up.

buro9 14y ago
The product that they're selling isn't the phone, it's the concierge service.
- jzwinck 14y ago
  People that buy these phones likely already have a concierge service from at least one of their credit cards, their place of residence, their country club, their airline, or whatever else. The phone coming with a concierge service is a little in-joke: the point is that you have it, and John Q. Public doesn't even know it exists.
VMG 14y ago
> I genuinely can't see why anyone would pay that for a handset. They are an icon of conspicuous consumption, nothing more. So while you know the term conspicuous consumption, you doubt that it actually exists?
- meaty 14y ago
  Would vs did. I think the comment is spot on and you are being a pedant.
  - VMG 14y ago
    You know that there are people who do consume conspicuously, yet you claim to be unable to understand why people would pay. I'm sure you know why you wouldn't pay, and I think it is obvious why others will. I'm just trying to find out if the original comment was meant to say "I'm disgusted by luxury items"
14y ago

moccajoghurt 14y ago

> The only thing that scratches it is a diamond. Too bad since their target market is probably in possession of a lot of diamonds.

vidarh 14y ago
"oh no, I left my phone in the same pocket as my loose diamonds"

meerita 14y ago

Before: a luxury phone with crappy software. Now: a luxury phone with good software. Buy it if you like to burn money.

olgeni 14y ago

> Each device has a "concierge" button ...and a 10 billion yen balance...

djmdjm 14y ago

They'll be flying off the shelves faster than you can say "Veblen good"

arethuza 14y ago
Fascinating: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veblen_good "for consumers who want to use exclusive products, price is quality"

huhtenberg 14y ago

It's a status symbol. It can be running MS DOS and still have the same niche demand.

SlipperySlope 14y ago

Looks like a wise decision on the part of Vertu. Why doesn't Nokia make the same decision!

toyg 14y ago
Because they're not the same company anymore? Vertu was sold by Nokia last year.

cpursley 14y ago

I just don't get it. Then again I don't get Rolex or Land Rover, both inferior products compared to digital watch / Toyota.

Zigurd 14y ago

I do not know if Vertu was ever run at a profit, but, evidently, their new owner thinks it is possible. The future prospects for Vertu are probably on an upward trend. If they can keep the software on their devices updated, a nice Android phone should have a five year lifespan before it is hopelessly out of date and unable to run new versions of the OS or lack the peripherals to support new features. The size of phones, and screen resolution might be stabilizing. Several years of incremental improvements to power efficiency and other parameters will still add up to obsolescence. But, eventually, phones may become more like wristwatches. I have worn the same watch for more than 20 years, and it was made to last.