I got my Vertu Constellation in a round about way, and while I have greatly enjoyed owning it. But there has never been a day when I thought for even a moment that I was in the same financial bracket as the typical Vertu owner.

Today I got proof positive of that fact in the form of a repair bill; more on that in a moment…

I had noticed soon after getting my nearly new Constellation that the leather on its battery cover was starting to peel back. This is certainly not uncommon with the model, and mine was certainly much more minor than some of the peeling examples I have seen on say, eBay.

Nevertheless, on a $5,000 phone the peeling was an affront, so I made plans to send the phone in for repair. This was after calling and asking if I could just buy a new battery door and learning that it was simply not possible.

The peeling was occurring on the right corner shown; it hadn’t yet started when I took this picture

Continue Reading

Those of you who read my comparison of the Vertu Ascent and the Vertu Constellation may recall that in the comments section, Drew and I both mentioned we were interested in the Vertu Ascent Ti. Shortly after that I got an email from him, saying that he hadn’t been able to resist: he bought one! I have just received a report on his first week with the Ti.

photos courtesy of Vertu

Even if you can’t afford one, and at approximately $7,000 not many can, it’s fun to live vicariously through Drew’s purchase…

Hi Judie,

Thought I’d drop an email and give you the first week…

In the box..  The smallest box I’ve ever seen for a Vertu but that’s a good thing..  Inside the main box are two boxes made out of leatherette with magnetic closure..  Inside is the phone, the key to  open the back of the phone, the battery, a USB cable, and a charger.  There is also a manual, the usual marketing materiel, and a CD for Vertu PC Suite (Remarkably close to Nokia PC Suite but not quite.

Continue Reading

Some time ago, I wrote a semi-mocking post about a just announced Vertu phone which was encrusted with gemstones and that had a price tag in the $100,000 neighborhood; not only was this phone priced way out of my galaxy, it was priced out of my universe. In that post’s comments, Drew came in and mentioned that he had owned a few Vertus, and that they were in fact actually excellent phones - despite their astronomical price tag. He also said that it wasn’t necessary to get them encrusted in stones, and that there were some which were (relatively) reasonably priced, especially if you bought them slightly used on eBay.

My curiosity was up, but I still wasn’t about to spend approximately $2500 (or more!) for a used “dumb phone” on eBay just to see if I liked the brand; amazingly enough, I didn’t have to. Even though I had written to Vertu (on Alison’s suggestion) to request a review unit, and had never heard back from them, around December, Drew mentioned he had an Ascent he would be willing to send me to try “for a few months”. Heh…okay!

A few months turned into a much longer time because I liked the Ascent so much, and because Drew was so accommodating. No, the Ascent didn’t have built-in GPS, I couldn’t read eBooks on it, and I couldn’t surf the web…but the phone had excellent battery life, it was simple to use, and it had extremely clear sound. Above all, it was easily the best mobile phone I had ever used: it had excellent reception in San Angelo, it was the best speakerphone I’ve yet tried, and even more surprising - considering its weight and rather blocky shape - the Ascent was pleasing to hold and caressable.

Recognizing that the Ascent was only a tri-band (just fine for US T-Mobile users, not so much for US AT&T users like me), Drew recently offered to trade the Ascent out for a barely used quad-band Constellation he had just scored on eBay. I was honestly unsure if I would like the Constellation as much, because other than a few dead-air spots in between San Angelo and Eldorado I was completely enamored with the Ascent; but I would soon learn that the Constellation possesses a few of its own charms.

I haven’t seen any comparisons of the two devices, so I thought I would share one while I still have both in my possession. Understand up front that I am not trying to explain or justify why someone would want to pay full price (or even eBay prices) for one of these play-pretties; they each retail for about $6,000 (for the Ascent) and $5000 (for the Constellation), which could buy so many other things. But just as you can’t explain to those who don’t understand why a Porsche or Ferrari “speaks” to you, why a Barenia Hermes Birkin is so desirable, or why an isolated house with a scenic view on a high hilltop strums your heartstrings, the same can be said of these phones. You either like them, or you don’t; if you have the disposable income, then buying one might be something you’d consider.

Either way, I hope you enjoy this glimpse into a brand which can best be described as the über-elite of mobile phones…

left to right: the Vertu Ascent and Vertu Constellation

Continue Reading