The Rich Man's Bentley-Branded Flagship Phone: The Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley

Micah Singleton of The Verge could not contain his incredulity and outrage at the fact that Vertu released a Bentley Android and priced it at over $9,000. According to Engadget, the actual price tag is at $9,900. The title alone elicits mental images of someone shaking his fist at the luxury phone company: “Vertu slapped a Bentley logo on a mediocre Android phone and called it new.” However, according to Engadget’s more impartial piece, the Vertu Signature Touch line of smartphones is actually a capable line of handsets, made with more expensive materials. Let’s let the specs speak for themselves, then.

The Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley’s Specs:

Processor/Chipset: Octacore made of a 1.82 GHz A57 Cortex Quad-Core processor, and a 1.56 GHz A53 Cortex Quad-Core processor, on a Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 chipset

RAM: 4GB

GPU: Adreno 430

OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop

Internal Storage: 64GB

Connectivity: GSM, HSPA, LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

Expandable Storage: MicroSD up to 64GB, according to Vertu’s official webpage, up to 128 GB, according to GSM Arena, up to 2 TB, according to Engadget

Display: 5.2 inches with a maximum resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a pixel density of ~424 ppi, protected with Sapphire Crystal glass

Cameras: Primary: 21MP with face detection, autofocus, and dual-LED/dual tone flash; Secondary: 2.1 MP

Battery: 3160 mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery, equipped with Quick Charge 2.0 (60% in 30 minutes) and Qi-enabled wireless charging

Goodies: Exclusive Vertu and Bentley apps and services: Vertu Concierge service, an exclusive Bentley app providing access to exclusive content, tailored events, VIP access and "special features designed to integrate the Signature Touch with the range of Bentley models," and remote locking and wiping through Vertu's new Lost Phone Service. Exclusive Features: Dolby Digital Plus sound, knurled side keys, and a unique pillow rail and sound bar. Ultra-Premium Body/Chassis Details: titanium body, a 3D Bentley logo, covered in two-tone Beluga and Hotspur Bentley leather, lined with Hotspur stitching

Color Options: 8 leather colors and 16 stitching options

Given the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and Edge+ come with but 3GB RAM, although the models have an Octa-core chipset made up of two quad-cores clocking in at 2.1 GHz and 1.5 GHz, respectively, the Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley still has an edge through the MicroSD card function. The Samsung S6 Edge flagships top off at 128GB internal storage with no room for expansion, but the Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley can be expanded up to 128GB or 2TB, depending on which source you read the specs from. In any case, a microSD card expansion slot is definitely a plus, because a user can switch microSD cards.

On the other hand, if you compare the Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley’s specs with the Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the Apple devices come with just 1.84 GHz dual-core Twister chipsets and 2GB RAM. On paper, the Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley clearly wins out on the processor and the RAM.

However, the ethos for the Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley isn’t in the superiority of its specs, really. A prospective Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley owner will purchase the device because he’s rich, he’s a big, rabid, über-loyal fan of the Bentley brand, and because he’s a loyal Vertu customer.

Let’s face it, Vertu isn’t aimed at the Average Joes. Vertu is aimed at the super, ultra-rich. The ultra-rich aren’t interested in owning things that the average hardworking guy or gal can buy on installment. They’re interested in things that only they can afford. They’re interested in making sure that no one else owns the things they own.

So tech pundits and bloggers shouldn’t complain about the price tag, or the less-than-bleeding edge specs. They should complain that each Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley is equivalent to two or three months of their monthly paycheck. Tough luck, but that’s just the way life is. The rich, are, indeed, different from the rest of us.

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Vertu’s Signature Touch Collection Page: https://www.vertu.com/global/en/collections/signature-touch/view-collection/

The Vertu Signature Touch Collection official specs: https://www.vertu.com/global/en/collections/signature-touch/specifications/

Specs for the Vertu Signature Touch line of smartphones by GSM Arena: https://www.gsmarena.com/vertu_signature_touch_(2015)-7586.php

The Verge’s rant on the “outrageous” Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley: https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/11/10750318/vertu-bentley-android-phone

Engadget on the Vertu Signature Touch line of smartphones: https://www.engadget.com/2015/09/23/vertu-new-signature-touch-2015/

GSM Arena on the Vertu Signature Touch for Bentley release: https://www.gsmarena.com/vertus_new_signature_touch_for_bentley_becomes_official-news-16000.php