Behold the “Constellation“– a near R70 000 (US$7000) Android smartphone by Vertu. To be exact, the new Constellation is only US$6 630 when compared to the older Ti which goes for US$10 800. So why is it priced so highly? Half of the cash will be spent on the notion of owning a really expensive phone (consumerism, yay!) while the other half goes into the design.
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The Constellation is made up of durable calf leather wrapped around Grade 5 titanium. Each Constellation is handmade in England by a single craftsman. Only once they are entirely happy with it, do they put their name to it. This also means that there will be a limited range produced. Sold yet?
In terms of specs, the 4.3-inch 720p display will be covering a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. Additionally, there’s a 13MP camera and a 1.3MP front one. It only has 32GB internal storage and a 1800mAh battery though.
“It tested extremely well [in study groups] in China and Russia. In terms of design and appearance, it is being luxury but not too bling, too wild, too pushy, so I’m very happy and very confident,” says Vertu CEO Massimiliano Pogliani according to Engadget. Sold!
In the case for durability, the site reads that the sapphire crystal screen will protect itself against anything up to a 200 gram steel ball being dropped on it from the height of one metre. It’s said to be twice as strong as steel, yet half the weight.
Matching the class and luxury of brands like Ferrari, you can take it a step further with the Vertu Ti Ferrari Limited Edition. It’s made up of red and black Ferrari leather and has a Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating to guard engine and transmission components against constant extremes of heat and friction.
