Ahhh, here we go, another one in my ongoing series of blog posts, where I point at luxury phones and go, ?Er, how much??? You?ve probably seen some of these posts before, and if so, you?ll know that one of the main targets I point at is Vertu. There?s a good reason for that, because the prices on them things are just huge, especially when you consider they can all be best described as a Nokia with a fancy hat on.
And I don?t mean a top-end one like the Nokia N97, no. I mean a 3310.
Well, today, I have something else besides the phone to point at disbelievingly. Y?see, according to IntoMobile, Vertu are launching their own virtual network in Japan. Normally I wouldn?t give two hoots about a Japanese network, because it has no bearing whatsoever on my life, or on your life, on anything in this country, really. But there?s one simple reason why I?ve decided to do a post about it.
The price.
Seriously, you wait till you see how much it costs. Whatever tariff you?re on, you?ll never complain about high charges again. I?m not kidding, the Vertu tariff would set you back just under ?350 (52,500 yen) per month. THREE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS. EVERY. BLEEDIN?. MONTH.
Dear god?
Oh, and it gets better. That price doesn?t include the price of the phone. Handset subsidies? What are those?
So, essentially, if you lived in Japan, and wanted a Vertu on the bespoke Vertu tariff, what would it cost you in total? Well, the tariff, over 12 months, would cost you in the region of ?3822. The cheapest Vertu I can find would cost you an extra three grand on top of that. So, you?d be looking at a minimum of ?6822. And that?s an absolute bare minimum, depending on which phone you go for, the whole package, over one year, could cost you upwards of ?20,000 (or however many yen that is). Of course, you get the Concierge service with it, but having that just tells the world you?re too lazy to book your own air tickets or whatever?
I think I need to go and have a lie down after seeing those numbers?
Vertu ? simply the best phones in existence, or overpriced tat for people with more money than sense? Leave us a comment and have your say!