1999 - it was a different time and place when the first Vertu phones rolled out of their exclusive manufacturing facility in England. Nokia set up Vertu as a luxury handset brand – the mobile equivalent of a handcrafted heirloom watch. Nokia exited the company in 2013; by then smartphones held sway. Expectation levels changed too. The 2010's Vertu customer didn’t just demand a luxurious product but also a smartphone that could hold its own against premier flagship devices. Does the Vertu Aster live up to that expectation?


the Aster is clearly for the same sort of customer who might buy the Apple Watch (18 Karat Gold) Edition on an impulse. A premium build and high grade components are a given. The Aster is designed to stand out in a meeting room; to show everyone who’s boss. It’s a beautiful blend of titanium and a calf leather back (you can customise the colour and the finish). The power button and volume rocker merge seamlessly into the right spine, crafted with titanium. A door on the rear of the device doesn’t just house the micro-SIM slot but also has the signature of the Vertu technician who built your mobile device. Yes, similar to a seasoned craftsman who handcrafted a pair of leather loafers. At 193g its reassuringly heavy. Disappointingly, there’s no fingerprint sensor.

The Aster is the entry-level (what?!) smartphone for the Vertu brand; the soon to be launched Signature Touch will don the mantle of the brand’s flagship device in India. The Aster packs a decent hardware spec sheet; it’s certainly not 2016-proof but has enough firepower to propel the device. At it’s heart is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.3 GHz processor with 2GB of RAM. We put the Aster through our routine tests and the results were average – 31749 on the AnTuTu benchmark and a modest 2284 on PCMark. Clearly, these scores are not the benchmark that prospective Vertu customers would go by but they all add up nevertheless. Overall, the device handled multi-tasking and low-intensive gaming quite admirably but the presence of a dated version of Android (4.4 aka KitKat) is a clear dampener. The 2275mAh battery packs enough power for most users; we managed a full day (about 12 hours) with a mix of 4G/Wi-Fi, WhatsApp, 15 minutes of gaming, some camera usage and video playback.  

The Aster comes with 64GB memory on-board; there’s no extendable memory option though. One of the big jumps is the 13MP camera. Vertu turned to Swedish photography expert Hasselblad for a superior camera experience. Hasselblad cameras were made famous by the images clicked as part of the Apollo space program (when the first humans landed on the moon). The Aster shooter produced some pretty good results across lighting scenarios. The 2.1 MP front cam is almost good enough for selfies in dim lighting; both cameras are protected with sapphire crystal.

The 4.7-inch display is also reinforced with Sapphire crystal; that’s something even the Apple iPhone would be envious about. The display specs might be modest – 1920x1080 at 473 ppi, but it’s quite vibrant and text is crisp. The speaker belts out solid sound too; just in case you need to catch videos on the go. Aside from the superior quality materials, the Vertu’s biggest draw is its bespoke concierge service. You are just one click away from the best events in the world or a table at a Michelin star restaurant. While multiple apps double up as your personal digital assistant, Vertu’s concierge service is quite simply inimitable and something other luxury smartphone users have not managed to emulate.
If just hardware specs were the only yardstick to evaluate a device, clearly the Vertu Aster is not at the top of the heap. Aside from the snob value, the Vertu experience is akin to a Saville Row suit; truly unique in the mobile space. Just in case you have a hefty festive bonus to splurge, the Aster might be one of the ways to spend it. 

more details, and purchase :
http://luxuryphones.miiduu.com/