Hands On With the $10,800 Vertu Android Phone

So the Vertu Signature Touch is a $10,800 phone. And it's running Android, which Business Insider's Jim Edwards has dubbed the "poor people's operating system." (His words, not ours!)

Unfortunately for wealthy iPhone fans, Apple doesn't let anyone else make iOS hardware (though some find a way around it). But Android is an open source OS, so manufacturers like Vertu can spruce it up with special features and services, including Concierge, Life, and Certainty, and an analog clock that sheens responsively depending on the angle you hold the phone.

Last week, I had a chance to test the Vertu Signature Touch at a private event in New York City. You'd expect a phone like this to have unobtanium-plated innards and unreasonably good specs. But apart from the completely scratch-proof sapphire crystal that protects the 4.7-inch, 473 ppi screen, its 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera, and 64GB of internal memory don't particularly stand out next to comparably normal devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5$149.99 at Amazon.

The Signature Touch's design looks a little too busy for my taste, as I prefer ultra-sleek minimalism over unnecessary detailing. But then again, that's a personal preference, and I'm not exactly the target market here. The beautiful materials adorning the Signature Touch, and the fact that it's handmade by a single person in England (whose name is engraved in the phone's SIM compartment door) are one clue as to why this status symbol costs so much. The texture of brushed, polished titanium alloy on the phone's sides feels fuller and more solid than theHTC One (M8)'s$199.99 at Best Buy aluminum body. The Samsung Galaxy S5, with its plastic faux-chrome border and dimpled faux-leather back, may as well be a crushed, empty plastic water bottle in comparison.

Along with the titanium alloy, you have the option to dress the Signature Touch with calf leather, lizard skin, or alligator skin, which clearly should match your alligator skin shoes, belts, or Rolls-Royce (surely chauffeured by a trained alligator, which isn't too outlandish as, according to Vertu's website, rich people apparently have eagle heads and fly vintage airplanes). Certain finishes come with optional red gold accents, too, but there's no mention of the karat count.

And lest I forget, there's a button made of ruby on the top right side of the phone—which I initially thought was an infrared transmitter, but in fact has the more prestigious job of bringing up Vertu's exclusive services.

Vertu's Life service gives you exclusive access to highbrow events, private clubs, high-profile affairs, and sporting events. To RSVP to such happenings, you notify the personal Concierge Vertu also provides, who can be summoned on a 24-hour basis to assist you with your every request and needs anywhere in the world.

So the Vertu Signature Touch is a $10,800 phone. And it's running Android, which Business Insider's Jim Edwards has dubbed the "poor people's operating system." (His words, not ours!)

Unfortunately for wealthy iPhone fans, Apple doesn't let anyone else make iOS hardware (though some find a way around it). But Android is an open source OS, so manufacturers like Vertu can spruce it up with special features and services, including Concierge, Life, and Certainty, and an analog clock that sheens responsively depending on the angle you hold the phone.

Last week, I had a chance to test the Vertu Signature Touch at a private event in New York City. You'd expect a phone like this to have unobtanium-plated innards and unreasonably good specs. But apart from the completely scratch-proof sapphire crystal that protects the 4.7-inch, 473 ppi screen, its 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 13-megapixel rear camera, and 64GB of internal memory don't particularly stand out next to comparably normal devices like the Samsung Galaxy S5$149.99 at Amazon.

The Signature Touch's design looks a little too busy for my taste, as I prefer ultra-sleek minimalism over unnecessary detailing. But then again, that's a personal preference, and I'm not exactly the target market here. The beautiful materials adorning the Signature Touch, and the fact that it's handmade by a single person in England (whose name is engraved in the phone's SIM compartment door) are one clue as to why this status symbol costs so much. The texture of brushed, polished titanium alloy on the phone's sides feels fuller and more solid than theHTC One (M8)'s$199.99 at Best Buy aluminum body. The Samsung Galaxy S5, with its plastic faux-chrome border and dimpled faux-leather back, may as well be a crushed, empty plastic water bottle in comparison.

Along with the titanium alloy, you have the option to dress the Signature Touch with calf leather, lizard skin, or alligator skin, which clearly should match your alligator skin shoes, belts, or Rolls-Royce (surely chauffeured by a trained alligator, which isn't too outlandish as, according to Vertu's website, rich people apparently have eagle heads and fly vintage airplanes). Certain finishes come with optional red gold accents, too, but there's no mention of the karat count.

And lest I forget, there's a button made of ruby on the top right side of the phone—which I initially thought was an infrared transmitter, but in fact has the more prestigious job of bringing up Vertu's exclusive services.

Vertu's Life service gives you exclusive access to highbrow events, private clubs, high-profile affairs, and sporting events. To RSVP to such happenings, you notify the personal Concierge Vertu also provides, who can be summoned on a 24-hour basis to assist you with your every request and needs anywhere in the world.