Bonkers phone brand returns with $41k blockchain handset • The Register

Vertu, the ostentatious luxury phone brand that began as a brainchild of Nokia, has launched METAVERTU, the “world’s first Web3 phone.”

The device, which supposedly integrates smart terminals, crypto-mining nodes, separate OSs for NFTs and blockchain, high-end service, and whatever other buzzwords you can think of into one phone, comes with prices ranging from a no-frills $3,300 version to a Himalayan Alligator Leather version encrusted with 18k gold and diamonds at $41,500.

For the record, an iPhone 14 Pro and a Galaxy S22+ both cost about $1,000 each.

“We define METAVERTU as a phone, a power bank, a 10T hard disk, a dual system machine, a light node, a NFT pass holder, a privacy guardian,” said the company.

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The Vertu brand began as a thought exercise on what if a phone was a luxury status symbol in the same way as a bag, sunglasses or car. That only took the brand so far as it bounced around from parent company to parent company, eventually making its way into voluntary liquidation under the guidance of Cyprus-based Turkish company Baferton Ltd. The company now appears to be revived under Chengdu VERTU Business Management Co. Ltd.

The new METAVERTU branding considers the nature of the original Vertu product and takes it one step further – to simulate an environment where the user feels they are privy to an unrecognizable yet high-fashion world just around the corner.

As stated in the company’s press release:

The Reg can only assume they are referring to Apple’s iPhone and this video:

Youtube Video

The appeal of the phone, beyond conspicuous opulence, might be for those who want to trade and mine crypto, particularly Ethereum, while turning snapshots of houseplants or party selfies into NFT “art.”

With one-click you can switch between Web2.0 and Web3.0 capabilities, said Vertu.

The company released tutorials for how to go about both creating crypto wallets and turning photos into NFTs, but be forewarned, the marketing budget seemed to have been used up by that “teasing video.”

As for the stuff inside, it runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8Gen1 4nm 5G chip, and an A5 “privacy chip.”

There’s a version with 18GB RAM + 1TB ROM + 10T IPFS storage so no one needs to prematurely delete the videos they took on their weekend private jet trip to the Maldives.

The phone has a 64MP sensor with optical image stabilization, a secondary ultrawide camera that operates at 50MP, and a third 8MP periscope. Of course there’s a selfie cam too, 16MP.

The 6.67-inch AMOLED waterfall 72.5° curved screen has 2400 x 1080 resolution and refreshes at 144Hz. The whole thing is 161.9 x 73.2 x 9.85mm. Comparatively, the iPhone 14 is 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm.

The 4600mAh battery takes only 20 minutes to charge up to 90 percent over 55W wired charging and there is 15W wireless charging for top-ups.

When it comes to infosec, the company promises point-to-point encrypted communication using VTalk so one can “leave your secrets here.”

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Users also get VPASS, a service for crypto-related notifications, or as Vertu puts it, a “multi-chain real-time data analysis and automated execution tool service for web3 users, enabling them to identify new opportunities in the market, take action, make informed trading decisions and achieve freedom one step ahead.”

There’s also “comprehensive asset protection” for crypto wallets, but exactly how this works remains a mystery. We have asked the company for details on its security and a potted history of the business. ®