Bentley’s->ke15 aggressive expansion plan apparently isn’t limited to just its automotive lineup. It’s also diving into the world of smartphones with the launch of its first ever handset built in collaboration with luxury cellphone maker Vertu.
The phone is named the "Vertu for Bentley" and is the first joint product release between the two British luxury->ke505 brands since announcing its five-year partnership back in July 2014.
The two brands are also planning to follow up the "Vertu for Bentley" luxury phone with four more iterations, each one carrying “authentic and iconic Bentley design elements and exclusive lifestyle services.” Sounds like these two brands have a full schedule lined up for the next five years.
So what else can I tell you about the "Vertu for Bentley" phone that’ll make you want to have one?
Well, it’s limited, which is always a good thing for collaborations like this. Only 2,000 units are going to be made and each one is going to cost prospective buyers a pretty penny. Depending on what currency you’re going to use, the phones will be available in selected Vertu Boutique stores worldwide from October 2014 and will be priced at $17,100 in the U.S., £10,700 in the UK and €12,500 in other European countries.
Click past the jump to read more about Bentley-Vertu new smartphone.
Bentley-Vertu Smartphone In Detail
There are a lot of nice details with the "Vertu for Bentley," as expected considering that one unit is the price of more than 10 iPhone 6 Plus models. The first thing you’ll notice is how luxurious it looks. The quilted calf leather plays a huge part in that. It comes in the classic Newmarket Tan color Bentley’s famous for to go with diamond-pattern stitching.
You also won’t see any plastic casings on these phones. Instead, Vertu opted to use a lightweight Grade-5 titanium that even has tactile diamond knurling. The devil’s in the details on this phone, and if you look a little closer, you’ll notice the detailing on the side rails and how it’s heavily complemented by an engine-turned pattern on the phone’s titanium back plate. This plate opens to show an engraved signature of the Vertu craftsman who constructed this phone from the ground up. Talk about personalized details, right?
Another unique design detail of the phone is the sleeker ceramic pillow trim, a nod to the elegance and sophisticated style of the British automaker. Bentley’s "B" wings insignia is also prominently displayed on the face of the handset while another Bentley mark is embossed on the Newmarket Tan calf leather that makes up the phone’s complimentary slip case.
In addition to the phone itself, the Bentley-Vertu collaboration also includes the development of a "Vertu for Bentley" app that delivers exclusive Bentley-related content directly to the device, including official Bentley articles, recommended routes, and local chauffeur and dealer information.
Why It Matters
As far as luxury mobile phones are concerned, you'd be hard-pressed to find one as exclusive as the Vertu for Bentley phone. It's astronomical price tag isn't so much about its cutting edge technology, even though it does carry an Android 4.4 (KitKat) software, as well as acoustics from Bang & Olufsen and imaging from Hasselblad.
These phones cost as much as an entry-level car because they were born from a collaboration between two companies that live and breathe luxury. The materials used on the phone speak to the level of class and sophistication Vertu and Bentley constantly strive to achieve.
The question now is if you're willing to spend that much money on a phone? I'd pass on this one personally, but I certainly won't begrudge anybody who buys one. Just let me touch it once so I know what a $17,000 luxury phone feels like in my hands.