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For the discerning gent in the market for an ultra premium mobile handset there is only one port of call – Vertu. The British phone maker has a penchant for technology that always sides with the decadent and this autumn’s launch of its latest handset is no different. The Aster is a welcomed and sleek addition to the uber premium range, aimed at the affluent gadget aficionado. Elysium Magazine gets hands on with the latest in luxury mobile for a closer look.<\/p>\n
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Firstly, it’s best to take a look under the hood of this piece of shiny new kit before exploring some of the more obvious bounty. Technical specs amongst phones is far from the decisive factor it used to be. The Aster is no different here than the rest of the premium Android brigade – a 4.7 inch 1080p sapphire crystal display, 64GB of on-board memory, a 13MP camera on the back and a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor power this Android 4.4 KitKat OS. Nothing out of the ordinary though.<\/p>\n
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Nice additions include wallpaper from the Tate gallery and ringtones composed by the London Symphony Orchestra along with Dolby speakers to project the sound. It’s these little touches which start to pull the Aster away from the competition.<\/p>\n
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Aesthetically, the Aster is very easy on the eye. The polished titanium edges work well considering the exotic skin pairings that finish off the exterior – from calf leather to top-of-the range ostrich in cognac. Who else has that in the boardroom?<\/p>\n
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Of course the big sell on a Vertu device is access to its famed concierge service via the trademark red ruby button. Nothing is too big or small to sort for the dedicated Vertu personal lifestyle managers. However, the Aster will only get you six months, as opposed to the full year for other Vertu devices.<\/p>\n
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It’s now where the positioning for the Aster is apparent – whilst most of the Vertu range starts around the \u00a37,000 mark, like the Signature Touch, the Aster is a few thousand short of that and it’s reflected in the reduced ‘extras’. It’s Vertu’s play at enticing the discerning gent at a lower price point – even though it’s still miles more expensive than any Samsung or Apple equivalent. You’ll still want one though.<\/p>\n
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