Vertu has already made a name for itself by offering some of the most expensive handsets on the market, and now the company is teaming up with Bentley for a new series of high-end smartphones. The partnership is set to last five years, with the first of five new phones launching later this fall.
The new smartphones will all come with exclusive Bentley content and "experiences" packaged in a pre-installed app. Their design should also draw some influence from the car-maker, though Vertu has already proven it knows how to build a beautiful handset on its own. In the past the company has released one smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard made from precious gemstones, and another device wrapped in titanium and leather.
There's no word on what operating system the new smartphone's will run, though Vertu has some experience working with Android. The first new handset is set to launch in October, and hopefully we'll learn a bit more about the device ahead of time. Until then check out the full press release below.
1Vertu and Bentley to produce luxury smartphones
Crewe, 7th July 2014) Bentley and Vertu, two great British brands, are delighted to announce an exclusive five-year partnership. The new series of luxury smartphones will be distinguished by the unparalleled design, craftsmanship, contemporary elegance, outstanding performance and integrated technology which are the hallmarks of both companies.
The first Vertu for Bentley phone is planned for launch in October. It will be followed by four further distinctive luxury smartphones, each of which will encompass authentic and iconic Bentley design elements and luxury lifestyle services. Exclusive Bentley experiences and the latest Bentley content for owners and enthusiasts will be consolidated in an application on the device.
At the headquarters of Bentley in Crewe, Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, said: "Bentley's new partnership with Vertu brings together two world-leading brands defined by their commitment to performance, luxury and customer experience. The collaboration expands Bentley's luxury range into the cutting-edge world of mobile communications and offers customers a new way to experience the world of Bentley.
"Exclusive Bentley content will appeal to drivers, travellers and brand enthusiasts, through a partnership that delivers on both technology and touch. Today, we see the marriage of two great brands with an international presence and quintessential British heritage and character. The unique experience of luxury and performance inherent in every Bentley has now found further expression in the world's most desirable mobile phone."
Massimiliano Pogliano, CEO of Vertu, commented: "Vertu is the embodiment of contemporary English luxury, combining the worlds of high technology and artisan craftsmanship. We wanted to work with an automotive partner that perfectly reflected our own positioning, and in Bentley, there is none finer.
"This partnership will allow Vertu to fully integrate with the Bentley brand; phones will be jointly designed by the Vertu and Bentley design teams reliant on a relationship that goes far deeper than the utilisation of materials and cues on design. We're confident that the Vertu for Bentley phones will appeal to our mutual customers' desire for sophistication, craftsmanship and precision engineering."
Combining pioneering design and luxury performance materials, the phones will offer a unique experience appealing to the desire of Bentley and Vertu customers for uncompromising performance standards allied with elegant and eye-catching design.
Both Bentley and Vertu have performance built into their brand essence. The most modern smartphones pack an array of features into their slim profiles. Both the stereophonic acoustics and the superb imaging are integral to Vertu smartphones, which are designed under the Vertu ethos of a 'one world phone', with the development team working to ensure that, no matter where you are in the world, your smartphone has the optimum set-up for peerless coverage in the region that you are in.
