Nokia is working with Goldman Sachs to arrange the sale of its luxury phone subsidiary Vertu. It remains unclear exactly how much Vertu is worth, Reuters said Thursday, but the company typically earns Nokia an estimated $268-$402 million in annual revenue. Vertu is best known for its expensive handsets that feature luxuries such as sapphire crystal keys, gold accents and prices that reach several thousands of dollars and beyond. Private equity groups are already interested in the brand Reuters said, citing...

Luxury phone maker Mobiado today announced a new addition to its portfolio of exotic cell phones. The Mobiado 105 Damascus, hand-forged using a hot-forging technique that dates back to 1700 AD, certainly does its predecessors proud. The result of the forging technique used to build Mobiado’s new handset is called Damascus steel and it was used to build swords renowned for their strength and sharpness. The 105 Damascus won’t cut you, though it will definitely carve its way deep into your bank accou...

Remember that four to seven thousand dollar Vertu Constellation Quest handset BG was drooling over we told you about over the weekend? Well, it looks like the company’s PR firm has posted a short YouTube video detailing just what makes the luxurious handset worth a king’s ransom. Aside from the trimmings we told you about last time — sapphire keys, gold accents, etc. — each device is hand-made and hand-polished to provide the level of luxury Vertu customers have come to expect. The dev...

We’ve seen the new Constellation Quest handset in full form, and to be honest, it looks gorgeous. Think of it as the highest form E73 you could imagine — sapphire crystal keys, gold accents — but very angular, almost futuristic looking. Beveled keys, a distinctive ear speaker, and a small size are other things that Vertu’s smartphone features. Unlike other Vertu’s, we’ve heard there will be a decently-sized marketing campaign, possibly even with a celebrity endorsement. As ...

In a recent SEC filing, Liquidmetal Technologies — a company that develops and commercializes amorphous metals — signed an agreement with Apple, Inc. that granted the iDevice maker licensing to all of Liquidmetal’s intellectual property. The filing reads:On August 5, 2010, Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Liquidmetal”), entered into a Master Transaction Agreement with Apple Inc., a California corporation (“Apple”), pursuant to which (i) Liquidmetal contribu...

You know we are big fans of Vertu handsets around these parts, and Mr. Frank Nuovo certainly isn’t sitting in the UK counting iPhone sales while doing nothing. Vertu has, in Vertu tradition, silently announced an updated model in their lineup and it is the new Vertu Ascent for 2010. Picking up on almost all of the previous phone’s shortcomings (save for the S40-based OS, of course), the new Ascent features quad-band 3G, GPS, preloaded maps for navigation, a 5 megapixel camera, and will come in 8GB...

Have you spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting that smooth flick of the wrist that flips opens your clamshell and shows off your expensive Rolex at the same time? Is your entry level Motorola flip phone just not making the cut for your debonair lifestyle? Go ahead and do some donuts in your Lamborghini on the front lawn of your estate as Vertu has answered your prayers. The Nokia subsidiary has just introduced the Vertu Ayxta, a Constellation in the clamshell design. The Ayxta has all the traditional...

Aw man, another one? We guess so! Hot off the Vertu Signature S Design we manhandled yesterday, we’ve moved on to bigger and better things. We’re talking official Ferrari-licensed limited edition goods here, people. The Vertu Ascent Ti has actually been around for a little while, we did a hands on over a year ago, but the handset has been done up in Ferrari garb, and we’ve got the most precious Ti out of the Ferrari Ti family — Nero. Standard Vertu disclaimer applies: this isn’t ...

What, you didn’t see this coming? While the global economy is suffering, Vertu keeps on launching their high-end mobile phones to the world’s richest customers. While they used to be featureless handsets, they’ve now become current, and what used to be expensive, is still… expensive. Let’s look at the brand new Vertu Signature we just got in our office. It’s the stainless steel model, and is made of sapphire crystal, fine leather, and of course, stainless steel. Its got 3G ...

When Nokia announced it would be withdrawing from Japan and starting a new MVNO, we weren’t sure what it had in mind. History shows that MVNOs typically aren’t very successful because of the small market for such operators (almost always being dwarfed by mega-carriers), but Nokia has really shocked us with this one. Their new venture is called Vertu Club, which is essentially further isolating an already lonesome market. This particular MVNO is, you guessed it, only going to carry Vertu handsets. ...

We’re not the first site to have a hands on, but we’re the first with a production unit. So there! All jokes aside, I’d like to give you a little back story… about 3 years ago I was talking to one of my higher-up Motorola sources and we started discussing Vertus. I said how much the right people appreciated those phones even though there were completely outdated in terms of technology. They filled a void and were the first ones to get it. I suggested Motorola should create a spin-off b...

Vertu’s new Signature S handset gets priced and does not disappoint. Starting at £7,540 ($14,000), the base model has a stainless steel finish, a yellow gold version is priced at £18,000 ($32,000) and the premium white gold version will set you back a mere £24,000 ($42,600). This new luxury handset features a patented keypad containing solid ruby bearings and comes with ringtones and alerts taken from a specially composed piece performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. All of this decadence on top ...

Never one to turn down a Vertu, we’ve just came across Vertu’s latest handset in all its FCC glory. For starters, it has 850MHz/2100MHz 3G support, Wi-Fi, and probably the craziest futuristic design we’ve ever seen. Many Vertu lovers across the globe loved their original Signatures but they were quick to be completely outdated in terms of technology, thus they were “forced” to switch to the Constellation (small and smooth) or the Ascent Ti (huge and feature-packed). Well, no more...