If you are looking for a smartphone that exudes luxury and exclusivity, the new ‘Vertu for Bentley’ might just be the thing for you, for a mere $17,000.

The new handset is the first joint product release from a five-year partnership between the two British luxury brands, Bentley Motors, and Vertu, a manufacturer of luxury mobile phones.

The Vertu for Bentley handset, with its combination of audio performance and curated services, delivers a unique sensory experience.


PARTNERSHIP

Kevin Rose, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing of Bentley Motors, says: “The partnership between Bentley and Vertu allows customers to experience the Bentley brand while out of the driving seat. The look and feel of the handset is a consequence of a strong collaboration between the Bentley and Vertu creative teams. The handset’s design and materials, when coupled with its exclusive services, integrated Bentley content and high-performance technology, embody what both Bentley and Vertu stand for, and deliver what our customers are looking for.”

Vertu’s Chief Executive Officer Massimiliano Pogliani comments: “The new captures the essence of both our brands. It combines English handcraftsmanship, contemporary elegance, outstanding performance and cutting-edge technology.

“Our collaboration with Bentley unites both companies’ proud British heritage, as well as unrivalled expertise in the luxury and technology markets, to create a handset which exceeds the expectations of our mutual customer base. The result is ‘Vertu for Bentley’, a device which not only reflects sophistication and discerning taste, but also performs to an undeniably high technical standard to deliver an effortless, intuitive luxury mobile experience.”


DESIGN

The ‘Vertu for Bentley’ smartphone is swathed in quilted calf leather, in the classic Bentley shade of Newmarket Tan, and stitched with a diamond pattern.

The supple leather is encased in durable, yet lightweight, titanium, which features tactile diamond knurling. This detailing on the side rails is complemented by an engine-turned pattern on the handset’s titanium back plate, which opens to reveal the engraved signature of the craftsman who meticulously constructed the phone, from start to finish, at Vertu’s headquarters in Church Crookham, England.

The traditional ceramic pillow, synonymous with established Vertu handsets such as the Signature and Signature Touch collections, has been subtly remodelled to feature a sleeker pillow trim, to reflect Bentley’s elegant and sophisticated style.

Each Vertu for Bentley phone sports a discreet, metal Bentley ‘B’ wings motif on the face of the handset. The complimentary slip case also depicts the Bentley logo, embossed on the Newmarket Tan calf leather.


EXCLUSIVE SERVICES

The handset comes with the full spectrum of exclusive services which the luxury mobile phone manufacturer has become renowned for - comprising a dedicated Vertu Concierge service, curated events and experiences via Vertu Life, and security services from Vertu Certainty –

alongside an app, which delivers exclusive Bentley content directly to the device.

This bespoke application provides customers with access to official Bentley articles, exclusive experiences, recommended routes and local chauffeur and dealer information, as well as a shortcut to the Touch Screen Remote features for Bentley Flying Spur drivers. Exclusive Bentley experiences and the latest Bentley content for owners and enthusiasts, plus Bentley dealer and service centres is also offered. In addition, the smartphone will feature custom start-up animation, 3D clock, 3D wallpaper and Bentley wallpapers.


PERFORMANCE

The high-performance smartphone uses best-in-class technology with superior handcrafted materials, including grade-5 titanium, solid sapphire crystal, which creates a virtually scratch-proof screen, and hand-finished calf leather.

Mirroring the performance of the Vertu Signature Touch, the Vertu for Bentley handset incorporates the full breadth of the company’s expertise.

The acoustics, tuned in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen, feature Dolby Digital Plus virtual surround-sound processing and stereo speakers. As for imaging, which is such an integral part of the smartphone experience, Vertu has continued to work with Hasselblad, the world’s most renowned professional photography brand, to perfect the image-tuning of the camera.

Alongside the sterling performance of the audio and imaging, the phone features wireless charging, NFC and Android 4.4 (KitKat) software.

This inaugural model is planned to be followed by a further four, luxury smartphones, each of which will encompass authentic and iconic Bentley design elements and exclusive lifestyle services.

The new phone will be limited to just 2,000 pieces, and is now available in selected Vertu boutiques worldwide.