CEO of Vertu balances technology and luxury

Vertu launched the Vertu Ti a month ago, and the most luxurious model is priced at HK$167,000. What is it about the Ti that would entice consumers to pay so much more than other smartphones?

Vertu Ti is our most rounded product. It combines an elegant and contemporary design philosophy with our fundamentals of craftsmanship and services and the Android OS. The price is justified by the fact that Vertu is a premium product. The price reflects the excellence of design, premium materials and craftsmanship used to create this luxury phone.

Luxury products are created from better materials, with a greater degree of hand craftsmanship than mainstream products, and Vertu is no different. Just as a Ferrari needs to be understood as more than just being engine, wheels and seats, we produce products that transcend what is normally expected from a mobile device.

Everyone has something they can justify as a luxury - a product that [looks different or performs in a different way] and that says something about the owner. This may be a car, a watch or a Vertu.

A. Greater China plays a significant role in our strategy, as do other regions, such as Europe and Russia. In 2012, Greater China accounted for 43 per cent of our sales. The Vertu customer is global, affluent and discerning. They tend to be interested in design, art and culture. They are entrepreneurial in spirit and successful in whatever they do, so we do not pigeonhole specific regions by cultures and tastes.

Vertu has never been about winning a technological race with mainstream manufacturers but, rather, using the best available hardware and software to create a robust, fully rounded product for our customers.

Technology is just one facet of the Vertu brand, sitting alongside craftsmanship and design, materials and service. It takes time to build a durable, high-quality product, something that is critical for Vertu.