NEW 2013 VERTU CONSTELLATION - Hands On Impressions & Review. Is it Worth the $6,000 Price Tag?

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New 2013 VERTU Constellation. See How Its Made in the VERTU Factory - $6,000 Android Phone for the Worlds Wealthy

With the Ti liberating Vertu from the Symbian shackles, it was only a matter of time before the luxury phone maker released its second Android device. The Constellation, as it's called (instead of "Constellation V" as listed by the FCC), takes a small but bold step away from Vertu's usual design language, as it lacks the iconic ceramic pillow on the earpiece. What it gains instead is the largest piece of tough sapphire glass that Vertu -- or any phone maker for that matter -- has ever crafted, as well as a layer of soft but durable calf leather wrapping around the Grade 5 titanium body. It'll also come in five colors: dark brown, orange (our favorite so far), black, light brown and cherry.

Vertu's CEO Massimiliano Pogliani told us that this "less is more" approach is to have a more neutral, less showy offer that he believes will appeal to a larger audience.

"It tested extremely well [in study groups] in China and Russia," said the exec. "In terms of design and appearance, it is being luxury but not too bling, too wild, too pushy, so I'm very happy and very confident."

In terms of specs, the Constellation is actually slightly more powerful than the Ti. For one, it comes with a newer but still lightly customized Android 4.2, which runs on top of a larger 4.3-inch 720p display and a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC, so it'll work just fine on AT&T and T-Mobile's networks.vertu "vertu constellation" "vertu ti" ferrari "vertu ferrari" technology gadget exclusive elite expensive global "most expensive" vip "handmade in england" "made in england" "made in uk" handmade phone "cell phone" "mobile phone" "italian leather" leather "exotic leather" wealthy wealth "wealth management" "super rich" millionaire money usd dollar u.s. "united states" usa america "united kingdom" british "british engineering" concierge travel zillionaireclub power entertainment trendy trends android ipad air iphone 5s ipad mini retina 2013 2014 new latest

As part of the Vertu Certainty offering, the Constellation comes with the option to subscribe to "a unique offer of global, unlimited Wi-Fi access" from iPass, as well as an advanced version of Kaspersky anti-virus app. Users can also sign up with security company Protector Services Group to enable personal tracking and an alert button on the phone, which can be very handy if you're entering a high risk area -- especially for insurance purposes. Like the Ti, the newer phone also supports Silent Circle's encrypted VoIP call service, and it'll soon include encrypted instant messaging, too.

For those interested, the Constellation will be available in select Vertu boutiques starting this month, but you're advised to make an appointment ahead of time should you wish to check it out. You'll probably also want to start looking into suitcases that can carry all your cash.

There are plenty of ways to waste your money, many of which we fully endorse. Extravagant watches, ridiculous cars, and indeed phones for which the massive outlay in no way justifies a service that is at best ineffective and at worst a stupendous lesson in pretention, oafishness and pointless largesse. But -- ho ho ­-- enough about iPhone 5S. Let's talk about Vertu.

The bling legacy
So, Vertu. A British luxury company that's big in the wide world and laughed at in Blighty. Reason? It established itself making phones that cost gazillions and were frequently decked in monstrous bling, but in operation were inferior to common-or-garden mobiles. Hand-made in Hampshire its products may be -- although in truth they're hand assembled, the parts coming from suppliers around the world -- but they were also brazen in both their ostentation and their technical ordinariness, and we don't really go for brazen in the UK.

And Vertu sold well in regions we love to sneer at. The devotion to tatty bling of rich Russians and Arabs, the sheer vulgarity of their avarice, actually warms the cockles of our hearts, and Vertu seemed to fit right into it. Anyone remember this odiousness?

From a design perspective, it's a lush beast. We actually have a soft spot for Vertu's still-going-strong (with whom exactly??) old-school phone, the Signature -- an exercise in streamlined, sexy design, even if it's functionally pointless -- and the Constellation is easily the company's most successfully realised product since that. It's sleek, streamlined and classy, and feels good in the hand.