Alligator back panel, turning photos into NFT in one click: Vertu presents new luxury crypto-smartphone for $41,000

Metavertu is the name of a new device from the famous manufacturer of luxury phones Vertu. On the outside it is different from most modern smartphones, the back panel of which is made of alligator skin. On the inside, a smartphone with pretty good features, which, among other things, is Web3-oriented, can run its own blockchain node and turn photos and videos into NFT in one click.

The most luxurious of the Metavertu crypto smartphones will cost $41,500. But in the line of 10 devices can be found and more modest options: for the cheapest will have to pay only $3600.

Metavertu on the outside

All 10 Metavertu models have a ceramic frame and Vertu's signature sapphire crystal screen. The most expensive model has the back panel covered in Himalayan alligator leather and inlaid with diamonds and 18ct gold.

Others have a sapphire crystal, ceramic, calfskin or alligator leather back panel.

The display of all models is the same: it's 6.67-inch AMOLED with a resolution of 2400×108.

Metavertu from the inside

All 10 models have a Qualcomm SnapDragon 8 Gen 1 processor, a 4,600 mAh battery (charging via USB Type-C, 80W, also has a magnetic, 15W) and a triple camera:

• Main (35mm) - 64MP, Sony IMX787, f/1.6, 7 lenses, OIS;
• Wide-angle - 50MP, Samsung JN1, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, f/2.2, 116-degree angle of view;
• Periscope - 8MP, Hynix Hi-847, 1/3.4", 1 μm, f/2.4, OIS, 5x zoom.

The entry-level model comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, while the top-end model has 18GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. All run Android 12, support two nanoSIM cards, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, A-GPS.

Luxury in the Web3 world

In the past, Vertu sold luxury phones with very mediocre features, which led to its bankruptcy in 2017. In 2018, the company was re-launched (though it had changed several owners before that), and now it is apparently betting not only on luxury finishes, but also on trendy technology. Crypto and Web3 are definitely trendy today, and for many nouveau riche people CryptoPunks and Azuki NFT are the new Burberry and Louis Vuitton.

But the main problem with Web3, as Vertu CEO Gary Chan pointed out at the phone's London launch, is that its complexity can discourage new users. The goal of the new Metavertu is to simplify Web3 for regular users.

Web3 in one click

Metavertu can switch between Web2 mode (with the standard Android operating system) and Web3 mode.

Just a few clicks are required to create a wallet with private keys protected by a trusted execution environment (TEE) and access a set of decentralized applications (dapps) through a user-friendly Android-style interface.

According to a Vertu spokesperson, these decentralized apps include VOS, which allows the phone to be used as a "validator, light node and light client" in the Ethereum blockchain. Another decentralized app, Vshot, allows the user to create an NFT from a photo or video with a single click.

The phone also features Vtalk, an encrypted instant messaging app that, according to Chan, "integrates decentralized social networking features," including DAO.

Users also get access to 10 terabytes of distributed storage in IPFS and Vertu's 24-hour "red button" concierge service.

This service has also been updated to reflect the Web3 world.

Chan says they have a dedicated NFT investment team to help their users understand NFT faster and better.

This service, he said, can help newcomers through the process of collecting non-exchangeable tokens and advise them on which upcoming collections are worth buying.

Where can I buy Metavertu?

Metavertu will go on sale on November 3 through the Vertu website as well as in the company's regular stores. Here are the prices for the smartphones in this line:

• Basic Carbon Fiber (black), 12+512GB - $3600
• Calf Leather Caramel Brown (black+brown), 12+512GB - $3300
• Alligator Leather Iron Black (black), 12+512GB - $6500
• Alligator Leather Iron Black (black), 18+1024GB - $7500
• Alligator Leather Creamy White (black+white), 12+512GB - $7650
• Alligator Leather Creamy White (black+white), 18+1024GB - $8650
• Alligator Leather Flame Red (black+red), 12+512GB - $7500
• Alligator Leather Flame Red (black+red), 18+1024GB - $8400
• Himalaya Alligator Leather 18K Gold & Diamonds (white+gold), 18+1024GB - $41,500