Nokia's plans to shed its Vertu brand have reportedly come closer after a leak [free reg. required]. Uncredited tips to the FT had one of Nokia's Finnish neighbors, private equity firm Permira, reportedly in talks to buy the luxury phone badge for about €200 million ($264.9 million). A competing equity group, EQT, had discussed the idea at one point but would have stalled.
Nokia is reportedly attempting to step away from the luxury market, which it had engaged for more than a decade through the Vertu brand. The Finnish phone maker is said to be seeking a buyer for the Vertu division, as the company continues to shift its corporate strategy to focus on smartphones and devices for budget-conscious consumers.
Luxury handset maker Vertu has just introduced its latest and most advanced smartphone with the Constellation. For one, it gets a modern AMOLED touchscreen sized at 3.5 inches and, as is typical of the brand, is coated in a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. On the rear, users will find black alligator skin.
Nokia has confirmed earlier rumors that it would abandon the Japanese phone market, the AP reported on Wednesday. By the end of July, the company will close its last store selling ultra high-end Vertu-branded cell phones. The company operated four such stores in Japan.
Nokia's last footprint in the Japanese phone market will disappear by the end of August, local media said Friday [sub. required]. The company had already stopped direct carrier deals for phones in 2008, but Nikkei now understood Nokia would exit entirely. The withdrawal would include closing the stores for its upscale Vertu badge in Tokyo's Ginza and Shibuya districts.
Tag Heuer is no stranger to making ultra-luxury handsets, and is now back with another mega-dollar offering. The Android-powered Link smartphone differs from other similar exclusive devices as it's more rugged. The maker says the device is impervious to water, shock, and dust, and has a 3.5-inch Gorilla Glass screen to guard against scratches.
Vertu, maker of ultra expensive and exclusive handsets such as the $7,200 Ayxta, has just introduced its first-ever device with a hardware QWERTY keyboard. The Constellation Quest will have expensive design details such as what appear to be sapphire crystal-accented keys, white gold accents and a leather back panel.
Maker of ultra exclusive handsets, Vertu, has recently added a new handset model to its Constellation lineup, the Ayxta. The flip phone features Vertu's Concierge service, with a shortcut button that connects users to an agent who will assist callers with any requests or questions they have. There is also Vertu Select, or an online service that provides travelers with "lifestyle information," which includes a listing of the trendiest bars, restaurants, exhibitions, shopping, clubs and more in a given city, anywhere in the world.
LG is developing a new designer phone that would specifically target the iPhone, the company's wireless chief Ahn Seung-kwon told Korea's Yonhap today. Only providing a teaser, he says the future device would ship in the fall and come within Black Label series that has so far been reserved for LG's best non-smartphones, such as the Arena and Viewty.
Motorola's upcoming Calgary touchscreen phone will be the first phone from the company to use Google's Android interface, a historically reliable source says. The BGR tipster provides few details of what the phone would involve but appears to sync with Motorola's own statements that it plans to focus on social networking, as the Calgary will have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard in addition to its full touch input. The handset is expected to show on Verizon, but it's unknown if it would be ready in spring as rumored or else pushed back to later in the year.
