Vertu has spent nearly three decades asking what luxury can add to a mobile phone once everybody carries essentially the same technology. The Alphafold seems to be the answer, and one that goes far beyond the precious materials and exclusivity. This is about service, artificial intelligence, saving time and, above all, status.
The phone itself certainly looks the part. The entry-level stitched calfskin model starts at £5,900, while alligator, gold and diamond versions climb rapidly into five figures. Folded, it has a 6.53-inch outer screen; opened, an 8.05-inch display. There is a 6,500mAh battery, 65W fast charging and the reassuring heft of a 264g device that makes no attempt to disappear in the hand.
But hardware is almost beside the point. The Alphafold’s real proposition is Hermes Agent, an AI system designed to be a “doer”. This is the big difference with most of what else is available in the market. Once your fingerprint is set (it can be temperamental), press the red side button and Hermes becomes alive. It can draft and send emails, schedule meetings, book travel, order an Uber, search for restaurants, generate images or music and work across supported apps. If the AI reaches a dead end, worry not, Vertu’s 24/7 human concierge can step in. Ask for a table at a fully booked restaurant and – in theory – the machine hands the problem over to an actual person.
Hermes Agent turns the Alphafold into a personal AI assistant, combining concierge services with everyday productivity tools.
For the right owner, that is genuinely useful. The more ambitious business functions go even further. Vertu’s VPS system can be configured to connect with company ERP software, surfacing sales figures, approvals, contracts and tasks, although this is not an instant, out-of-the-box feature and must be set up individually.
Here is where I differ from the idea that this is a phone for CEOs. Maybe for an owner-founder, family-office principal, property magnate or UHNW entrepreneur who runs their business very personally. But I don’t think this is for the typical chief executive of a large corporation. Most senior executives already live inside established Apple or Android ecosystems, company security protocols and IT systems. Moving everything across is a big ask. For an iPhone user in particular, every app has to be downloaded again, permissions reset and a completely new operating logic learned. Between Android, foldable multitasking, Hermes, its specialist agents and the sheer number of functions, there are moments when a PhD seems useful preparation.
Hermes is also still learning. Independent testing has found it impressively willing to carry out multi-step requests, but occasionally too willing: reminders have been set for the wrong time, calendar entries for the wrong dates and previously shared documents forgotten. Wireless charging is absent too, which one would expect on such a luxury phone.
The Alphafold arrives in Vertu’s elaborate presentation case, where even the unboxing is designed to feel like part of the luxury experience.
So, who is it really for? To me, the natural Alphafold customer is the ultra-wealthy early adopter: someone for whom £5,900 is negligible, who wants alligator rather than aluminium, values the human concierge and enjoys owning something almost nobody else at the table has.
Vertu has never really been in the business of sensible phones. The Alphafold may be its most intelligent expression of that idea yet. I am curious about which will be the next step.
Author: Julia Pasarón
If you want to find out more about Vertu phones, you may enjoy reading our review of Vertu Agent Q.
Show Comments +