Vertu's US $26,000 smartphone will make you wish you had oil money

Vertu is a brand synonymous with "loaded". Basically, if you bought one, you have plenty of money to go around. Either that or you're intending to live off instant noodles for the conceivable future. And Vertu has just unveiled the newest gem in its flagship lineup, the Vertu Signature Touch. It's got everything you would want  in a smartphone, and everything you didn't think you'd ever need as well. It's a titanium body with leather enhancements,runs on Android 5.1,  packing a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor with 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, as well as another 64GB in the included memory card. And that microSD slot can be expanded all the way up to an insane 2TB. Think of all the songs you'll never listen to! The Signature Touch is also slightly larger than its predecessor, with a 5.2-inch 1080p display at 428 ppi with sapphire crystal protection, and also packs a reasonable 3160mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0, Qi wirless charging and 4G support. On the camera front (and back) the Signature Touch has a 21MP f/2.2 main camera with phase detect auto focus and twin dual-tone LED flash and 4K recording, but the old 2.1MP front shooter stays the same. A pity, this baby could have used some more selfie love. But the clear standout feature for the Vertu Signature Touch is that sweet, sweet back panel. On either side of the centrally placed camera are gull-wing doors that lift up to give you access to the SIM card and microSD card. According to tradition, each Vertu smartphone is handmade from start to finish by one person at the workshop pin England, and that creator's name is laser engraved inside the right panel.In addition there's also Vertu's signature "Digital Concierge" service, bundled with the smartphone. It's a service hot-keyed to a button on your smartphone, that you can access to basically do anything. Want to book those concert tickets next week? Call your concierge and let him do the rest. It's a real-life person on the other end as well, so speech recognition isn't a hassle. It's a premium service that Vertu offers to its customer, bundled with the smartphone purchase, and that's now been extended from 12 months to 18. But that's probably only acceptable, considering how much someone can end up shelling out for one of these phones. The Vertu Signature Touch will be available worldwide mid-October, starting at US $9,900 for the basic model, all the way up to about US $26,000, depending on your choice of finish and leather back.