The Aster: Vertu’s Latest Ultra-Luxury Smartphone

The Vertu Aster features a titanium case and comes with a choice of calf, snake or ostrich skin covering and is priced between $6,900 and $9,700.

In addition to its lavish materials, the Aster also offers Vertu’s Classic Concierge service, which gives owners access to a 24-hour social guide, where you can find gifts, get invites to exclusive events and other benefits.

Vertu also has WiFi hotspots around the world where Aster owners can stay connected, while the company also includes extras such as a year of Kaspersky mobile security. Vertu is working on a line of wearable technology too.

In terms of its technical spec, the Aster is stocked with a 4.7-inch, 1080p HD display and a 2.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor. There is a 13.1-megapixel rear-mounted camera and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, plus 64GB of internal storage and a 2,275 mAh battery.

Founded in 1998, Vertu was solely owned by the Finnish mobile-phone manufacturer Nokia until 2012 June when Nokia sold 90 per cent of the company's equity share to private group EQT VI.