Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research says, “Vertu has changed hands lots of over the past decade, but is still being run by a bunch of folks based out of Hong Kong, very close to the Chinese supply chain. These folks with renewed focus are rebadging existing models from brands—ZTE, for example—with luxury materials and advanced hardware and software.”
Keeping this in mind, look at the Metavertu again. You’ll notice that it looks a lot like the ZTE Nubia Z40 Pro from early 2022. They have the same camera sensors, lens and flash placement, CPU, and screen specs. They also both have a red power button on the side. From the front, they look like they are almost the same.
The Nubia Z40 Pro, which costs between £500 and £800, can be made to look like a Metavertu by adding a pricey carbon fiber, ceramic, and sapphire backplate. And if you don’t like the $2,915 ($3,592) Basic Carbon Fiber design, which looks a bit like an Asus ROG gaming phone, why not spend just £6,073 ($7,464) more on the red alligator leather model?
The Metavertu phone is definitely one of a kind, but it looks like “making extraordinary” wasn’t done by Vertu alone, as it says in its lock-screen photos.
Everything is on Web3
All of this means that Vertu’s software could be the most interesting part of the Metavertu experience. It makes sense, since it’s supposed to be the “first Web3 phone in the world.” Shah says that the positioning of the phone is “geek luxury,” which is different from the “fashion luxury” of earlier Vertu phones.
The concierge service that used to come with older Vertu models was given to a different company. The Metavertu still has a sort of concierge, but now it’s in the form of forms for booking hotels, flights, and restaurants that link directly to a Google Sheets page inside a Vertu Life app.
The process is similar to making a reservation for yourself on a website, but it will definitely raise security and privacy concerns. Still, it should, if possible. You can also call the “concierge line,” which is the same number as the general customer service number on Vertu’s website. Yes, high-class service.
No Guarantees
Still, the concierge service is out of date. It’s neither Web 3 nor Web 2.0. What is a Web3 phone, though? Many of you might not know what Web3 stands for.
The term “Web3” refers to a wide range of technologies related to blockchain, such as cryptocurrencies and ideas for making video games more like marketplaces for goods. Web3 has interesting possibilities, but it’s also a haven for thieves and a gold mine for people trying to get venture capital.
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