Vertu Launches Ascent Ti in India

Amidst music, dance and a fabulous light show, Vertu launched another mobile in the Indian market: the Vertu Ascent Ti. The Ascent Ti is a quad-band 3G handset with a 3 megapixel camera with flash – the first in the Vertu series to have one. Vertu's motto "precision engineered for strength and balance with a distinctly masculine edge" seems a fitting description of this very high-end phone.

Says Frank Nuovo, Vertu Principal Designer: "From the start the Vertu Ascent has been heavily influenced by the power, energy, and sheer precision of a beautiful car. With the Ascent Ti, this vision has been developed further using the high grade materials, design detail, technical superiority and unsurpassed performance associated with the luxury sports car industry. The result is a highly crafted handset of precision, balance and strength."

The Vertu Ascent Ti is handcrafted in England and looks as if it’s been designed to a 'boys-and-their-toys' motif. And while the exteriors may embody some of the most brilliant automobiles ever designed, the software provides users with the same feel.

The Vertu is crafted out of Titanium, which explains the ‘Ti’ suffix (chemical symbol for Titanium). For those who came in late, Titanium is a non-corrosive element with the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal and an ability to withstand extreme temperatures.

The top rear of the instrument is covered in cowhide and it’s available in three colors: black or red leather with a black ceramic pillow, or brown with a silver ceramic pillow. It also has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal face made from the same material that's used for the camera lens.

The Ascent Ti has a S40 interface – the latest version of course – and it’s complemented with applications specific to these phones. For example, 'Vertu Fortress' technology allows the remote synchronization of contacts, calendar, notes etc. and backs up all stored data to a high security server maintained in an ex-military bunker at a secure location in the English countryside. Customers can access their private data via a personal account on vertu.com. If a customer loses an Ascent Ti phone, all data can be quickly reinstated to a new mobile phone.

The Vertu Ascent Ti is available in India at a not inconsiderable price of Rs 3,26,000 (RRP).