Vertu has a long history of crafting expensive phones. The British brand gained recognition for hand-finished devices that sometimes cost tens of thousands of dollars, emphasizing prestige over technical specifications. Its Alphafold is a foldable handset aimed at wealthy customers, especially CEOs, combining premium materials with an AI agent meant to streamline aspects of an executive's daily routine.
In terms of physical design, the Alphafold - priced from $6,880 - appears and feels like a high-end product. The review unit featured genuine calfskin leather and titanium accents, distinguishing it from typical foldables made with glass or synthetic materials. It is evidently designed for buyers who regard their phone as both a practical tool and a status symbol.
When compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the 264-gram Alphafold is noticeably bulkier than its 215-gram rival. The extra heft becomes evident during extended use, though it never feels awkward. The Alphafold's curved edges make it simpler to open than the flatter edges of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. However, Samsung's design feels more refined and is easier to grip when closed, enabling one-handed operation.
Beneath the luxurious exterior, the Alphafold reveals a different reality. The review found considerable overlap between the Alphafold and ZTE's $1,100 Nubia Fold, from hinge design to speaker and fingerprint reader placement. System data also showed ZTE identifiers in the software.
Get the market news that matters in a five-minute read with Market Briefs, our free daily newsletter
After being asked about these observations, Vertu informed TechCrunch that the Alphafold resulted from a tailored supply-chain partnership that utilized ZTE/Nubia's fundamental hardware, assembly processes, and component procurement. Vertu said it managed the premium materials, software interface, quality assurance, and post-purchase support. This pattern is not unprecedented - a 2023 Wired review of the MetaVertu observed that the device seemed derived from a ZTE Nubia model.
This reliance on a ZTE platform raises questions about the Alphafold's premium pricing. While Vertu emphasizes its bespoke materials and software customization, the underlying hardware is shared with a device costing a fraction of the price. For wealthy buyers, the choice may come down to whether the Hermes AI and luxury finish justify the sixfold cost increase.
Over multiple days, the reviewer used the Alphafold as a main phone, substituting ordinary prompts with authentic executive workflows: analyzing spreadsheets and contracts, arranging business travel, handling schedules, and automating actions across several apps. The testing improved as the reviewer proceeded. Initial software versions had trouble uploading files, analyzing images, and linking to Vertu's concierge service. After these problems were reported, Vertu implemented server-side updates that restored the missing features.
What became clear after days of testing was a more complex picture than Vertu's marketing suggests. Hermes excelled at examining local files and spreadsheets - tasks where Gemini on Samsung's foldable still required manual file uploads during testing. It also showed greater willingness to automate cross-app actions and execute multi-step sequences. However, that increased independence came with drawbacks, raising the question of when an AI should proceed autonomously versus seek clarification.
One test replicated a typical executive situation just before heading to the airport. The assistant dispatched a text, activated Do Not Disturb mode, and launched Google Maps with the airport set as the target. However, it failed to start navigation on its own; instead, it set a reminder for 9:08 p.m. even though the request at 2:32 a.m. asked for a 15-minute alert.
When the same request was run on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the experience differed: Gemini asked follow-up questions about which airport and whether to use Google Tasks or Samsung Reminder. After those choices were made, it set the reminder correctly. Hermes was more proactive, but Gemini delivered the more accurate result.
Another scenario required scheduling a work excursion between Mumbai and Pune, with a morning flight, hotel recommendation, and calendar entry. Hermes replied that no direct morning flights were available and provided a Contact Butler button to escalate to Vertu's concierge. Additionally, the calendar entry it generated was for July 7 rather than the correct July 18-19.
Gemini on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 handled it differently. After concluding that no suitable direct morning flight existed for that route, it continued the planning by proposing alternative travel options instead of passing the task off.
Join Market Briefs, our free daily newsletter, for a quick daily rundown of the markets
