According to a recent report by Jiangxi Metropolitan Channel and E Morning Post, a Yunnan tourist accidentally lost his mobile phone worth 186, yuan while traveling in Zhengzhou. The police were surprised at first, but after verifying the inquiry, the police ruled out the possibility of reporting false alarms and found the owner's mobile phone in a hotel overnight. Many netizens are curious: What exactly is a mobile phone worth 186, yuan?
Red Star News reporter found that the mobile phone lost by the tourist was VERTU, which was a luxury mobile phone, and the price of its products in official website ranged from 29,8 yuan to 243, yuan.
is a mobile phone worth this price?
take the SIGNATURE series "red gold and black" mobile phone launched by VERTU official website as an example, the price of this mobile phone is 243, yuan.
according to the related page, the mobile phone is hand-made in Britain, and each part is hand-carved, with polished 18K gold decoration and diamond-cut sapphire buttons.
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It is worth mentioning that VERTU also provides customers with one-on-one butler service for 7*24 hours. Users can call personal assistants through buttons on their mobile phones to provide services, recommendation information and ticket booking from all over the world.
However, Red Star News reporter found that VERTU sells the most expensive SIGNATURE series mobile phones, and its related configuration still stays in the key function machine more than ten years ago.
On March 6th, a reporter from Red Star called VERTU's customer service. When asked if the SIGNATURE series mobile phones could use 4G network or WiFi, the staff said with certainty, "No."
The staff member said that the SIGNATURE series mobile phones only provide telephone and SMS functions. Other functions, such as touch screen, camera and network, are not provided.
As for pricing, the staff member said that VERTU mobile phones are luxury mobile phones, all screens of VERTU mobile phones are sapphire, and some accessories are also made of gold or precious stones.
Previously, in July 217, there were media reports that VERTU shut down its manufacturing business in the UK. Although VERTU later responded through its official Weibo that the relevant reports were misinterpreted, the closure of an inefficient factory in the UK was a strategic adjustment, and the VERTU brand was operating normally.
However, there is still public opinion that the personal assistant service that VERTU can provide can be replaced by the voice assistant of ordinary smart phones, and the uniqueness of VERTU's service function can no longer be effectively reflected.
Even Du Guoying, the founder of its competing 8848 mobile phone, once commented that VERTU is a standard luxury, not a technological luxury. The whole management team ignored the elements of science and technology from top to bottom, and operated it too much as a luxury.
The ill-fated VERTU
According to public information, in 1998, Nokia launched VERTU, a sub-mobile phone brand positioned as a high end. However, due to the entry of smart phones into the market, Nokia and its sub-brands have suffered different degrees of impact.
in p>212, Nokia sold 9% equity of VERTU brand to Swedish company EQT for 175 million. By 215, the relevant equity of VERTU was sold to Hong Kong fund company GodinHoldings.
In March 217, Turkish businessman HakanUzan bought VERTU from GodinHoldings for another 5 million pounds.
VERTU mobile phone changed hands three times in five years, and it was inevitably affected in China market.
according to the report of beijing business today in March 217, VERTU experienced a wave of store closing in China market, especially in second-and third-tier cities. In 217, it had 4 stores in China market, 1 fewer than 5 in 215.
On March 6th, Red Star News reporter found that VERTU official website no longer announced the official stores in China. The Red Star journalist called VERTU customer service, and the other party said that VERTU currently has few stores in the country, only in first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and the number is small.
Red Star News reporter noticed that when searching for "VERTU" in Chengdu on Gaode map, two stores showed that they were closed. The customer service also told the Red Star journalist that VERTU has no store in Sichuan Province at present.
can smartphones save VERTU?
Red Star News reporter noticed that after Nokia sold VERTU, VERTU's mobile phones have begun to try to transform, trying to share a piece of the smart phone market.
on March 6th, related staff of VERTU said that in addition to the SIGNATURE series of mobile phones, the ASTERP series, SIGNATURETOUCH series and CONSTELLATIONX series of mobile phones launched by VERTU in recent years are all smart phones.
among them, the ASTERP series mobile phones are entry-level and the price ranges from 29,8 yuan to 98, yuan. In addition to the hand-made, sapphire and personal butler service that VERTU has always used, ASTERP series mobile phones also adopt the configuration of conventional smart phones such as Android system and front and rear dual cameras.
it is worth mentioning that VERTU not only tries to enter the field of smart phones, but also cooperates with e-commerce platforms.
in may p>217, VERTU signed a three-year strategic cooperation agreement with JD.COM, authorizing JD.COM 3C to be the only exclusive online channel for VERTU's entire line of products. At that time, VERTU also provided a Cobra limited edition mobile phone worth 2.47 million yuan as a "treasure of the town store".
On March 6th, Red Star News reporter found that VERTU's official flagship store in JD.COM no longer had this mobile phone, and VERTU only sold four series of mobile phones on the JD.COM platform, but the highest-priced SIGNATURE series was not put on the shelves.
In addition, Red Star News reporter noticed that the top mobile phones in the sales list of this store are all entry-level ASTERP series mobile phones, and their comments are only over 2.
Red Star Journalist Intern reporter Yang Peiwen
Editor Tang Huan