Vertu Ships 115 Alphafold Phones at $6,880 as It Chases Luxury Enterprise AI

9 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 28

Vertu began shipping the first 115-unit batch of its Alphafold this week in major markets including the U.S., with the foldable phone aimed at executives managing work on the move.
Starting at $6,880 and reaching $46,800 for a standard top-end version, the device pairs luxury materials with Hermes Agent, which links to ERP and CRM systems for approvals, scheduling, sales tracking and reporting.
The phone can route requests across OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and open-source models, integrates with more than 80 apps, and uses an A5 security chip to isolate sensitive data while redacting prompts sent off-device.
That privacy pitch still lacks third-party validation: Vertu said independent security audits and certification have not yet been completed, though they are on its roadmap.
Vertu is using the launch to revive a brand eclipsed in the iPhone era, even as foldables remain niche at about 20 million units shipped globally in 2025, or less than 2% of smartphone volumes.

Is Vertu's new AI foldable a cutting-edge business tool or an insecure luxury gadget with its outdated Android OS?

Can executives trust Vertu's powerful AI with company secrets, given the brand's opaque ownership and past privacy issues?