Vertu makes a $10,000 Android smartphone

The Vertu Ti has a 3.7-inch sapphire crystal screen that is "virtually scratchproof," according to Vertu, which manufactures the phone by hand. The body of the device is composed of Grade 5 titanium, which Vertu says is five times stronger than the average smartphone. It has a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, and 64GB of internal memory. An 8 megapixel camera can shoot 1080p HD video, and the front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera enables video calling. The phone has "symphonic sound tuned in collaboration with Bang & Olufsen," so the speakers and stereo drivers should be good.Former Nokia subsidiary Vertu has abandoned Symbian in favor of Android for its latest operating system, but the company has kept its values on making incredibly expensive smartphones. While some may balk at the $650 cost of an unsubsidized iPhone or the temporarily overpriced $999 BlackBerry Z10, the new Vertu Ti costs EU 7,900 (US $10,569). A $10,000 phone might sound ridiculous, but you won't know for sure until you examine the phone. Yes, you'll still think the price tag is ridiculous, but at least you'll be able to say that definitively.\

Vertu designed a custom interface to layer on top of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. One would think that a $10,000 phone would at least have the decency to deliver software that was newer than something first seen more than a year ago, but one would be mistaken. On the bright side, there's also a concierge button that can place a live call to someone to help book restaurant reservations or find out information about an area. There are literally dozens of apps that do the same thing, but the perks have to justify the price tag.