SKIRMISHER

Retailing for at least $31,000, Vertu’s high-end cell phones are The Shit.

In case anybody’s wondering, Vertu’s a Nokia subsidiary, and their phones are hand-crafted, in the way skilled craftsmen would handcraft a Faberge egg or a Swiss watch–only these things are high-tech telecom gadgets. Its Signature product line, for example, took eight designers a total of four man-years perfecting the feel of the keypad alone. “Using the thinnest micro switches in the world, Signature’s keypad is the most complex single piece of the entire handset.”

Described by Time Europe as a “riot of gold and platinum,” it would be a bloody good time (I love pun!) to try strolling down Manila’s streets with a Vertu handset. Kevlar and Bodyguard No. 5 might be necessary accessories.

Stumble it!