Attack of the Vertu clones

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This story was printed from CNET Asia.
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Attack of the Vertu clones

By Aloysius Choong
05/07/2002
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,39061820,00.htm

Click for more pictures of the clone.

The real Vertu

This January, Nokia launched Vertu, its luxury phone subsidiary. The company quickly became known for its portfolio of highly desirable--albeit wildly expensive--mobile phones adorned with precious metals. A stainless steel piece can cost S$10,000 while a platinum model goes for a cool S$40,000.

This has not escaped the attention of third party street vendors, who have come up with more affordable alternatives for the mass market.

Apparently, nothing is too sacred for duplication. The third-party cover lets you pass off your Nokia 8310 off as a Vertu instrument.

Instead of having a sapphire faceplate on a platinum shell, the third-party cover gives you plastic on plastic. Instead of getting Vertu's personalized sales attention and quality service, you get a cranky seller and no after-sales support. Then again, you pay only S$7 not S$40,000.

Sizing up the clone
Fixing the "Vertu" cover is relatively simple; snap on the front then slide on the back.

The back cover is unique as it masks the existing rear panel of the 8310. This gives the "Vertu" a smooth surface but also adds a bit of girth.

The pretender

The fully assembled clone measures about 22mm in thickness, 3mm more than the original 8310. It tips the scales at 90g, 6g more than the 8310.

However, this remains much less lighter than a 215g genuine Vertu, which is solidly built. The pretender, with a length of 92mm, is also 30mm shorter than the real McCoy.

Otherwise, the third-party Vertu cover offers relatively good build quality, compared to the 8310 look-alike cover CNETAsia reviewed months ago. At least the Vertu clone did not come apart in our hands. As an added bonus, the on/off button did not fail us, a common design flaw with third-party covers. Thoughtfully, the makers have even inserted pinholes for users to attach their lanyards.

However, the volume keys on the side of the phone are too deep, while a few buttons on the main keypad lost some key depth with the new cover.

Conclusion
In terms of design, the Vertu-wannabe bears a credible resemblance to the real thing. From a distance, it even managed to fool some people.

But on closer inspection, the rough edges and the scratched plastic gives it away.

Some shops have it going for as much as S$15. We also have reports of a bogus Vertu cover selling at S$30-40, but that's supposed to be of a higher quality. If you've tried that before, drop us an email.

The copycat Vertu is obviously never going to replace the real thing. But it is surprisingly good for a laugh, especially if you're bored with the staid standard covers of your 8310. Furthermore, it's brilliant as a conversation piece.