The company became famous for its exclusive handsets that incorporated expensive materials including carbon fibre, titanium, leather and even gold, and with its always-on concierge service, Vertu established the market for luxury smartphones. However, since the brand's heyday, other companies, most notably Ulysse Nardin Chairman, whose handsets combine the best elements of a smartphone with the best of a handcrafted Swiss chronograph, have pushed Vertu off its perch.
Although the company is no longer part of Nokia, the innards of the smartphone have been provided by the Finnish company, so technically speaking, the Vertu Ti is Nokia's first Android phone.