Siri, Order Me a Vertu Ti

Vertu, which has been in the business of selling premium phones and phone services for 10 years has introduced the Ti, an Android-based phone that retails for $6,000, meaning now your smartphone can be a smug phone.

Vertu's CEO, Perry Oosting, told the BBC that it recently chose Android over Window as a platform because Android was more established. The company is migrating away from the Symbian OS after it broke away from Nokia, he said.

Geared not surprisingly, at a high-end, niche market, the Ti has a 1.7 GHz processor, 64GB of memory, an 8MP camera, a sapphire screen -- which the company says is four times stronger than ordinary cell phone screens – and a titanium shell. Its 184 parts are assembled by a single English craftsman who signs the SIM card when he's satisfied with his work.

In addition to the attention to detail during assembly the phone comes with a level of support that puts Apple geniuses and Siri to shame. Several propriety apps provide round-the-clock live support to take care of nearly any need the customer has. At the heart of every Vertu phone experience is the concierge, which is available through text, voice, and email offering "lifestyle assistance and enrichment."

Vertu Concierge is an independent, tailored service, and is accessed via a dedicated custom ruby key on the phone, matching "different Vertu Concierge options to the needs of the customer," according to the company. With it comes a team of “lifestyle managers,” situated within a network of global hubs covering all the major time zones including London, Paris, Milan, New York, Shanghai, Dubai, Moscow Hong Kong, and San Francisco.

The concierge service also has managers "on the ground" in major destinations in order to build close relationships with specialist suppliers of goods and services specifically for Vertu customers, the company said.

The company claims that many customers choose to use Vertu Concierge for their travel and accommodation requirements because the service offers "exclusive opportunities" and access to the widest network of hotels, restaurants and airlines.

According a spokeswoman at the Vertu Boutique in New York, the concierge service is complimentary for the first 12 months with the purchase of a phone. After that the customer can choose one of three levels of service. Classic service is $2,900; Dedicated Service is $4,000; and Unlimited Service is negotiable. The Ti starts at $5,900.