Details of first Android-powered Vertu phone leak

The first pictures and specification details have emerged of the Ti, the first handset built by luxury smartphone maker Vertu, since Nokia sold the company in October as part of its far-reaching cost exercise.

According to Blog of Mobile, the Vertu Ti runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich, and features a WVGA display, dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm MSM8260 Snapdragon processor, is NFC compatible and supports Bluetooth 4.0. What's more, it is expected to retail for a ‘mere' €3000 (RM12,693) -- making it one of the most expensive Android handsets on the market but by no means the most expensive Vertu handset ever dreamed up.

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.