内容来源：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/17/vertu-wants-executives-to-pay-6880-for-an-ai-agent-heres-how-it-actually-performs/

内容总结：

奢侈手机品牌Vertu押注AI助手，打造售价6880美元的“高管专用折叠机”

在各大手机厂商纷纷将AI作为新战场、竞相推出智能化功能吸引主流消费者之际，英国奢侈手机品牌Vertu却走出了一条截然不同的道路。这家以手工打造、售价动辄数万美元闻名的手机制造商，卖的不是参数，而是身份象征。其最新折叠屏手机Alphafold起售价高达6880美元，目标用户锁定企业高管，将奢华材质与专为高管工作场景设计的AI助手相结合。

为了测试这款手机是否名副其实，记者没有关注跑分、摄像头对比或媒体播放等传统评测重点，而是像Vertu所描述的目标用户那样，用Alphafold处理文档、分析电子表格和合同、规划商务旅行、自动化处理日常任务，并全程依赖其AI助手“Hermes Agent”作为数字伴侣。核心问题不是“它是不是一款好手机”，而是“它是不是一款好的高管手机”。

硬件：奢华外观下的“换壳”争议

Alphafold的核心卖点并非硬件本身，而是预装的AI助手Hermes Agent。该助手基于开源项目构建，能够分析文件、跨应用自动执行任务、记忆对话，并在必要时转接人工管家服务。与大多数仅能响应指令的手机AI不同，Hermes旨在替用户执行多步骤工作流。

从外观上看，Alphafold确实充满奢华感。记者收到的评测机采用小牛皮包裹，搭配钛金属装饰，与主流折叠机常用的玻璃或合成材质形成鲜明对比。其包装更像珠宝首饰盒，内部配有皮套和充电线等配件，强化了“奢侈体验”的定位。

然而，拆开奢华材料，Alphafold的内核却揭示了另一番景象。记者发现，该机与售价仅1100美元的中兴Nubia Fold在铰链设计、尺寸、扬声器、麦克风和指纹识别器位置等方面惊人相似，系统信息中也出现了中兴的标识。Vertu向TechCrunch证实，Alphafold是通过与中兴/努比亚的供应链合作开发的，使用了后者的硬件平台，Vertu负责奢华材料、软件体验、质量控制和售后服务。这并非Vertu首次采用此模式，2023年就有媒体指出其MetaVertu手机基于中兴机型改造。

AI助手实测：雄心勃勃，但尚不成熟

记者将Alphafold作为主力机使用数日，模拟高管工作流进行测试，并与搭载谷歌Gemini的三星Galaxy Z Fold 7进行对比。

场景一：出发去机场。 记者要求Hermes告知联系人“会晚到20分钟”、导航去机场、开启勿扰模式，并设置15分钟后提醒致电酒店。Hermes成功发送了消息、开启了勿扰并打开了谷歌地图，但未能自动开始导航，并且提醒时间设置错误（凌晨2:32分的请求，被设置为晚上9:08分提醒）。而三星的Gemini则会追问“去哪个机场”等细节，最终设置出正确的提醒时间。结论：Hermes更主动，但准确性不足。

场景二：商务旅行规划。 记者要求规划从孟买到浦那的商务旅行，包括早班航班、酒店推荐并添加到日历。Hermes回复称无早班直飞航班，提供“联系管家”按钮，但错误地将出差日期从7月18-19日设置为7月7日。Gemini则在无合适航班后，主动提供了替代出行方案。

场景三：处理商务文档。 记者要求分析本地存储的财务电子表格。Hermes最初能正确总结季度数据，但几天后再次询问时，已无法识别此前上传的文档。而Gemini在初次上传后，能保留对话上下文，数日后仍能正确回答相关问题。

综合来看，Hermes Agent是一个雄心勃勃但尚未成熟的产品。其主动执行的能力使其比Gemini更像“代理”，但也导致工作流不完整、输出错误和行为不一致。评测期间Vertu频繁推送服务器端修复，也表明该平台仍在快速迭代中。

安全与定位：加密保障与专属服务

针对高管关心的数据安全，Vertu声称Hermes的对话经过加密，不会用于训练公共AI模型，用户可选择数据处理地点，并支持企业部署私有基础设施。此外，手机内置专用的“A5”安全芯片，提供硬件级保护。这些声明在评测中无法独立验证，但确实是Vertu面向高管和企业用户的核心卖点。

除了通用助手，Vertu还围绕Hermes构建了专注于法律咨询、投资洞察等领域的专业AI代理，并支持将特定请求转接人工管家。然而记者指出，这些AI代理的回答应视为起点而非权威建议，在做出法律或财务等重大决策前仍需独立核实。

日常使用：续航尚可，无线充电缺失

在非AI功能方面，Alphafold的电池续航可轻松超过一天。但令人意外的是，如此高价的手机竟然不支持无线充电。其摄像头具备“智能AI”文档扫描模式，但三星也有类似功能，并未形成差异化优势。

总结：品牌溢价过高，性价比存疑

Alphafold是一次打造“AI优先”奢侈手机的雄心勃勃的尝试，但执行层面远未达到其高昂的定价。尽管拥有顶级材料和专属服务，其核心硬件在价格低得多的折叠机中也能找到，而Hermes Agent仍是一个不断进化的平台，远未成为让用户多花数千美元的充分理由。

最终，Vertu要求用户为品牌、工艺和建立在成熟手机平台之上的AI及管家服务生态系统支付高额溢价。基于本次评测，这一溢价难以自圆其说。尤其是当三星Galaxy Z Fold 7以几分之一的价格提供了更成熟的折叠体验和基本相当的功能时，考虑到三星下一代折叠机即将发布，Alphafold的价值主张更加难以令人信服。

中文翻译：

AI已成为智能手机行业的最新战场，制造商们竞相添加AI驱动功能以吸引主流消费者。Vertu则另辟蹊径。这家总部位于英国的奢侈手机制造商，以手工打造、售价常达数万美元的设备闻名，卖的不是配置，而是身份象征。其折叠手机Alphafold瞄准富裕买家，尤其是首席执行官们，将奢华材料与一款旨在自动化高管工作日部分事务的AI助手相结合。

因此，我对这一卖点进行了测试。我不关注基准测试分数、相机对比和媒体消费——这些是大多数智能手机评测的基本内容——而是像Vertu声称其客户会做的那样，花了几天时间使用这款折叠手机：管理文档、分析电子表格和合同、规划商务旅行、自动化日常任务，并在整个工作日依赖其AI助手作为数字伴侣。问题不在于它是不是一款好智能手机，而在于它是不是一款好的高管智能手机。

Alphafold的核心是Hermes Agent，这是一款预装的AI助手，基于开源Hermes项目构建。该公司称，它可以分析文件、跨应用自动化任务、记住对话，并在需要时将请求转交给人工管家。与大多数主要响应提示的智能手机AI助手不同，Hermes被设计为代表用户执行多步骤工作流，因此它成为Vertu卖点的核心，而非折叠硬件本身。

从物理层面看，Alphafold起售价6880美元，无论外观还是手感，都完全是奢侈品设备的样子。我收到的评测机包裹着真皮小牛皮，配以钛金属装饰，使其与主要依赖玻璃或合成材料的主流折叠手机区别开来。它显然是为那些将手机视为工具和身份象征的买家打造的。

与我在本次评测中用作参考设备的三星Galaxy Z Fold 7相比，264克的Alphafold明显重于三星215克的折叠手机。长时间使用时会明显感到额外重量，但从未觉得难以操控。Alphafold的弧形边框也比Galaxy Z Fold 7更平坦的边缘更容易展开。不过，三星的设计在折叠时感觉更时尚、握持更舒适，单手操作也更容易。

Alphafold的包装也更像珠宝展示盒而非智能手机盒。超大盒子打开后，露出整齐排列的抽屉，里面装有配件，包括一个皮套和充电线，进一步强化了Vertu销售的是奢华体验而非仅仅一部手机的感觉。

然而，在高端材料之下，Alphafold展现了另一面。在评测过程中，我注意到该设备与售价1100美元的中兴努比亚折叠手机之间存在惊人的相似之处——从铰链设计、尺寸到扬声器、麦克风和指纹识别器的位置。不过，最明显的区别是Vertu的皮革后盖。系统信息还显示软件部分存在中兴的标识符。

当被问及这些观察结果时，Vertu向TechCrunch证实，Alphafold是通过涉及中兴/努比亚硬件平台、组件集成和生产工程的专业供应链合作伙伴关系开发的。然而，该公司表示，他们负责奢华材料、软件体验、质量控制和售后服务。中兴则未回应置评请求。

这对Vertu来说并非新鲜事。在2023年对MetaVertu的评测中，《连线》杂志报道称，该设备似乎是基于中兴努比亚手机，并引用了硬件相似性以及Counterpoint Research的评论——Vertu一直在用奢华材料和定制软件改造现有的中兴机型。

尽管如此，仅仅关注硬件就忽略了Alphafold的重点。Vertu真正的赌注不在于打造一款更好的折叠手机，而在于高管们是否愿意为能帮助他们更高效度过工作日的AI助手买单。

几天来，我将Alphafold作为主力智能手机使用，用真正的高管风格工作流取代了日常提示。我没有要求Hermes写邮件或回答琐碎问题，而是让它分析电子表格和合同、规划商务旅行、管理日程，并在多个应用间自动化操作。然后，我将体验与运行谷歌Gemini的三星Galaxy Z Fold 7进行了比较。

测试过程中有所演变。早期的软件版本在上传文件、分析图像以及连接Vertu的管家服务时遇到困难。在我向Vertu报告这些问题后，该公司推出了服务器端修复，恢复了缺失的功能，使后续测试得以完成。

几天的测试后，得出的结果比该公司的宣传更为复杂。Hermes在分析本地文件和电子表格时给人留下深刻印象，而在我的测试中，三星折叠手机上的Gemini在这些方面仍依赖手动上传文档。它也更愿意跨应用自动化操作并完成多步骤工作流。但这种更高的自主性也带来了权衡，引发了关于AI何时应独立行动、何时应寻求澄清的问题。

Vertu的Hermes Agent能取代行政助理吗？

首个测试模拟了离前往机场前的高管常见场景。我让Alphafold上的Hermes Agent给联系人发信息说我晚到20分钟，导航到机场，将手机切换至勿扰模式，并提醒我在15分钟后给酒店打电话。助手发送了信息，开启了勿扰模式，并打开了谷歌地图显示前往机场的路线。然而，它并未自动开始导航，而是将提醒设置为晚上9:08，尽管请求是在凌晨2:32发出的，要求15分钟后提醒。

在三星Galaxy Z Fold 7上执行相同请求则产生了不同体验。Gemini没有立即尝试每个操作，而是提出了后续问题，包括我想去哪个机场，以及提醒是应在Google Tasks还是Samsung Reminder中创建。一旦我做出选择，它便创建了正确时间的提醒。

Hermes更愿意自主行动，而Gemini则倾向于在继续前确认细节。结果，Hermes完成了更多请求的工作流，但Gemini最终产生了更准确的结果。

规划商务旅行

第二个测试专注于更开放式的任务。我让Vertu的Hermes Agent组织一次从孟买到浦那的商务旅行，包括早班航班、酒店推荐，并将行程添加到我的日历中。助手回复称，所请求的行程没有直达早班航班，并提供了一个“联系管家”按钮，将请求升级到Vertu的管家服务。它还为错误的日期创建了日历条目，将行程安排在7月7日而非7月18日至19日，导致工作流未完成。

三星Galaxy Z Fold 7上的Gemini采取了不同方法。在确定所请求的行程没有合适的直达早班航班后，它继续规划旅行，提出了替代出行方案，而不是将任务移交出去。

处理商务文档

处理商务文档也揭示了喜忧参半的情况。我让Hermes Agent和Gemini分析本地保存的财务电子表格，总结季度业绩，并判断是否包含第三季度销售数据。

在我最初的测试中，Hermes分析了上传的销售电子表格，并正确总结了第二季度的数据。然而，当我几天后回到同一对话时，它不再识别之前共享的文档，而是回复：“我无法访问直接存储在您本地设备上的文件。请在此聊天中上传或附上销售电子表格，我将很乐意为您分析第二季度数据。”

Gemini最初也需要上传电子表格，但保留了对话的上下文。几天后，它仍能回答关于该文档的后续问题，正确识别出北方地区的销售额最高，而无需再次上传文件。

综合来看，测试表明Hermes Agent是一款雄心勃勃但尚未成熟的AI助手。它自主行动的意愿常常让它比三星手机上的Gemini更像一个智能体，但同样的方法偶尔会导致工作流不完整、输出错误和行为不一致。评测期间的更新速度也表明Vertu正在积极优化该平台，意味着今天的体验可能与买家几个月后遇到的体验不同。

除了通用辅助功能外，Vertu围绕一系列面向富裕专业人士的专业AI助手构建了Hermes，包括专注于法律咨询和投资洞察的助手，以及将某些请求升级到人工管家的选项。其理念是将Alphafold定位为不仅仅是一款高级智能手机，而是高管的数字助手。

然而，在实践中，专业助手应被视为起点而非权威顾问。它们可以提供有用的总结和建议，但其回复仍是AI生成的，在用于法律、财务或其他高风险决策前应独立验证。将某些请求升级到Vertu管家服务的选项突显了AI助手当前的局限性。人类专业知识仍然重要。

Vertu还将Alphafold定位为一个商务平台，而不仅仅是一款智能手机。该公司展示了一个集成的企业资源规划系统，旨在让高管通过该设备访问业务数据和工作流。然而，我的测试仅限于演示环境，因此很难评估该功能在日常使用中的表现，或与现有企业系统的集成程度。

安全方面

对于Alphafold的目标用户来说，安全性可能与AI同等重要。高管们不太可能使用一个他们不确定数据在何处处理或存储的助手来分析合同、财务报告和商业计划。

Vertu表示，与Hermes Agent的对话已加密，且不会用于训练公共AI模型。据该公司称，用户还可以选择数据处理地点，企业部署支持为需要对敏感信息进行更严格控制的组织提供私有基础设施。

Vertu通过专用的“A5”安全芯片来支持这些说法，该芯片据称可为敏感数据、加密通信和数字凭证提供硬件级保护。这些说法在测试期间无法独立验证，但它们是Vertu向高管和企业推销的核心。

使用Alphafold的日常体验

抛开AI不谈，Alphafold的表现与任何现代旗舰折叠手机相差无几。电池在测试中轻松续航超过一天。然而，在这个价位上缺少无线充电是一个令人惊讶的遗漏，尤其是当三星Galaxy Z Fold 7除了USB-C有线充电外还支持便捷的Qi充电时。

相机应用还包括一个“智能AI”设置下的文档扫描模式，可以识别文件并进行增强保存，这对于数字化合同、收据和其他商务文档非常有用。三星通过其自有相机软件提供了类似的扫描体验，因此这感觉更像是一个对等功能而非差异化优势。

结论

Alphafold是构建AI优先的奢华智能手机的一次雄心勃勃的尝试，但其执行与其价格标签不匹配。尽管拥有高端材料和专属服务，其核心硬件在价格低得多的折叠手机中几乎都能找到，而Hermes Agent仍然是一个不断演进的平台，而非多花数千美元的理由。

归根结底，Vertu要求买家为基于已有智能手机平台构建的品牌、工艺以及AI和管家服务生态系统支付高昂溢价。根据我的测试，这种溢价很难合理化，特别是当三星Galaxy Z Fold 7以几分之一的价格提供更成熟的折叠体验和相当日常功能时。随着三星下一代Galaxy Z Fold 8预计很快推出，Alphafold的价值主张变得更加难以辩护。

英文来源：

AI has become the smartphone industry’s latest battleground, with manufacturers racing to add AI-powered features to attract mainstream consumers. Vertu is taking a different path. The UK-founded luxury phone maker, known for hand-finished devices often costing tens of thousands of dollars, sells status instead of specs. Its Alphafold, a foldable phone, targets affluent buyers, particularly chief executives, pairing luxury materials with an AI agent designed to automate parts of an executive’s working day.
So I put that pitch to the test. Rather than focusing on benchmark scores, camera comparisons, and media consumption — the staples of most smartphone reviews — I spent a few days using the foldable the way Vertu says its customers would: managing documents, analyzing spreadsheets and contracts, planning business trips, automating routine tasks, and relying on its AI agent as a digital companion throughout the working day. The question wasn’t whether it was a good smartphone, but whether it was a good executive smartphone.
At the heart of the Alphafold is Hermes Agent, a pre-installed AI agent built on top of the open-source Hermes project, which the company says can analyze files, automate tasks across apps, remember conversations, and hand off requests to a human concierge when needed. Unlike most smartphone AI assistants that largely just respond to prompts, Hermes is designed to execute multi-step workflows on users’ behalf, making it the centerpiece of Vertu’s pitch rather than the foldable hardware itself.
Physically, the Alphafold, which starts at $6,880, looks and feels every bit like a luxury device. The review unit I received was wrapped in genuine calfskin leather with titanium accents, setting it apart from mainstream foldables that largely rely on glass or synthetic finishes. It’s clearly built for buyers who see their phone as both a tool and a status symbol.
Compared with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which I used as a reference device throughout this review, the 264-gram Alphafold feels noticeably heavier than Samsung’s 215-gram foldable. The extra weight is apparent during prolonged use, though it never feels unwieldy. The Alphafold’s curved frame also makes it easier to unfold than the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s flatter edges. Samsung’s design, however, feels sleeker and more comfortable to hold when folded, making it easier to use one-handed.
The Alphafold also arrives in packaging that feels more akin to a jewelry presentation case than a smartphone box. The oversized box opens to reveal neatly arranged drawers containing bundled accessories, including a leather sleeve and charging cables, reinforcing the sense that Vertu is selling a luxury experience rather than just a handset.
Beneath the premium materials, however, the Alphafold tells a different story. During the review, I noticed striking similarities between the device and the $1,100 ZTE Nubia Fold — from the hinge design and dimensions to the placement of the speakers, microphones, and the fingerprint reader. The most visible distinction is Vertu’s leather-clad rear panel, though. System information also revealed ZTE identifiers in parts of the software.
When asked about these observations, Vertu confirmed to TechCrunch that the Alphafold was developed through a specialist supply-chain partnership involving ZTE/Nubia’s hardware platform, component integration, and production engineering. However, the company said it was responsible for the luxury materials, software experience, quality control, and after-sales service. ZTE did not respond to a request for comments.
This isn’t new for Vertu. In a 2023 review of the MetaVertu, Wired reported that the device appeared to be based on a ZTE Nubia handset, citing hardware similarities and comments from Counterpoint Research that Vertu had been adapting existing ZTE models with luxury materials and custom software.
Still, focusing solely on the hardware misses the point of the Alphafold. Vertu’s real bet is not on building a better foldable but on whether executives will pay for an AI agent that helps them get through the working day more efficiently.
Over several days, I used the Alphafold as my primary smartphone, replacing routine prompts with real executive-style workflows. Instead of asking Hermes to write emails or answer trivia questions, I tasked it with analyzing spreadsheets and contracts, planning business trips, managing my schedule, and automating actions across multiple apps. I then compared the experience with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 running Google’s Gemini.
The testing evolved as I went. Early software builds struggled to upload files, analyze images, and connect to Vertu’s concierge service. After I reported these issues to Vertu, the company rolled out server-side fixes that restored the missing functionality, allowing the remaining tests to be completed.
What emerged over days of testing was a more nuanced picture than the company’s claims might suggest. Hermes impressed when analyzing local files and spreadsheets, areas where Gemini on Samsung’s foldable still relied on manually uploaded documents during my testing. It was also more willing to automate actions across apps and complete multi-step workflows. But that greater autonomy came with trade-offs, raising questions about when an AI should act independently and when it should ask for clarification.
Can Vertu’s Hermes Agent replace an executive assistant?
One of the first tests simulated a common executive scenario before leaving for the airport. I asked Hermes Agent on the Alphafold to message a contact that I was running 20 minutes late, navigate to the airport, switch the phone to Do Not Disturb, and remind me to call the hotel in 15 minutes. The agent sent the message, enabled Do Not Disturb, and opened Google Maps with directions to the airport. It did not, however, automatically begin navigation and instead set the reminder for 9:08 p.m., despite the request being made at 2:32 a.m. for a reminder 15 minutes later.
Running the same request on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 produced a different experience. Rather than attempting every action immediately, Gemini asked follow-up questions, including which airport I wanted to travel to and whether the reminder should be created in Google Tasks or Samsung Reminder. Once I made those selections, it created the reminder for the correct time.
Hermes was more willing to act autonomously, while Gemini preferred to confirm details before proceeding. As a result, Hermes completed more of the requested workflow, but Gemini ultimately produced the more accurate outcome.
Planning a business trip
A second test focused on a more open-ended task. I asked Vertu’s Hermes Agent to organize a business trip from Mumbai to Pune, including a morning flight, a hotel recommendation, and adding the itinerary to my calendar. The agent responded that there were no direct morning flights available for the requested journey and offered a Contact Butler button to escalate the request to Vertu’s concierge service. It also created a calendar entry for the wrong dates, scheduling the trip for 7 July instead of 18–19 July, leaving the workflow incomplete.
Gemini on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 took a different approach. After determining that no suitable direct morning flight was available for the requested journey, it continued planning the trip by suggesting alternative travel options rather than handing the task off.
Working with business documents
Business documents revealed a mixed picture, too. I asked both Hermes Agent and Gemini to analyze a locally saved financial spreadsheet, summarize the quarterly results, and determine whether third-quarter sales figures were included.
During my original testing, Hermes analyzed an uploaded sales spreadsheet and correctly summarised the Q2 figures. However, when I returned to the same conversation days later, it no longer recognized the previously shared document, instead responding: “I cannot access files stored directly on your local device. Please upload or attach the Sales spreadsheet here in the chat, and I will gladly analyze the Q2 data for you.”
Gemini also required the spreadsheet to be uploaded initially, but retained the context of the conversation. Days later, it was still able to answer follow-up questions about the document, correctly identifying the North region as generating the highest sales without requiring the file to be uploaded again.
Taken together, the testing suggested Hermes Agent is an ambitious AI assistant rather than a finished one. Its willingness to act autonomously often made it feel more like an agent than Gemini on Samsung’s phone, but that same approach occasionally produced incomplete workflows, incorrect outputs, and inconsistent behavior. The pace of updates during the review also suggested Vertu is actively refining the platform, meaning today’s experience may not be the same one buyers encounter a few months from now.
Beyond general assistance, Vertu has built Hermes around a collection of specialist AI agents aimed at affluent professionals, including agents focused on legal advice and investment insights, along with the option to escalate certain requests to a human concierge. The idea is to position the Alphafold as more than a premium smartphone, instead presenting it as a digital assistant for executives.
In practice, however, the specialist agents should be treated as starting points rather than authoritative advisers. They can provide useful summaries and recommendations, their responses remain AI-generated and should be independently verified before being relied upon for legal, financial, or other high-stakes decisions. The option to escalate certain requests to Vertu’s concierge service underscores the current limits of AI agents. Human expertise still matters.
Vertu is also positioning the Alphafold as a business platform rather than just a smartphone. The company demonstrated an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system designed to give executives access to business data and workflows from the device. My testing, however, was limited to a demonstration environment, making it difficult to assess how the feature performs in day-to-day use or how well it integrates with existing enterprise systems.
The security aspect
For Alphafold’s target audience, security may matter as much as AI. Executives are unlikely to use an assistant that analyses contracts, financial reports, and business plans if they are uncertain where that data is processed or stored.
Vertu says conversations with Hermes Agent are encrypted and are not used to train public AI models. According to the company, users can also choose where their data is processed, with enterprise deployments supporting private infrastructure for organizations that require greater control over sensitive information.
Vertu backs those claims up with a dedicated “A5” security chip, which it says provides hardware-level protection for sensitive data, encrypted communications, and digital credentials. Those claims couldn’t be independently verified during testing, but they’re central to Vertu’s pitch to executives and enterprises.
Living with the Alphafold
Away from AI, the Alphafold behaves much like any modern flagship foldable. The battery comfortably lasted more than a day during testing. However, the absence of wireless charging is a surprising omission at this price, particularly when Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 supports convenient Qi charging alongside wired USB-C charging.
The camera app also includes a document scanning mode under a “Smart AI” setting that can recognize paperwork and save them with enhancements, making it useful for digitizing contracts, receipts, and other business documents. Samsung offers a comparable scanning experience through its own camera software, so this is feels more like a parity feature than a differentiator.
Verdict
The Alphafold is an ambitious attempt to build an AI-first luxury smartphone, but the execution falls short of its price tag. Despite its premium materials and exclusive services, the core hardware offers little that cannot be found in significantly less expensive foldables, while Hermes Agent remains an evolving platform rather than a compelling reason to spend thousands more.
Ultimately, Vertu is asking buyers to pay a substantial premium for branding, craftsmanship, and an ecosystem of AI and concierge services built on top of an established smartphone platform. Based on my testing, that premium is difficult to justify, particularly when Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers a more mature foldable experience with comparable day-to-day functionality at a fraction of the price. With Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy Z Fold 8 expected very soon, the Alphafold’s value proposition becomes even harder to defend.