There are phones that are decked out with ridiculous specs. There are phones with modest specs that still command premium prices. There are phones embedded with the latest innovations in technology. And then there's Vertu, which makes phones with fairly average specs and sells them for extremely high prices.

How high, you might say? A top-tier unlocked iPhone usually goes for about $900 in Amazon, and that's already paying a bit too much. Vertu, on the other hand, averages about $9,000 for a single phone.

That's right. $9,000 for an Android smartphone, and that's the average. Indeed, some of the company's most expensive phones during the pre-smartphone era reached up to the tens of thousands of dollars.

Recently, however, Vertu seems to have become aware that a lower-tier market also exists. The manufacturer's response is the Vertu Aster Chevron Collection, the manufacturer's idea of a budget device. The Aster Chevron line comes in blue, black and pink, but make no mistake, the materials on the phone are premium-grade.

In fact, the frame of the phones is completely covered in custom Italian fabric. The device also has a titanium frame and a real ruby button. For its screen, the phone uses sapphire, making it pretty resilient when it comes to taking blows from everyday objects.

Indeed, the device, in all its handcrafted glory, is still very much a premium smartphone. Definitely not bad for an entry-level device.

The thing is, since this is Vertu, the company's idea of an entry-level device is a smartphone that costs $4,200.

Being the company's low-tier devices warrants some compromises, however, as the Aster Chevron features flagship specs, from two years ago. Equipped with a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM and running Android 5.1 Lollipop, the 4.7-inch Aster Chevron carries pretty much the same components as the forgettable Galaxy S5.

Then again, for Vertu's clientele, specs are hardly the devices' selling point. Vertu has been around for a pretty long time, and over the years, its range of products have become a lot more capable. The fact that the company still thrives to this day is also proof that it has a consumer base.

Considering that fact, it's almost certain that the $4,200 Aster Chevron definitely caters to a notable demographic. 

Tags: vertu budget phone luxury smartphone Aster Chevron vertu phones