Vertu Signature Touch: Everything you should know about this new luxury smartphone

All too often a handset positioned as a luxury offering is so focused on construction materials and outward appearances that its internal components - the processor, RAM, operating system and camera technology - can feel like an afterthought. But the latest handcrafted smartphone from Vertu, the Signature Touch, is certainly not one of them.

Yes, it has an exterior that's equal parts fine leather and premium grade titanium and a 5.2-inch display encased in Sapphire glass - a material that's too expensive for mass-market phone makers to even consider for anything other than covering the camera lens. However, underneath the glass and calfskin is an octa-core Snapdragon processor, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera that can shoot 4K video, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of on-board storage, which can be expanded to a mammoth 2TB via microSD card.

It's got Dolby stereo sound, a quick-charge battery and even sports the latest version of Android.

So it will be able to run with aplomb any app currently nestling in the Google Play Store. However, owners of this particular handset will be most interested in the apps developed by Vertu itself.

The phone is a gateway to a 24-hour concierge service available for everything from restaurant reservations to organizing a last-minute minibreak. It is also a membership card that will open the doors to invitation-only events and to specially curated experiences. And, new to this handset is an even greater focus on security. Vertu Certainty is an app that encrypts communications and offers owners access to and advice from cyber security experts.

The Vertu Signature Touch will be available in a choice of four colours and in eight textures including alligator and lizard skin as well as calfskin and leather. It will work anywhere in the world and, thanks to a partnership with iPass, owners should also be able to access a free WiFi hotspot in most major cities, no matter where their travels take them.

Prices for the new handset, which will go on sale in the UK, France, Germany, the US, Singapore, Russia, Hong Kong and China on October 8 via Vertu boutiques will start at €8,400 for a calfskin finish and rise to €17,900 for the Pure Jet Red Gold edition which boasts quilted jet calf leather and polished Red-Gold detailing.