TechCrunch Says Vertu's $6,880 Alphafold Fails to Justify Price as Hermes AI Misfires
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Jul 17
TechCrunch Says Vertu's $6,880 Alphafold Fails to Justify Price as Hermes AI Misfires
1 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Jul 17
Summary
$6,880 bought premium leather, titanium and concierge branding, but TechCrunch found the Alphafold's core value proposition weak for executives who need reliable AI and foldable performance.
Hermes Agent showed more autonomy than Samsung's Gemini in file analysis and multi-step actions, yet it repeatedly produced wrong times, wrong dates, incomplete workflows and inconsistent memory across tests.
Vertu confirmed the phone uses a ZTE/Nubia hardware platform, reinforcing the review's conclusion that buyers are paying a steep premium for materials, software layering and service rather than distinctive hardware.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, used as the reference device, was lighter at 215 grams versus 264 grams and generally delivered a more polished, accurate day-to-day experience at a fraction of the price.
The review said Vertu's AI-first luxury strategy remains unfinished: security and enterprise features are central to its pitch, but Hermes still looks more like an evolving assistant than a reason to spend thousands extra.