Vertu targets CEOs with $6,880 AI foldable phone

Luxury smartphone maker Vertu has unveiled its latest high-end device, the Alphafold, a foldable phone starting at $6,880 that integrates an AI agent capable of connecting directly with enterprise software systems. The company is positioning the handset squarely at executives who need to manage business operations and communications while traveling.

The Alphafold’s base model features calfskin leather, while more exclusive versions offer alligator leather, 18K gold accents, and natural diamond detailing. Custom finishes are also available. This approach aligns with Vertu’s established strategy of marketing its phones as luxury status symbols for affluent buyers. A company representative told TechCrunch that the highest-end standard configuration currently retails for $46,800, with further bespoke options available upon request.

This launch represents Vertu’s latest effort to reinvent itself for the AI era, following years of struggle to stay relevant in a smartphone market dominated by mainstream brands. The Hong Kong-based company, once famous for its luxury handsets and concierge services popular among wealthy clientele before the iPhone’s rise, has changed ownership multiple times. Now, Vertu is betting that the Alphafold can revive its brand by blending premium materials with enterprise-focused AI capabilities.

At the heart of the Alphafold is Hermes Agent, built on the open-source Hermes project from Nous Research. This AI agent can interface with enterprise systems like ERP and CRM, handling tasks such as approvals, scheduling, sales tracking, travel planning, and operational reporting through natural-language commands. However, Vertu noted that its Phone-to-ERP and VPS deployments will be tailored to each customer’s existing enterprise infrastructure, with pricing adjusted accordingly.

The device can route requests across multiple AI models, including OpenAI’s GPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and selected open-source models. It also integrates with over 80 apps and dozens of native phone functions to enable cross-platform workflows.

Vertu CEO Molly Ma observed that existing AI features on mainstream smartphones remain largely focused on consumer tools like image editing and voice assistance. This leaves a gap for more sophisticated AI-agent workflows tied to enterprise systems. She also pointed to earlier AI-agent smartphone experiments in China that gained traction but later encountered issues related to data privacy and cloud-based data collection.

The Alphafold aims to address these concerns through a privacy-focused architecture built around a proprietary A5 security chip. This silicon is designed to isolate authentication keys, biometric credentials, and sensitive enterprise information from the main operating system. The company added that commercially sensitive data can be processed locally on the device, while prompts sent to external AI models are redacted or tokenized before leaving the phone.

While Vertu has emphasized the device’s privacy and security features, including on-device processing and data redaction, the system has not yet undergone third-party security audits or independent certification. However, Vertu told TechCrunch that independent audits and certification remain on its security roadmap “as an explicit next-stage commitment,” and that it would “communicate the progress and the results publicly” once the product matures.

Under the hood, the Alphafold is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor. It features an 8.05-inch foldable display and a 6.53-inch outer screen, a 6,500mAh battery, and satellite communication capabilities. The device also includes a triple rear camera setup with 50-megapixel primary and ultrawide lenses, plus a 5-megapixel telephoto lens. Vertu said the phone’s hinge uses metal, titanium, and carbon-fiber components and is rated for up to 650,000 folds.

This is not Vertu’s first venture into AI-powered foldables. The company launched Agent Q last year, a clamshell-style foldable smartphone focused on AI-driven automation and productivity. However, Ma told TechCrunch that Alphafold represents a significant step forward, arguing that AI-agent technology has matured rapidly over the past year, with improvements in memory, automation, and app integration.

Foldable smartphones remain a niche segment globally, despite years of investment from major manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei. According to IDC data shared with TechCrunch, approximately 20 million foldable smartphones shipped worldwide in 2025, accounting for less than 2% of total smartphone shipments. The research firm noted that foldables sold at an average price of about $1,300 last year, roughly three times the price of non-foldable models.

Kiranjeet Kaur, associate research director for mobile phones research at IDC, said foldables could eventually benefit from AI-agent workflows because their larger displays are better suited for multitasking and productivity. However, she added that enterprise AI adoption on smartphones still lags behind computers, and that most enterprise smartphone decisions continue to be driven by ecosystem integration and device management support rather than AI capabilities.

The first 115-unit batch of Vertu’s Alphafold begins shipping this week across major markets, including the United States.