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Vertu wants CEOs to run companies from an AI foldable starting at $6,880

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Luxury smartphone brand Vertu on Thursday unveiled a foldable phone powered by an AI agent that connects with enterprise software and coordinates workflows. The company is targeting executives who manage business operations and communications on the move.

Called the Alphafold, the foldable smartphone starts at $6,880 for the calfskin version. Higher-end models feature bespoke finishes including alligator leather, 18K gold, and natural diamond accents, along with customized detailing. This continues Vertu’s long-standing strategy of positioning its phones as luxury status symbols aimed at affluent buyers. The company told TechCrunch that its highest-end standard model is currently priced at $46,800, with further customization options available.

The launch marks Vertu’s latest attempt to reinvent itself for the AI era after struggling to remain relevant in the modern smartphone market. The Hong Kong-headquartered company, once known for luxury handsets and concierge services popular among wealthy buyers before the rise of the iPhone, has changed ownership multiple times over the years as mainstream smartphone makers came to dominate the industry. Nonetheless, Vertu is betting the Alphafold can help reinvent the brand for the AI era by combining luxury hardware with enterprise-focused AI capabilities.

Vertu’s Alphafold comes with Hermes Agent, built on top of the open-source Hermes project by Nous Research. The agent can connect to enterprise systems like ERP and CRM, and coordinate tasks such as approvals, scheduling, sales tracking, travel planning, and operational reporting through natural-language prompts. However, the company said that its Phone-to-ERP and VPS deployments would be customized for each customer depending on their existing enterprise systems, with pricing varying accordingly.

Vertu Alphafold
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The Alphafold, Vertu said, can route requests across multiple AI models including OpenAI’s GPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and selected open-source models, while also integrating with more than 80 apps and dozens of native phone functions for cross-platform workflows.

Existing AI features on smartphones from major manufacturers remain focused largely on consumer tools such as image editing and voice assistance, Vertu CEO Molly Ma said. This leaves room for more advanced AI-agent workflows tied to enterprise systems. She also pointed to earlier AI-agent smartphone experiments in China that gained popularity before facing challenges over data privacy and cloud-based data collection.

The Alphafold, Ma said, aims to address those concerns through a privacy-focused architecture featuring 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 said. It 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 architecture, including on-device processing and data redaction features, the company said 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,” adding that it would “communicate the progress and the results publicly” once the product matures further.

The Alphafold is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 processor and features an 8.05-inch foldable display alongside 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 cameras, as well as 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.

The Alphafold is not Vertu’s first attempt to combine AI with foldable devices. The company last year introduced Agent Q, a clamshell-style foldable smartphone focused on AI-driven automation and productivity features.

However, Ma told TechCrunch that Alphafold represents a significant step forward from Agent Q, 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 by major manufacturers including Samsung and Huawei. As many as 20 million foldable smartphones were shipped globally in 2025, accounting for less than 2% of total smartphone shipments, according to IDC data shared with TechCrunch. The research firm said foldables sold at an average price of about $1,300 last year — roughly three times the price of non-foldable smartphones.

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-oriented experiences. She, however, 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 U.S.

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Weekly Review: Nigeria stock market gains N622bn amid decline in trades

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The Nigerian stock market added N622 billion to investors’ wealth during the week, as market capitalisation rose by 0.39 per cent to close at N157.057 trillion.

This is in spite of a 0.14 per cent decline in the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) All-Share Index to 243,462.13 points.

The market opened the week with a capitalisation of N156.445 trillion and an All-Share Index of 243,798.76 points.

Sectoral performance was largely positive, with all other indices closing higher except the NGX Main Board, NGX Consumer Goods, NGX Oil and Gas, NGX Lotus II, NGX Industrial Goods, NGX Growth and NGX Sovereign Bond indices.

These declined by 1.54 per cent, 0.15 per cent, 0.11 per cent, 0.40 per cent, 6.26 per cent, 0.09 per cent and 0.33 per cent, respectively, while the NGX Commodity Index closed flat.

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Trading activity weakened during the week as investors traded 2.819 billion shares valued at N182.499 billion in 226,729 deals.

This is compared with 3.648 billion shares worth N220.568 billion exchanged in 251,861 deals in the preceding week.

The Financial Services Industry dominated market activity with 2.006 billion shares valued at N99.697 billion traded in 96,171 deals, accounting for 71.17 per cent of total equity volume and 54.63 per cent of total value traded.

The Consumer Goods Industry followed with 178.863 million shares worth N7.872 billion in 26,637 deals, while the Oil and Gas Industry recorded 151.237 million shares valued at N38.309 billion in 16,879 deals.

The three most-traded equities by volume were First Holdco Plc, FCMB Group Plc and Access Holdings Plc, which jointly accounted for 939.402 million shares worth N57.673 billion in 19,051 deals.

The trio contributed 33.33 per cent of total traded volume and 31.60 per cent of total traded value.

Market breadth weakened during the week as 44 equities advanced, down from 60 in the previous week, while 35 equities declined compared with 28 recorded previously.

A total of 67 equities closed unchanged, higher than 58 in the preceding week.

Leading the gainers’ chart for the week were First Holdco, Thomas Wyatt Nigeria, Fidelity Bank, Learn Africa and United Bank for Africa, which appreciated by N26.75, 66 kobo, N2.85, N1.30 and N4.50, respectively.

READ ALSO: Nigerian stock market ends week with N3.2 trillion gain for investors

On the losers’ table, BUA Cement, Red Star Express, International Energy Insurance, C&I Leasing and PZ Cussons Nigeria recorded the steepest declines, shedding N64.60, N4.55, 84 kobo, 85 kobo and N9.05 respectively.

Meanwhile, the NGX notified trading licence holders that 13.812 billion additional ordinary shares of 50 kobo each of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc were admitted to its Daily Official List on 16 July, further boosting the company’s issued share capital.

(NAN)

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Osun Guber: Tinubu has not abandoned Bola Oyebamiji — Oyintiloye

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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu is behind Bola Oyebamiji, the party’s candidate in the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

Oyintiloye spoke on Sunday in Ibokun, Obokun Local Government Area, while dismissing a report alleging that the President and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, had abandoned Oyebamiji.

Addressing journalists during a campaign tour of communities in Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, he described the report as false, and a handiwork of desperate opposition elements seeking to create division within the APC.

According to him, “President Tinubu and Oyetola remain fully committed to the party’s success in Osun and are closely monitoring the campaign while providing the political leadership and strategic support required for victory.

“President Tinubu and our leader, Oyetola, have never relented in their support for Oyebamiji.

“Anyone suggesting otherwise is spreading falsehood to mislead the public. The APC remains united, focused, and determined to reclaim Osun.”

The former lawmaker said the party’s leadership at the national and state levels were working hard to deliver Osun for APC, and urged members of the party not to be distracted by propaganda.

He added that prominent party leaders in the state, including Chief Bisi Akande, the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, and the state chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, among others, were also committed and working round the clock to ensure victory for the party.

He urged party faithful across the 30 local government areas and the Area Office to intensify grassroots mobilisation, engage voters and highlight the achievements of the Tinubu and Oyetola administrations alongside Oyebamiji’s development blueprint.

Oyintiloye also cautioned the opposition against violence, intimidation and other forms of lawlessness capable of undermining the electoral process.

“Maiming, extrajudicial killings and other forms of politically motivated violence aimed at creating fear and suppressing the will of the people must be firmly rejected,” he said.

He also stressed the need for an issue-based campaign anchored on credible ideas and practical solutions, insisting that voters should be allowed to exercise their rights freely in a peaceful atmosphere.

“The election will not be won only on social media. We must continue to engage our people at the grassroots, visiting every community, polling unit and household with our message of hope and responsible governance,” he said.

He urged party members to remain united and work collectively towards victory in the August 15 election adding that from all indications, Osun APC will return to power in the next governorship poll.

“The victory of Oyebamiji is a collective project. With the support of President Tinubu, the leadership of Oyetola, the commitment of party stakeholders and the support of the people of Osun, the APC is firmly on course for victory,” he said.

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