Vertu launches Alphafold AI foldable phone at $6,880

Vertu, the luxury phone brand, unveiled a new high-end foldable smartphone on Thursday designed to integrate artificial intelligence directly into executive workflows. The device, called the Alphafold, starts at $6,880 and is aimed at business leaders who manage operations on the go.

The company's core pitch is the Hermes Agent, an AI system built on an open-source project that can connect to enterprise software like ERP and CRM platforms. According to Vertu, the agent can handle tasks such as scheduling, sales tracking, travel planning, and generating operational reports through natural-language commands. The phone can route requests across multiple AI models, including OpenAI's GPT, Anthropic's Claude, and Google's Gemini, and integrates with over 80 apps for cross-platform workflows.

Vertu CEO Molly Ma stated that current AI features on mainstream phones remain consumer-focused, leaving an opening for advanced enterprise agents. She also pointed to privacy as a key differentiator, citing earlier experiments in China that faced backlash over data collection. The Alphafold incorporates a proprietary A5 security chip designed to isolate sensitive data and process information...