New Vertu Signature Touch: £13,700 smartphone gets 4K camera and larger screen

Vertu, the British smartphone maker which crafts its exclusive handsets from titanium, ruby and alligator skin, has announced a new model. The 2015 Signature Touch has a larger screen than its predecessor and an improved camera with 4K video recording.

You will need incredibly deep pockets to get your hands on the new Signature Touch, as prices start at £6,500 and run all the way up to £13,700 depending on the materials you ask your phone to be made from. There is 64GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card holder which Vertu says can accepts up to 2TB of extra storage (when and if such a memory card exists).

The rear camera has been improved from 13-megapixels on the old model to 21MP, although the front camera remains at 2.1MP. Perhaps Vertu owners aren't the type to fret over the perfect selfie.

The screen has grown from 4.7in to 5.2in, but retains the same Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. That means a pixel density of 428 pixels per inch. Vertu has given the new Signature Touch support for Qi wireless charging and the Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 standard.

More importantly, and like all other Vertu phones, the new Signature Touch is hand-made in England and includes a concierge service exclusive to Vertu customers.

The service includes the ability to buy tickets for sold-out events like the Rugby World Cup final, plus concerts and experiences like being a passenger in a Spitfire.

Can a smartphone ever be worth thousands of pounds, even if it can get you a ride in a Spitfire and a table at the world's most exclusive restaurants? We'll leave you to make up your mind on that...

Pre-orders - exclusive to Harrods, naturally - open on 28 September and run until 8 October, then the phone actually goes on sale on 16 October.