Vertu 希望高管为 AI Agent 支付 6,880 美元——实际表现如何

AI 已成为智能手机行业的最新战场，厂商争相添加 AI 功能以吸引大众消费者。Vertu 则另辟蹊径：这家起源于英国、以手工制作、通常售价数万美元的奢华手机制造商，一直致力于向超级富豪销售身份象征，而非比拼配置。其 Alphafold 折叠机瞄准富裕买家，尤其是企业 CEO，将奢华材质与 AI Agent 结合，旨在将高管工作日的一部分自动化。

我决定以 Vertu 所宣称的方式测试这一说法。我没有关注大多数手机评测的常规项目——跑分、相机对比和媒体消费——而是花了几天时间，以 Vertu 宣称的目标客户方式使用这款折叠机：管理文档、分析电子表格和合同、规划商务旅行、自动化日常任务，并全天依赖其 AI Agent 作为数字伴侣。问题不在于它是不是一款好的智能手机，而在于它是否是一款好的高管手机。

Alphafold 的核心是 Hermes Agent，一款基于开源 Hermes 项目 预装的 AI Agent，Vertu 表示，它能够分析文件、跨应用自动化任务、记住对话，并在需要时将请求转交给人类管家。与大多数仅响应提示的智能手机 AI 助手不同，Hermes 旨在代表用户执行多步骤工作流，成为 Vertu 卖点的中心，而非折叠硬件本身。

从物理上看，起售价 6,880 美元 的 Alphafold 看上去和感觉上都是一款奢华的设备。我收到的评测机包裹着真小牛皮，配以钛金属点缀，与主流折叠机普遍采用的玻璃或合成材质饰面截然不同。它显然是为那些将手机既视为工具又视为地位象征的买家打造的。

与我在本次评测中用作参考设备的 三星 Galaxy Z Fold 7 相比，重 264 克的 Alphafold 比三星 215 克的折叠机明显更重。长时间使用会感受到额外的重量，但不会显得笨拙。Alphafold 的弧形框架也使其比 Galaxy Z Fold 7 更为平直的边缘更容易展开。然而，三星的设计在折叠时更精致、更舒适，单手握持更轻松。

Vertu 的 Alphafold 配小牛皮后壳与三星 Galaxy Z Fold 7 的玻璃后壳图片来源： Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Alphafold 的包装盒更像是珠宝展示盒，而非手机包装。大号盒子打开后，露出整齐排列的抽屉，内含捆绑配件，包括皮革保护套和充电线，强化了 Vertu 销售奢华体验而非仅手机的感受。

Vertu Alphafold 的奢华包装图片来源： Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

然而，在奢华材质之下，Alphafold 呈现出另一番景象。在评测期间，我注意到该设备与 售价 1,100 美元的中兴 Nubia Fold 有着惊人的相似之处——从铰链设计和尺寸到扬声器、麦克风和指纹识别器的位置。最明显的区别就是 Vertu 的皮革后盖。系统信息也显示软件中有中兴的标识符。

当被问及这些发现时，Vertu 向 TechCrunch 确认，Alphafold 是通过与中兴/Nubia 的硬件平台、组件集成和生产工程的专业供应链合作开发的。但该公司表示，其对奢华材料、软件体验、质量控制和售后服务负责。中兴未回应置评请求。

中兴 Nubia Fold图片来源： YMobile.jp

这对 Vertu 来说并非首次。在 2023 年对 MetaVertu 的评测中，Wired 报道 称该设备似乎基于中兴 Nubia 手机，并列举了硬件相似性以及 Counterpoint Research 的评论，即 Vertu 一直在用奢华材质和定制软件改编现有的中兴机型。

不过，仅仅关注硬件就忽略了 Alphafold 的重点。Vertu 真正的赌注不是打造更好的折叠机，而是看高管们是否愿意为一个能帮助他们更高效完成工作日的 AI Agent 付费。

在几天时间里，我将 Alphafold 作为主力智能手机，用真实的高管式工作流替代了常规提示。我没有让 Hermes 写邮件或回答琐事，而是要求它分析电子表格和合同、规划商务旅行、管理日程，并在多个应用间自动执行操作。然后我将这一体验与搭载 Google Gemini 的三星 Galaxy Z Fold 7 进行了对比。

Vertu Alphafold 与三星 Galaxy Z Fold 7图片来源： Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

测试随着进行而演变。早期软件构建在上传文件、分析图像和连接 Vertu 管家服务方面遇到困难。在我向 Vertu 报告这些问题后，该公司推出了服务器端修复，恢复了缺失功能，使剩余测试得以完成。

经过数天测试，呈现出比公司声称的更微妙的画面。Hermes 在分析本地文件和电子表格时令人印象深刻，而在我的测试中，三星折叠机上的 Gemini 仍需手动上传文档。它也更愿意跨应用自动化操作和完成多步骤工作流。但更大的自主性带来了取舍，引发了 AI 应何时独立行动、何时请求澄清的问题。

Vertu 的 Hermes Agent 能取代行政助理吗？

其中一个测试模拟了高管在前往机场前的常见场景。我要求 Alphafold 上的 Hermes Agent 给某联系人发消息说我晚到 20 分钟、导航去机场、将手机设为“勿扰模式”，并在 15 分钟后提醒我给酒店打电话。Agent 发送了消息，启用了“勿扰模式”，并打开了 Google 地图显示去机场的路线。但并未自动开始导航，而且它将提醒设在晚上 9:08，尽管请求是在凌晨 2:32 提出的，15 分钟后的提醒。

图片来源： Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

在三星 Galaxy Z Fold 7 上运行相同请求产生了不同体验。Gemini 没有立即尝试每个动作，而是追问包括我想去哪个机场，以及提醒应创建在 Google 任务还是三星提醒中。在我做出选择后，它正确设置了提醒时间。Hermes 更愿意自主行动，而 Gemini 倾向于在继续前确认细节。因此，Hermes 完成了更多请求的工作流，但 Gemini 最终产生了更准确的结果。

规划商务旅行

第二个测试侧重于更开放的任务。我要求 Vertu 的 Hermes Agent 组织一次从孟买到浦那的商务旅行，包括早班航班、酒店推荐，并将行程添加到日历中。Agent 回复说，请求的行程没有直飞早班航班，并提供了一个“联系管家”按钮，将请求升级至 Vertu 的管家服务。它还创建了一个日期错误的日历条目，将旅行安排在 7 月 7 日而非 7 月 18-19 日，导致工作流未完成。

图片来源： Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

三星 Galaxy Z Fold 7 上的 Gemini 采取了不同方法。在确定请求的行程没有合适的直飞早班航班后，它通过建议替代旅行选项继续规划，而非将任务移交。

处理商业文档

商业文档也揭示了喜忧参半的结果。我让 Hermes Agent 和 Gemini 分析一份本地保存的财务电子表格，总结季度业绩，并确定是否包含第三季度销售数据。在我最初测试时，Hermes 分析了上传的销售电子表格，并正确总结了第二季度数据。然而，几天后我回到同一对话时，它不再识别先前共享的文档，而是回复：“我无法访问您本地设备上存储的文件。请在聊天中上传或附加销售电子表格，我将很乐意为您分析第二季度数据。”

图片来源： Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Gemini 最初也要求上传电子表格，但保留了对话上下文。几天后，它仍能回答关于文档的后续问题，正确指出北部区域产生了最高销售额，而无需重新上传文件。

综上所述，测试表明 Hermes Agent 是一个雄心勃勃的 AI 助手，而非成品。它自主行动的意愿常常使其比三星手机上的 Gemini 更像一个智能体，但同样的方法偶尔会产生不完整的工作流、错误的输出和不一致的行为。评测期间更新速度也表明 Vertu 正在积极改进平台，这意味着今天的体验可能与几个月后买家遇到的有所不同。

除了一般协助，Vertu 还围绕一系列面向富裕专业人士的专家 AI 智能体构建了 Hermes，包括专注于法律建议和投资洞察的智能体，以及将某些请求升级至人类管家的选项。其理念是将 Alphafold 定位为不仅仅是高端智能手机，而是为高管提供的数字助理。然而，在实践中，专家智能体应被视为起点而非权威顾问。它们可以提供有用的摘要和建议，但其回复仍是 AI 生成的，在依赖之前应独立核实，尤其是在法律、金融或其他高风险决策中。升级某些请求至 Vertu 管家服务的选项凸显了当前 AI 智能体的局限性。人类专业知识仍然重要。

Vertu 还将 Alphafold 定位为商业平台，而非仅仅智能手机。该公司展示了一个集成企业资源规划（ERP）系统，旨在让高管从设备上获取业务数据和工作流。但我的测试仅限于演示环境，难以评估该功能在日常使用中的表现或与现有企业系统的集成程度。

安全方面

对 Alphafold 的目标受众而言，安全性可能与 AI 同等重要。如果高管不确定合同、财务报告和商业计划在何处处理或存储，他们不太可能使用分析这些内容的助理。Vertu 表示，与 Hermes Agent 的对话是加密的，不会用于训练公共 AI 模型。据该公司称，用户还可以选择数据处理位置，企业部署支持私有基础设施，以满足对敏感信息有更高控制要求的组织。Vertu 用一个专用的“A5”安全芯片来支撑这些说法，表示它提供硬件级别的敏感数据、加密通信和数字凭证保护。这些说法在测试期间无法独立验证，但它们是 Vertu 向高管和企业推销的核心。

日常使用 Alphafold

在 AI 之外，Alphafold 的表现与任何现代旗舰折叠机无异。测试期间，电池轻松续航超过一天。然而，在这个价位上缺少无线充电令人惊讶，尤其是三星 Galaxy Z Fold 7 支持便捷的 Qi 无线充电以及有线 USB-C 充电。

Vertu Alphafold 单次充电续航超过一天图片来源： Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

相机应用还在“智能 AI”设置下包含文档扫描模式，可以识别纸质文件并保存增强后的版本，有助于数字化合同、收据及其他商业文件。

AI has become the smartphone industry’s latest battleground, with manufacturers racing to add AI-powered features to attract mainstream consumers. Vertu is taking a different path: the UK-founded luxury phone maker, known for hand-finished devices often costing tens of thousands of dollars, has built its business selling status symbols to the ultra-wealthy rather than competing on specs. Its Alphafold targets affluent buyers, particularly chief executives, pairing luxury materials with an AI agent designed to automate parts of an executive’s working day.

I decided to test that claim on its own terms. Rather than focusing on benchmark scores, camera comparisons, and media consumption — the staples of most smartphone reviews — I spent a few days using the foldable the way Vertu says its customers would: managing documents, analyzing spreadsheets and contracts, planning business trips, automating routine tasks, and relying on its AI agent as a digital companion throughout the working day. The question wasn’t whether it was a good smartphone, but whether it was a good executive smartphone.

At the heart of the Alphafold is Hermes Agent, a pre-installed AI agent built on top of the open-source Hermes project, which the company says can analyze files, automate tasks across apps, remember conversations, and hand off requests to a human concierge when needed. Unlike most smartphone AI assistants that largely just respond to prompts, Hermes is designed to execute multi-step workflows on users’ behalf, making it the centerpiece of Vertu’s pitch rather than the foldable hardware itself.

Physically, the Alphafold, which starts at $6,880, looks and feels every bit like a luxury device. The review unit I received was wrapped in genuine calfskin leather with titanium accents, setting it apart from mainstream foldables that largely rely on glass or synthetic finishes. It’s clearly built for buyers who see their phone as both a tool and a status symbol.

Compared with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which I used as a reference device throughout this review, the 264-gram Alphafold feels noticeably heavier than Samsung’s 215-gram foldable. The extra weight is apparent during prolonged use, though it never feels unwieldy. The Alphafold’s curved frame also makes it easier to unfold than the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s flatter edges. Samsung’s design, however, feels sleeker and more comfortable to hold when folded, making it easier to use one-handed.

Vertu’s Alphafold with a Calfskin Leather back and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a Glass BackImage Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

The Alphafold also arrives in packaging that feels more akin to a jewelry presentation case than a smartphone box. The oversized box opens to reveal neatly arranged drawers containing bundled accessories, including a leather sleeve and charging cables, reinforcing the sense that Vertu is selling a luxury experience rather than just a handset.

Vertu Alphafold’s with a luxury packagingImage Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Beneath the premium materials, however, the Alphafold tells a different story. During the review, I noticed striking similarities between the device and the $1,100 ZTE Nubia Fold — from the hinge design and dimensions to the placement of the speakers, microphones, and the fingerprint reader. The most visible distinction is Vertu’s leather-clad rear panel, though. System information also revealed ZTE identifiers in parts of the software.

When asked about these observations, Vertu confirmed to TechCrunch that the Alphafold was developed through a specialist supply-chain partnership involving ZTE/Nubia’s hardware platform, component integration, and production engineering. However, the company said it was responsible for the luxury materials, software experience, quality control, and after-sales service. ZTE did not respond to a request for comments.

ZTE Nubia FoldImage Credits: YMobile.jp

This isn’t new for Vertu. In a 2023 review of the MetaVertu, Wired reported that the device appeared to be based on a ZTE Nubia handset, citing hardware similarities and comments from Counterpoint Research that Vertu had been adapting existing ZTE models with luxury materials and custom software.

Still, focusing solely on the hardware misses the point of the Alphafold. Vertu’s real bet is not on building a better foldable but on whether executives will pay for an AI agent that helps them get through the working day more efficiently.

Over several days, I used the Alphafold as my primary smartphone, replacing routine prompts with real executive-style workflows. Instead of asking Hermes to write emails or answer trivia questions, I tasked it with analyzing spreadsheets and contracts, planning business trips, managing my schedule, and automating actions across multiple apps. I then compared the experience with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 running Google’s Gemini.

Vertu Alphafold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7Image Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

The testing evolved as I went. Early software builds struggled to upload files, analyze images, and connect to Vertu’s concierge service. After I reported these issues to Vertu, the company rolled out server-side fixes that restored the missing functionality, allowing the remaining tests to be completed.

What emerged over days of testing was a more nuanced picture than the company’s claims might suggest. Hermes impressed when analyzing local files and spreadsheets, areas where Gemini on Samsung’s foldable still relied on manually uploaded documents during my testing. It was also more willing to automate actions across apps and complete multi-step workflows. But that greater autonomy came with trade-offs, raising questions about when an AI should act independently and when it should ask for clarification.

Can Vertu’s Hermes Agent replace an executive assistant?

One of the first tests simulated a common executive scenario before leaving for the airport. I asked Hermes Agent on the Alphafold to message a contact that I was running 20 minutes late, navigate to the airport, switch the phone to Do Not Disturb, and remind me to call the hotel in 15 minutes. The agent sent the message, enabled Do Not Disturb, and opened Google Maps with directions to the airport. It did not, however, automatically begin navigation and instead set the reminder for 9:08 p.m., despite the request being made at 2:32 a.m. for a reminder 15 minutes later.

Image Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Running the same request on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 produced a different experience. Rather than attempting every action immediately, Gemini asked follow-up questions, including which airport I wanted to travel to and whether the reminder should be created in Google Tasks or Samsung Reminder. Once I made those selections, it created the reminder for the correct time.

Hermes was more willing to act autonomously, while Gemini preferred to confirm details before proceeding. As a result, Hermes completed more of the requested workflow, but Gemini ultimately produced the more accurate outcome.

Planning a business trip

A second test focused on a more open-ended task. I asked Vertu’s Hermes Agent to organize a business trip from Mumbai to Pune, including a morning flight, a hotel recommendation, and adding the itinerary to my calendar. The agent responded that there were no direct morning flights available for the requested journey and offered a Contact Butler button to escalate the request to Vertu’s concierge service. It also created a calendar entry for the wrong dates, scheduling the trip for 7 July instead of 18–19 July, leaving the workflow incomplete.

Image Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Gemini on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 took a different approach. After determining that no suitable direct morning flight was available for the requested journey, it continued planning the trip by suggesting alternative travel options rather than handing the task off.

Working with business documents

Business documents revealed a mixed picture, too. I asked both Hermes Agent and Gemini to analyze a locally saved financial spreadsheet, summarize the quarterly results, and determine whether third-quarter sales figures were included.

During my original testing, Hermes analyzed an uploaded sales spreadsheet and correctly summarised the Q2 figures. However, when I returned to the same conversation days later, it no longer recognized the previously shared document, instead responding: “I cannot access files stored directly on your local device. Please upload or attach the Sales spreadsheet here in the chat, and I will gladly analyze the Q2 data for you.”

Image Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Gemini also required the spreadsheet to be uploaded initially, but retained the context of the conversation. Days later, it was still able to answer follow-up questions about the document, correctly identifying the North region as generating the highest sales without requiring the file to be uploaded again.

Taken together, the testing suggested Hermes Agent is an ambitious AI assistant rather than a finished one. Its willingness to act autonomously often made it feel more like an agent than Gemini on Samsung’s phone, but that same approach occasionally produced incomplete workflows, incorrect outputs, and inconsistent behavior. The pace of updates during the review also suggested Vertu is actively refining the platform, meaning today’s experience may not be the same one buyers encounter a few months from now.

Beyond general assistance, Vertu has built Hermes around a collection of specialist AI agents aimed at affluent professionals, including agents focused on legal advice and investment insights, along with the option to escalate certain requests to a human concierge. The idea is to position the Alphafold as more than a premium smartphone, instead presenting it as a digital assistant for executives.

In practice, however, the specialist agents should be treated as starting points rather than authoritative advisers. They can provide useful summaries and recommendations, their responses remain AI-generated and should be independently verified before being relied upon for legal, financial, or other high-stakes decisions. The option to escalate certain requests to Vertu’s concierge service underscores the current limits of AI agents. Human expertise still matters.

Vertu is also positioning the Alphafold as a business platform rather than just a smartphone. The company demonstrated an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system designed to give executives access to business data and workflows from the device. My testing, however, was limited to a demonstration environment, making it difficult to assess how the feature performs in day-to-day use or how well it integrates with existing enterprise systems.

The security aspect

For Alphafold’s target audience, security may matter as much as AI. Executives are unlikely to use an assistant that analyses contracts, financial reports, and business plans if they are uncertain where that data is processed or stored.

Vertu says conversations with Hermes Agent are encrypted and are not used to train public AI models. According to the company, users can also choose where their data is processed, with enterprise deployments supporting private infrastructure for organizations that require greater control over sensitive information.

Vertu backs those claims up with a dedicated “A5” security chip, which it says provides hardware-level protection for sensitive data, encrypted communications, and digital credentials. Those claims couldn’t be independently verified during testing, but they’re central to Vertu’s pitch to executives and enterprises.

Living with the Alphafold

Away from AI, the Alphafold behaves much like any modern flagship foldable. The battery comfortably lasted more than a day during testing. However, the absence of wireless charging is a surprising omission at this price, particularly when Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 supports convenient Qi charging alongside wired USB-C charging.

Vertu Alphafold lasts for over a day on a single chargeImage Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

The camera app also includes a document scanning mode under a “Smart AI” setting that can recognize paperwork and save them with enhancements, making it useful for digitizing contracts, receipts, and other business documents. Samsung offers a comparable scanning experience through its own camera software, so this is feels more like a parity feature than a differentiator.

Verdict

The Alphafold is an ambitious attempt to build an AI-first luxury smartphone, but the execution falls short of its price tag. Despite its premium materials and exclusive services, the core hardware offers little that cannot be found in significantly less expensive foldables, while Hermes Agent remains an evolving platform rather than a compelling reason to spend thousands more.

Ultimately, Vertu is asking buyers to pay a substantial premium for branding, craftsmanship, and an ecosystem of AI and concierge services built on top of an established smartphone platform. Based on my testing, that premium is difficult to justify, particularly when Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers a more mature foldable experience with comparable day-to-day functionality at a fraction of the price. With Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy Z Fold 8 expected very soon, the Alphafold’s value proposition becomes even harder to defend.