Vertu, the luxury smartphone maker, unveiled a foldable device on Thursday that features an AI agent capable of connecting with enterprise software and managing workflows. The company is positioning this phone for executives who need to handle business operations and communications while traveling. Named the Alphafold, this foldable smartphone starts at $6,880 for the calfskin version. Higher-end variants come with premium finishes like alligator leather, 18K gold, and natural diamond accents, along with customized detailing. This approach aligns with Vertu’s established strategy of marketing its phones as luxury status symbols for affluent customers.

The launch represents Vertu’s latest effort to reinvent itself for the AI era, following challenges in staying relevant in today’s smartphone market. The Hong Kong-based company, once famous for luxury handsets and concierge services popular among wealthy buyers before the iPhone’s rise, has changed ownership multiple times as mainstream smartphone makers dominated the industry. Still, Vertu believes the Alphafold can revitalize the brand by merging luxury hardware with enterprise-focused AI capabilities. The device comes with Hermes Agent, built on the open-source Hermes project by Nous Research. This agent can connect to enterprise systems like ERP and CRM, handling tasks such as approvals, scheduling, sales tracking, travel planning, and operational reporting through natural-language commands. However, the company noted that Phone-to-ERP and VPS deployments will be tailored for each customer based on their existing enterprise systems, with pricing varying accordingly.

According to Vertu, the Alphafold 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 over 80 apps and dozens of native phone functions for cross-platform workflows. Vertu CEO Molly Ma pointed out that current AI features on smartphones from major manufacturers are mostly limited to consumer tools like image editing and voice assistance. This creates an opportunity for more advanced AI-agent workflows tied to enterprise systems. She also noted earlier AI-agent smartphone experiments in China that gained popularity but faced issues with data privacy and cloud-based data collection. The Alphafold aims to address these 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. Additionally, 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 highlighted the device’s privacy and security features, including on-device processing and data redaction, the company acknowledged that the system has not yet undergone third-party security audits or independent certification. 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 stated that 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. Last year, the company introduced Agent Q, a clamshell-style foldable smartphone focused on AI-driven automation and productivity features. Foldable smartphones remain a niche segment globally, despite years of investment by major manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei. Research firm IDC reported that 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, noted that foldables could eventually benefit from AI-agent workflows because their larger displays are better suited for multitasking and productivity-oriented experiences. However, she added that enterprise AI adoption on smartphones still lags behind computers, and most enterprise smartphone decisions continue to be driven by ecosystem integration and device management support rather than AI capabilities. The first batch of 115 units of Vertu’s Alphafold begins shipping this week across major markets, including the U.S.