Multiple request have been pouring in from my readers to make a side-by-side comparison photo review of my Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari Replica and an original VERTU phone, which in my case it the Ascent Ferrari. It’s pretty hard to find the original and even harder to have it lent to you, but, luckily enough, I managed to get my hands on one and even managed to take a few shots. Let me remind you that you are looking at and Ascent Ti Ferrari (replica) and a regular Ascent Ferrari (original), they are different models.

Enjoy

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Both phones feel so good. The replica is a little heavier, since it’s the Ascent Ti model, not the regular Ascent. The leather of the original is slightly softer and darker. The original is 14 months old and was bought for a little over 5000 Euros. The replica is 5 months old and was bought for somewhere around 400 US Dollars.

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Surprisingly, the original VERTU Ascent Ferrari phone has a defect. Despite the fact that it costs 5000 EUR and is supposed to be worth its money, the leather has started to peel. I was pretty amazed, 5000 EUR for something that will start to lose its original high-quality look after 8-10 months.

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

Ascent Ti Ferrari vs Ascent Ferrari

The features, the menu, etc are 100% the same, so I didn’t even bother taking photos of the software. I’m happy with my replica phone, especially after seeing that the original looks much worse and costs even ‘worser’. Shout-outs to Matthias who allowed me to take photos of his phone; thanks man

Have you got a replica and an original? Send in comparison photos, I will gladly upload them onto my blog!

The Vertu Ascent Ti phone, inspired by the world of light-weight, super-durable, ultra-fast automobiles, was one of the first Vertu phones to get so much public recognition. Its’ body, made of real titanium, allowed it to be much cheaper than the silver or gold Vertu Signature models. Starting from 3,900 Euros, the Ascent Ti is now one of the most popular Vertu phones with over 12 different modifications and colors.

Titanium, being one of the most durable metals on Earth allowed Vertu to create a phone that is indeed outstanding in durability compared to generic plastic phones. You must have heard that the Ascent Ti is so robust that it can be ran over by car.

Here are 4 amazing Vertu Ascent Ti test videos that are featured on the Vertu website:

As promised, I’m posting a VERTU Ascent Ferrari III replica vs. VERTU Signature S replica comparison photo review. If you’ve been following my blog from the beginning of this year, you will know that I’ve been a proud owner of the VERTU Ascent Ferrari III clone from Lux-Replica-Phones.com for over 5 months now and and even prouder owner of the VERTU Signature S replica (bought off from the same online store) for over a month now. I also had the pleasure of dealing with the VERTU Ascent Ferrari Nero phone, which I gave to my now ex-girlfriend after my trip to China.

Both phones are of an outstanding quality, even though the earliest firmware of the Signature S replica had the Factory Reset bug, which, I managed to fix with a firmware update on my friend’s phone. My Signature S does not have any bugs whatsoever and has been loyal in terms of functionality, network connection and battery life. The Ascent Ti Ferrari III (black and red leather) has had a bit of trouble with battery life, but after getting my free replacement batteries – I got it to work for up to 290 hours in stand-by.

Before I go on, please make sure you’ve read my photo reviews on both replica phones here My Vertu Ascent Ti Ferrari III [Photo Review] and here My Signature S Replica Review. There are also two very great video reviews from Lux-Replica-Phones.com, which you can find on my blog as well.

Two legends collide – the Ascent Ti Ferrari and the Signature S. The price tag on both phones is identical, the price of the latter being just a little bit higher. The phones were released six months apart by Chinese factories selling VERTU replica phones and have had a great impact on the market. The Signature S is now the most sought VERTU phone, while the Ascent Ti series (including the Ferrari) are cheap, sturdy and good-looking phones without being extreme in anything, unlike the latest VERTU Boucheron phone. Which one to go for? After having researched both phones, read about them online, watched the videos and owned both for enough time to pull out the answer from my pockets, I find myself lacking any definite answer. They are very different.

The VERTU Ascent Ti Ferrari replica has more functionality – for example, the WebCam Feature, Health and a few others, but all in all, if you want a VERTU phone the lack of such functions is not a drawback. I’ve not used the WebCam feature in my replica, it’s there but I don’t need it, since I’ve got a WebCam, besides, the camera is on the back of the phone. By the way, the Ascent Ti Ferrari III has got a camera, and a great one too, but again, I’ve never used it, since all I want my phone to do is wake me up in the morning, remind me of some important appointment, make and receive calls and SMS/MMS messages – you get my point – the regular stuff.

The VERTU Signature S replica has one little drawback – the lack of a microSD slot. The phone has got 1GB of internal memory and that’s all you’re gonna get. Enough for your average cellphone user, but can set a sense of disappointment in people who are looking for a very versatile phone. The Signature S is not versatile. But, all the necessary functions make it a perfect phone for those who, again, make and receive calls, nothing more. For those who use their laptops and PCs to write e-mails and browse the net (of course the Signature S does have a GPRS/WAP browser and an e-mail client). The Signature is also a lot longer and narrower than the Ascent Ti Ferrari, but the latter feels a little heavier, but bulkier.

So, if you’re looking for a phone to be as versatile as your PC – get an iPhone, a BlackBerry or an HTC. The Ascent Ti Ferrari Replica is more versatile than many mainstream phones – offers mass storage possibility for your MP3 and MPEG-4 audio and video collections. Personally, I’d simply get myself an MP4 player. If you want your phone to be a phone, a luxury phone, and not another gadget in your pocket – the Signature S is definitely for you. But again, both phones are fantastic – if you like the Ferrari – there’s not reason to be afraid of it’s increased “versatility”, if you like the Signature S – there’s no need for the lack of the extended memory fact discourage you from experiencing “true” luxury.

Lux-Replica-Phones.com have posted another great video review of the all-time VERTU Signature S Design replica. Great overview (including software overview) with some interesting features explored. Enjoy, and don’t forget to press the HQ button to watch in High-Quality.

(Ripped from http://lux-replica-phones.com)

I’ve just registered on Twitter. For the latest replica news, inside scoop and just a chat follow me and interact Timmy9ine on Twitter. Haven’t registered yet? Do so now!

I’ve also added the Twitter Widget, and you can see my latest post at the bottom.

VERTU replicas are great, but what about iPhone replicas? Today I want to talk about production costs and branding. VERTU replicas are cheaper because of the materials that are used: instead of real gold – gilt, instead of expensive leather – cow-skin or leatherette, instead of steel – plastic, instead of welding – glue. That is why the original VERTU phone costs from 10 times up to 300 times more.

What about other electronics on the Chinese market? Replica SAMSUNG, SAMSVNG, SUMSUNG, MOKIA, NOKEA, and all that other BS? Those phones are made of plastic. What is the difference? The brand and the name. It’s no secret that we end up paying much more for the brand than for the product itself. Of course, most exported electronics are so low-grade that you will regret buying the thing before you even receive it.

The iPhone replica has aroused much commotion in the past 2 years. From as low as 60 bucks one could get an iPod Touch replica, and prices as low as 150 USD were quoted for iPhone replicas. The real iPhone was on sale for around 800 USD in Asia, without a subscription. But what’s the real production cost of the original iPhone?

iSuppli, a market research company, has estimated the 16GB iPhone 3G cost at 172 USD, and 7 USD for manufacturing and assembly. The original costs 180 bucks to produce! The replica would a couple of ‘tenners’ less since the workforce employed is paid much less, materials and software are of a lower-grade (yes, plastic has got grades). So what do you exactly get for 800 USD? Quality software, compatibility, support and guarantees. Of course, you can get the original for 200 USD with a two-year AT&T subscription (that’s where Apple gets the income from), but for Europe and Asia – the cost is two or three times higher.

I am very sorry for my long absence from the blog, thanks so much for the e-mails and comments, I really appreciate all the feedback, the questions; thank you my readers!

I’ve just returned from China last Friday and, boy, am I so glad! China is fantastic. I stayed over at Shenzhen, beautiful place. Besides enjoying my summer vacation, as a replica fan, I visited several factories and connected with a dozen producers from Shenzhen. Unfortunately, Gary Litman and Morgan Lanton from Lux-Replica-Phones.com were not around, having their own vacation back home in the US. What a pity! But, I were in their office and kicked it with Jan, Xiang, and Ju

The market in Shenzhen is overfilled with replicas. There is this one huge marketplace where factory representatives show off their products, it’s like a gigantic trade-fair. From apparel to electronics, sports gear to toys, my mind was set to find some VERTU replicas. My guide (get yourself one, the people there DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH) was very helpful and after talking to several people there showed me the way to the area where VERTU replicas were being displayed. Among the VEPTU, VIRTU, WERTU, and even VERTY I found a VERTU stand. Impressed by the quality of the Ascent Ti Ferrari NERO I managed to get myself a piece for 300 bucks, but as soon as I returned to the hotel it wouldn’t charge, call that a bummer.

Returned to that place that same afternoon and tried to get my money back, but no. The vendor said that I had broken it wtf?

“No, no, no – you cheat me!” said he and added some garbage in Chinese. Kept my cool there, since there were a couple of angry looking neighbor vendors.

Next day I called up VertuBoutique.com but he refused to meet me. Lux-Replica-Phones made it hard for me to meet them too, but as soon as they remembered about my blog and my input I was given the address. The office is very modern, much more than I’d ever expected after seeing the market. I was greeted by Jan and let in to their workplace. I had the opportunity to look at them work, respond to customers, check their testing and dispatch areas – pretty impressive. It’s like a bee hive – everyone is constantly working. The testing area was the best though. A long table with half a dozen PCs and hundreds of boxes in stacked on top of each other. Several people were opening the boxes and testing the phones one by one, throwing most of them into a “Defects” box. Each VERTU replica was inspected carefully for body defects, leather defects, etc., then the software was tested on the PC and manually – calls, photos, sound, SMS – everything.

I told Jan about my little incident with the market and he made a phone call to Gary, then asked me for my purchased dead phone and I gave it to him. He returned after a minute with a brand new VERTU Ferrari NERO replica from their own stock! I couldn’t thank him enough. We went on to talk about the replica business, the phones, the customers, etc. Jan provided ample information answering most of my questions. I’m even thinking on starting my own little VERTU replica business over here, won’t be able to compete with Lux-Replica-Phones’ support – but I got my own little tricks up my sleeves

I’ll be posting up several shots of the VERTU Ferrari NERO replica very soon. I gave it as a gift to my girlfriend, so I’ll be seeing much of it along with her

As promised, I’m doing a review of my VERTU Signature S Replica from Lux-Replica-Phones. I ordered it last Wednesday, managing to get a very good discount of 50 USD for all my input into the VERTU replica scene. This is my second phone, the fist one being the Ascent Ti Ferrari III (click the link for the photo review).

The phone arrived yesterday. Carefully packed, no customs problems. Delivered to my office. Couldn’t wait to unpack the whole thing right away, so some of the original stickers are missing, since the photos were made later that day, in the evening.

As my first order, the VERTU Signature S came in a matte black box with two separate leather boxes inside. There are stickers, which cover up the “VERTU” engraving on both boxes, on all the accessories and the phone itself (even inside, under the battery).

The Matte Black Gift Box

Covered-up VERTU Logos on VERTU Boxes

The stickers come off pretty easliy...

The standard pack of accessories includes two BL-5CV VERTU Batteries, a 120-240V VERTU wall-charger, a VERTU manual (in several languages), a VERTU USB Cable and a VERTU Headset.

The VERTU Signature S Replica + Accessories

The phone itself is embraced in the soft internal cushion inside the separate leather box.

Ah, the precious jewel...

The phone is heavy (I’ll have to check the exact weight out when I get the chance, but I believe Lux-Replica-Phones’ specifications which state that the phone weighs in at an astounding 166 grams. The body is made of solid steel, screws are all screwed in tightly; no jottling sound from the steel keys either.

VERTU-Solid

The SIM card slot pops up on top (the VERTU Signature S clone automatically turns off if you pop the SIM card slot out; in order to protect the data on it, I guess). The slot is made of steel and has got the “V” engraving on it.

Original VERTU Signature S Mechanics

The back of the phone opens with a twisting motion of the special built-in latch-key.

Opening the VERTU Signature S Replica

Inside – the Signature and a whole bunch of numbers including serial numbers, model numbers and the “MADE IN U.K” inscription proudly engraved at the bottom of the metal plating. The lid of the Signature S copy has interior metal plates with the orginal texture and the “V” shining.

Inside my VERTU Signature S Replica

Sliding in the battery, ready for some elegant action…

Fits in perfectly...

The little LED VERTU Signature S light at in-mid the “V” adds perfecly to the “VERTU” greeting screen and sound.

VERTU...

The VERTU Signature S replica screensaver is very neat and accurate. I’ve heard of complaints about some 2006 Signature replica models that had the font go off screen, etc.

The VERTU Signature S Clock

I had a question from a certain Dare_Devil by e-mail, who asked me whether I knew what a VERTU Replica displayed when you pressed *#0000# or not. Here’s the picture of what the VERTU Signature S Replica shows when *#0000# is entered.

The Signature S Replica believes itself to be the REAL THING!

This is the main menu grid. Very stylish and VERTU-like.

The VERTU Signature S Menu

I will not go into all the features of the Signature S phone, as they’re the most standard features a phone would be expected to have. There’s a great Video Player, several original VERTU Games, VERTU Services (including VERTU Select and Concierge).

Great Video Quality for a Screen of Such Dimensions

Hard Mode has got 100 pieces!

Looks great! I’m impressed.

Smoooth!

Being the owner of both the VERTU Ascent Ti Ferrari and the Signature S replicas I have to say that both phones are amazing, but the racer in me is staying true to the Ferrari replica rather than the Signature S replica. The VERTU Signature S is a phone that looks elegant, perfect, with a design that is revolutionary. The VERTU Ascent Ti Ferrari III is jam-packed with features and is rough, rugged. The Signature S phone is much more conservative, with a standard set of features for a business man, elegant, solid and very durable. The VERTU Signature S has got more fine style, while the Ferrari Ascent Ti III replica reflects its style in its aggressiveness. Both phones are really amazing and I’m really happy to be the owner of both of them. Which one is better? Can’t say, they’re very different. But being different, they have one thing in common – they’re both VERTU phones.

A piece of perfection and art in my hands..

|© Timothy Nine. 2009. http://timmy9ine.wordpress.com |

Disclaimer: Timothy Nine and WordPress are not affiliated, sponsored nor pressured by any commercial company. All the reviews reflect the view of the author and may not neccessarily reflect the views of the companies mentioned in the articles.

On Thursday 21st May Lux-Replica-Phones.com changed its design (about time, Mr. Lanton). The interface has changed completely, and needs getting used to by regulars. The development of the new “look and feel” had taken several professional designers and web-developers over 5 months to complete, according to Lux-Replica-Phones News.

The old website design looked like this:

The new design looks much more professional and stands up to the visitor instead of looking like a garage-sale. The main page contains the 6 most popular models, among which are the VERTU Signature S replica and the VERTU Ascent Ti Ferrari NERO replica. Navigation has remained at the top. All the contact details are clearly visible now.

The whole model range presented at Lux-Replica-Phones.com is now listed at the bottom of the web-site, offering instant links to any VERTU replica product, without having to jump from one category to another.

The category list has switched position, moving from left to right, incorporating a very convenient tree list of all the VERTU models inside each range. The VERTU phone description page looks awesome. A big clear picture of the replica model and mini roll-over previews underneath it. By clicking the images, much larger versions can be examined. All the descriptions of the VERTU replica are available in German, Spanish, Italian and English languages.

The prices are clearly seen, and the information is very easy to read. Moreover, every VERTU model has an accurate specification table and a “Q&A” section, where you can ask Lux-Replica-Phones questions about the phone, and the answers will be posted for everyone to see. The section also contains customer feedback and reviews.

Among the new things that popped up is the new News Section, which contains regular updated information about the company, VERTU replica phones, and miscellaneous information.

Lux-Replica-Phones.com has still got an online chat support, where you can contact them instantly 24/7 by simply clicking this button:

Great job, Lux-Replica-Phones! I’m sure that your customers and fans will love your website each and every time they visit it.

By the end of today I felt myself David Hasselhoff. A close friend of mine bought off a VERTU Signature S replica from one of the popular websites (I’ll disclose its name by e-mail only). The VERTU phone did not work properly and the producer suggested resetting the phone with the default factory reset code 1122. Alas, the phone became even more glitchy. The main desktop theme disappeared. It had an analogue clock before, and after resetting the Signature S replica the desktop became white. Contacting the seller a few times did not help. He wouldn’t reply nor pick the phone up.

That's how the phone looked after resetting...

He came over last night, thinking that I might help him. I contacted Lux-Replica-Phones.com and had them try to help me. They said that there was an issue before with the Signature S, but they have updated the firmware. Since Kyle had not bought the phone from Lux-Replica-Phones they refused accepting it for guarantee repairs. I talked to Gary on the phone and arranged the delivery of a special USB2COM cable and a USB Flash Disk with all the neccessary software (thanks so much, man!). We had to pay 29 bucks for shipping using Western Union as the quickest payment method available. Within a few days we got the UPS package with a small box inside.

The UPS Express Life-Saving Device

The box contained the promised USB Disk and the Cable to flash the VERTU Signature S replica, carefully packaged, arriving in time for us to have the weekend dedicated to completely reset the VERTU Signature S firmware.

The USB-to-Serial UCable and the USB Disk

Without further ado, we copied all the stuff from the Flash Disc to my laptop and installed the necessary drivers for it to work. All the sofware was ready and needed some minor setting up. I called up Lux-Replica-Phones again and had Jan send me out all the instructions on how to flash my VERTU Signature S replica.

Connecting Up The VERTU Signature S Replica

And we went into the depths of Chinese firmware flashing, with sweat dripping off my forehead and Kyle wiping it off – we actually managed to complete the flashing of Kyle’s VERTU Signature S with little effort. Here’s how it’s done…

WARNING: Reflashing or modifying your VERTU phone is an infringement of warranty conditions. Reflash your phone only if you’re 100% sure of what you’re doing, how you are to do it, and if you have no other choice. Kyle and myself are not to be held responsible for any deader-than-dead phones resulting from the misuse of the following rules. The information provided is not an instruction manual on how to flash your VERTU Signature S replica, but merely a recollection of how we managed to do it. Kids, don’t try this at home.

1. Remove the battery and connect up the Signature S phone with the provided USB2SER cable.
2. Launch the MultiFlash Toolkit.
3. Click on “Factory Database/Data Source File” and select the “MTK_DATABASE.mdb” file.
4. Click “File/Open Download Agent” and select the “MTK_ALLnOne_DA.bin” file.
5. Click “File/Open Scatter and Load Setting” and a new window will pop up.
6. In the Scatter and Load window click the “Select File 1″ button and select the “scat_ROM.txt” file provided on the disk.
7. Click the “ROM” label under the 4 Scatter buttons and select the firmware file with the language version you need for your VERTU Signature S. The ROM file is “C12_V090321B.bin” for Version B.
8. Close the Scatter and Load window.
9. Set the Baud Rate to “460800″.
10. Set the Type to “Downloaded ROM”.
11. Set the Operation to “NOR”.
12. Insert the battery into the connected up phone and press the START button.
13. As soon as one of the COM ports listed becomes blue and a timer sets off, switch the phone on. The phone will not switch on, but the small light at the top will light up and the progress bar in the software will start.
14. When the download progress reaches 100% wait for 2 minutes before closing the program, disconnecting your phone and switching it on.

Clear as it is, when you don’t understand what you’re really selecting and what that or this thing does, your nerves become shattered, especially when you know that if something goes wrong the phone may end up dead to an extent where no flashing will ever help. Nevertheless, we went for it, as we had no other choice…

Flashing the Signature S

…

Flashing the Signature S

Just a little further.. (they told me it’d take 10 minutes..)

Flashing the Signature S

..and…

…100%. Green light… another 2 minutes… Cable disconnected… Pressed the soft Power ON button… and… VERTU greeting… music…

Reflashed VERTU Signature S

Eureka! We did it!… What a weekend! What an experience! Again, do not do this if you’re not sure of what you’re doing. I’m not an expert; I just did what the guys from Lux-Replica-Phones told me to do. Read the disclaimer above. I was not allowed to upload any of the software that was given to me, so if you need it contact Lux-Replica-Phones.

Thanks for reading and commenting. By the way, I’m placing an order for my own VERTU Signature S next week. So another photo review is coming up soon.

|© Copyright 2009. Timothy Nine |