The $9,000 Vertu Alpha Fold with Alligator Skin Holds Strong In The Bend Test But Shows Its Limits Once The Tools Come Out

Vertu has positioned its new Alpha Fold as a true ultra-luxury folding phone. The neon green version arrives wrapped in what the company describes as real alligator skin and carries a price near nine thousand dollars. JerryRigEverything acquired one and ran it through the full sequence of scratch, flame, bend, and teardown trials to see where the money actually goes and how the device performs under stress.

Scratch testing began with the outside cover screen, and it withstood marks until he reached level 6 on the hardness scale, which is very usual for most flagship phones. This revealed one significant fact: there is no sapphire glass here. When he moved to the inner 8-inch flexible screen, the story changed dramatically. Scratches can be seen as early as level 2, and even a fingernail has left its mark, indicating that the soft plastic-like surface isn’t very robust for everyday use.

Flame testing delivered one of the day’s biggest surprises, as the inner screen withstood a 20-second blast from a lighter and emerged unscathed; heat resistance is stronger than the scratch results might suggest. Bend testing with the phone closed up revealed that it could withstand a fair amount of flex before giving way, and while he may have been concerned about antenna lines becoming loose or, worse, the battery becoming pinched, neither of these things occurred, which is more than some of the earlier foldables could claim.


When he reversed the bend with the phone open, he put it through the wringer, and to his astonishment, it remained in one piece, with no snapping or catastrophic creasing. The hinge mechanism proved to be significantly more sturdy than we expected given all of the moving elements involved. The back panel made of alligator hide came next. Closer investigation reveals that the fibres inside the scales are not simply lined up in the same way, but rather run off in all directions. When you consider the price, you have to assume it’s genuine leather rather than a beautiful printed fake.


Teardown work began with the protective bumper around the inner screen, which felt glassy in comparison to similar materials on previous foldables and fell apart very effortlessly. Even worse, there is no water or dust resistance. Getting the inner display out required some isopropyl alcohol and some very careful prying, and it soon stopped working completely, giving us a fair indication of how sensitive the flexible layer is once you start poking around inside.


Once he got past the outside pieces, such as the decorative flathead screws and the glass bits, he could see hidden fasteners more easily. Underneath, it was all Phillips. Then, with some persuading, the alligator skin panel came off, allowing us to have a good look inside. Vertu branding can be found on ribbons, the motherboard, and other components in abundance. Power comes from two batteries, and removing them is a simple owing to those little pull tabs. Then there’s 65 watt charging via USB-C, a 50 megapixel main camera with OIS, a 50 megapixel ultra-wide and a five megapixel telephoto camera, and a Snapdragon 8 elite CPU in the center.


A closer check at the component sourcing and battery data reveals that this is a ZTE or Nubia phone through and through. The layout and specifications resemble those of a Nubia folding phone released at the end of last year. Vertu appears to be putting the finishing touches on the outside, adding a personal touch and a unique layer over the software. Unfortunately, the level of customization comes at a cost in terms of repairability. The inner screen is difficult to separate; many screws are purely decorative, and the lack of an IP rating implies that ordinary use will destroy it.