Original - Odaily
Author - Loopy
The Web3 mobile phone market is an area that is both familiar and unfamiliar to encryption users. On the one hand, Web3 is closely related to us, but on the other hand, a dedicated Web3 mobile phone is far from popular for us.
As early as 2022, the famous luxury mobile phone brand Vertu has launched the first-generation Web3 mobile phone METAVERTU. Interestingly, this outside brand has become one of the earliest Web3 mobile phones in the world, earlier than many inside Native brands.
At the Token 2049 exhibition, Vertu brought its second-generation METAVERTU product. “Tuhao” is perhaps the most familiar label for this niche brand. But Vertu is much more than that.
For mobile phone users, METAVERTU has security features such as METASPACE and Keybox. Vertus development in the Web3 field is not just as simple as mobile phones. In addition to the built-in functions of the mobile phone, there are more in-depth explorations for developers and encryption ecology, such as MPC wallet, I-DID, AI, and even nodes that can serve as ZK verification and oracles.
Recently, Odaily had the honor to interview Molly, CEO of Vertu Asia Pacific. Let’s take everyone closer to this niche and mysterious brand.
The following is a transcript of the interview, and the content has been edited.
Odaily: I have a certain understanding of the Vertu brand, and its product positioning can be said to be unique. Can you briefly describe the origins of Vertu?
Molly：The Vertu brand originated from Nokias high-end product line and was established in the UK in 1998.
The original intention of the team at that time was, Why cant there be luxury goods in the mobile phone category? So this high-end brand was created when Nokia was at its peak. The reason why it was established in the UK is because the UK has this culture and tradition. Such as British culture, luxury goods, handicrafts, etc.
Odaily: What does Vertus Web3 phone mean? What Web3 features are available on mobile phones?
Molly：Many crypto users will buy hardware wallets for wallet security. The principle of the hardware wallet is to encrypt it through the SE security chip. Vertu has designed a security solution from the hardware level. In traditional industries, our security chips are used at the level of bank IC cards. Physical means including infrared and sound waves cannot crack this security chip.
Vertu’s mobile phone can be understood as a hardware wallet. The mobile phone has two systems. After unlocking it with a fingerprint or password, you can enter the second private system-METASPACE. Users can use Web3 applications here. Apps in METASPACE are protected by a security chip that provides data destruction and end-to-end encryption.
There’s also the Keybox app. Keybox is isolated from the Android system and can be used to store private keys. The data here is protected by the SE security chip and cannot be cracked by anyone.
Odaily: In addition to this, are there any other encryption functions?
Molly：There are also a series of other encryption applications, such as browsers and so on. But there is not much difference in this aspect.
Vertu has an interesting one-click shooting function, which can quickly generate NFT after taking a photo. At the exhibition, Buterin just experienced the function of turning photos into NFT.
Vertu booth at TOKEN 2049
Odaily: In addition to security design, what other plans does Vertu have in the encryption field?
Molly：Users can use their own wallet app in a safe environment, and Vertu has also developed its own MPC wallet.
Vertu also develops a DID product called I-DID. Currently, Web3 already has many DID solutions, but I-DID is different. It uses the IMEI of the mobile phone as the basis for identification.
Every mobile phone has a globally unique IMEI number, and the IMEI cannot be changed. We use this as the basis of identity for DID. There are widespread studios and wool parties in the Web3 world, which can effectively prevent the behavior of robots.
For developers, as long as I-DID is used, it means that it must not be a robot. We designed a VIP platform based on I-DID. Developers can use this to obtain high-quality real users.
Our second-generation Web3 mobile phone can also be used as a node.
At the hardware level, our chips support more than just security features. Vertu phones can also perform ZK-verified calculations, and their computing efficiency is optimized very well.
You can think of Vertu mobile phones as a node. In the future, we will cooperate with some projects that have needs. Allows users to turn Vertu phones into hardware ZK nodes.
Vertu phones can also act as oracles. Vertu introduces TOP Oracle Protocol to ensure data authenticity and trustworthiness in data flows, including API support for L1 and L2 solutions. We hope to build a good infrastructure and connect users and developers.
Odaily: So the Vertu phone is actually a node?
Molly：Yes. Vertus hardware can act as an ultra-light node. We hope to create an ecosystem. Vertus system also opens APIs to project parties, and some functions can be directly called through smart contracts.
The Web3 project side lacks traffic, and we hope that the project side can obtain traffic from high-net-worth customers through us, not just pure wooly parties.
In essence, future cooperation with project parties must serve our users well. By opening up our traffic, C-end users of mobile phones can get more services. In fact, this is what we want.
Odaily: Vertu is probably most famous for its butler service. Will Web3 phones inherit this feature?
Molly：certainly. We started this service as early as 2002. Each user is assigned a real-person butler, such as arranging medical treatment, taking care of patients, etc.
Moreover, the butler can help you do more: for example, if you want to go to an Internet celebrity restaurant that does not accept reservations, you will have to queue for a long time before you can eat. But our housekeeper can help you find a location.
On Web3 mobile phones, Vertu has also developed an AI-based smart assistant application. The assistant combines a large language model and a small model on the mobile phone. Through a range of natural tools and frameworks, it enables users to systematically structure and exploit their personal data while effectively leveraging the power of large models. This allows users to train their own AI, which can become your “second brain.”
The second brain will record your preferences and do some things for you. For example, you can ask it to summarize your WeChat chat and remind you what things need to be followed up. The smarter the AI, the more personal data it needs. But the data of this AI is in the hands of the users themselves, so it is safe.
Vertu is not Native’s crypto brand. How to convince crypto users to use Vertu’s services? Will it replace other wallet providers?
Vertu does not want to make a wallet app to replace other wallets. Vertu is the provider of hardware and infrastructure.
Vertu thinks about the encryption world based more on hardware, and hopes to provide services to users through hardware-level security protection. Users can completely use the mainstream wallets they are used to, and we provide security protection.
Odaily: Why does Vertu want to enter the Web3 field? As an ordinary observer, I think the combination of the two sounds quite interesting.
Molly：Yes. In fact, many people have cognitive biases against Vertu. Our most expensive mobile phone sells for millions of dollars. Because of Vertu’s high price, people only pay attention to the luxury attributes of Vertu. But in fact, from the first day of its birth, Vertu has been a technology brand that attaches great importance to innovation.
Vertu has made many different attempts. Because the brand is too niche, many people don’t understand it.
Several years ago, Vertu established a huge database in Iceland to store user data, taking into account environmental protection and user data security.
Recently, Apple’s press conference has just ended. Have you noticed the highlights of the new iPhone? It uses titanium alloy material. Titanium was first used on the Mars rover. Vertu has been paying attention to new processes and new materials, and has used titanium alloy in Vertu mobile phones many years ago.
Another example is sapphire. Due to its high cost, only a small piece could be used in watches at first. Vertu is the first mobile phone to use sapphire as the screen material. If you want to use sapphire for such a large screen, the cost is very high. So far, sapphire screens are still not popular.
Vertu is always trying new things, and even though the brand is niche, we are always trying. Vertu has a strong gene for innovation, and many of the company’s top executives are also very firm supporters of encryption. We believe that encryption can change the world, so Vertu must be a Web3 mobile phone, which is very important to us.
