Woman in Shanghai picks up $57k Vertu smartphone, thought it was a basic $18 phone meant for elderly

Is it worth more than its weight in gold?

One woman in Shanghai was reportedly shocked to discover that a phone that she had found costs a whopping $57,000. 

The unidentified woman had picked up the device at a shopping mall in the Chinese city and eventually returned it to its rightful owner. Unbeknownst to her, however, the phone she was holding was actually a high-end Vertu smartphone which costs a whopping $57,000.

According to Chinese media reports, the owner of the mobile phone, surnamed Wang, is a businessman who had ordered the limited edition device from overseas for 300,000 yuan ($56,537). He had misplaced the handset last Saturday (Nov 18) while out at a shopping mall in Shanghai.

As the phone was for work purposes and contained highly sensitive business information, Wang made a police report after discovering the loss.

Speaking to a news outlet, a police officer stated: "We investigated the specific model, colour and price of the phone, and found that the phone was ordered overseas at a cost of 300,000 yuan."

With the help of CCTV footage, police managed to track down a woman who had recovered the mobile phone. The woman was cooperative and returned it, but was reportedly dumbfounded when she discovered the actual price of the device.

In a video published on Weibo, the woman could be heard telling police "I thought it was about 100 yuan".

Online reports stated that the woman had assumed that the phone was a basic mobile device used by the elderly because of its simple design and functionality.

Touted as "the first-ever luxury mobile phone in the world" by its manufacturers, the Vertu has also been dubbed the 'Rolls Royce of mobile phones', with purported highlights such as a personal concierge service and customisable features.

The cost of a customised Vertu handset starts from about $56,000, and can stretch all the way up to more than $150,000.

The brand, which was started in 1998 by Finnish manufacturer Nokia, is currently headquartered in Hong Kong, Wired reported.

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candicecai@asiaone.com