This is why Vertu died: smartphones can't be luxury items

When parents say that having a smartphone is a luxury, they probably don't mean it the way Vertu does. While definitely not as big as Samsung or Apple, Vertu is famous, or infamous, for its ridiculously expensive, crystal-studded rendition of what has become an everyday tool. That, however, will now become history as Vertu itself becomes history, with the company …