Luxury smartphone maker Vertu announced another new device, the €4,900 Constellation, which marks the second product announced by the company since its independence from Nokia.

In a statement, Ignacio Germade, the company’s “head of total product offering”, said that the device “moves Vertu design into a contemporary realm”.

“When we created Vertu Ti, we used a very elegant design language that visually connects to our heritage and that gives the product a timeless quality. Conversely, in Constellation, we have designed a modern, minimal phone that is sleek and understated,” he said.

The front of the device is dominated by a 5.1-inch sapphire crystal face, which covers a 4.3-inch HD (720p) screen. It also has a “grade 5 titanium casing” and calf leather detailing, with colours including “cappuccino, black, orange, mocha and raspberry”.

It supports Vertu’s Life services, which “offers customers a personalised selection of exclusive privileges and unrestricted access to elite events available directly on device”, and Certainty, “which protects the customer, their Vertu phone and their data through best-in-class technology and expert partners”.

As usual, the company places the technical specification of the device a long way down the press release, and as usual, it is best described as mid-tier.

The Android 4.2 device is powered by a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, has 32GB of on-board memory, and a 13 megapixel main camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC. It does not support LTE connectivity.

According to Massimiliano Pogliani, CEO: “This is our second major product launch of 2013 and it helps define a clear segmentation strategy which identifies distinct product lines in the Vertu portfolio. This will broaden Vertu’s appeal, attracting new customers to the brand as well as increasing the choice for our existing global customer base.”

Discussing the company’s progress since it was acquired by venture fund EQT, Pogliani said: “There have been changes across the core of the business following the sale of the company and we have taken the same, innovative approach that we use in our product development to every area of our operation. In particular, we have worked on our manufacturing processes where we need to balance the artisan world of the luxury industry with the fast-paced world of mobile technology.”

This has also included “defining our future product range” and “streamlining our global operation”, he said.