Those looking for handmade and rather expensive smartphone now have a new option to consider, the VERTU TI. This new handset is said to continue the “unique tradition of peerless material selection, elegant design and hand craftsmanship in mobile devices.” One of the design features includes the titanium casing that is described as being of incredible strength and an optimized weight. And before we get into any of the other features, we should also share the price point — $9,600. What, you didn’t expect your luxury phone to be priced any less, did you?

Pricing aside though, the folks at VERTU have said that the new TI handset will be available this month and will also bring features to include a 3.7-inch Sapphire crystal screen, dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 64GB of internal storage, Secure NFC, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 8 megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Yes, apparently shelling out nearly $10,000 cannot even get Jelly Bean.

Of course, a mobile phone such as the VERTU TI is about more than specs and in this case you have access to goodies such as the Vertu key which gives 24/7 access to services to include Certainty, Life and Concierge Service. The VERTU TI is also a handmade device. In fact, it is touted as being “handmade in England by a single craftsman.” The TI comes with some assurances in terms of durability. The handset has been tested in various ways including a display impact test, deformation test and using more than 40 mechanical and environmental tests including temperature, strength and humidity.

We already mentioned the $9,600 price point and that is for the Titanium Black Leather Edition. Those looking to spend a bit more can also look towards the Titanium Pure Black for $11,500, the Titanium Black Alligator for $12,800 or the Black PVD Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals edition for $19,900.

[via VERTU]