Cyanogen Finds a New Friend in UK Smartphone Startup Wileyfox

It shares nearly an identical specification to the Moto G, including a 5in 1,280×720 resolution display, a 13-megapixel rear camera and a quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor.

LONDON-Stand by for a new name in the mobile market: Wileyfox is a whole new smartphone brand launching here today, and it’s powered by Android rival Cyanogen.

The Storm device makes a debut with a 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

You might not have heard of Wileyfox before, but this UK-based manufacturer is aiming to disrupt the market by offering high-value user-friendly smartphones.

Wileyfox is focussing on privacy, security, customisation and an affordable price point.

Rounding off the Wilefox Swift’s specs is 16GB of storage space, expandable via microSD up to a further 32GB – the same as the Moto G. And the phone also comes with 4G and dual SIM support, good news if you want a business and personal device in one.

Both devices will come running Cyanogen OS 12.1, and they have microSD slots for increasing storage.

In terms of connectivity you’re looking at 4G LTE with dual SIM slots, alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It uses a Sony-made 20-megapixel camera on the rear and an 8-megapixel sensor on the front.

Muir told IBTimes UK at the launch in the UK that while the comparison with OnePlus was understandable, he said Wileyfox would be offering something different, and at £129, the company’s Swift smartphone costs nearly half the price of the OnePlus 2. With hundreds of themes available, you can customise your fonts, boot animations, wallpapers and third party apps, as well as lock screen shortcuts and quick tile settings. Cyanogen says its software is tuned to increase battery life, but particularly on the 5.5in Storm, Wileyfox could face some criticism – though we will have to wait to test the phones out fully before giving a final verdict.

It is available to pre-order now for just £129 via Wileyfox’s website and a number of leading online retailers, including the likes of Amazon, Ebay, JD, Souq, Expansys and Clove, and will start shipping to customers next month. “Consumers are savvy enough to download they apps they want”.