14 DAY TRIAL // A new smartphone manufacturer is making its way into the mobile world. It’s called Wileyfox and is backed up by the same guys behind the Kazam budget phone brand.
It seems like OnePlus inspired lots of device makers, because just like the Chinese company, Wileyfox is trying to offer models with decent specs that run the community-focused Cyanogen OS.
Wileyfox is taking the UK by storm for the moment with two phone models called Storm and Swift, which arrive with CyanogenOS 12.1 on board (based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop). Let’s take each of the models and see what they bring to the table.
Wileyfox Storm
The Storm device makes a debut with a 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The power house of the phone is a Snapdragon 615 processor working in concert with an Adreno 405 GPU and 3GB of RAM, plus 32GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot up to 128GB).
Moving along, we find that the handset features a 20MP rear camera with Sony IMX220 sensor and LED flash, plus an 8MP front-facing camera with LED flash. The Storm also features 4G LTE, a 2,500 mAh non-removable battery and hybrid dual-SIM (meaning one of the SIM slots can be used as a microSD).
Wileyfox Swift
The Swift is the lower-end version of the two and it will ship out with a 5-inch display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Instead of the Snapdragon 615 chip, Wileyfox utilizes a Snapdragon 410 for this model, coupled with Adreno 306 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD up to 32GB).
In the photography department, the Swift dons a 13MP rear camera with dual LED flash, plus a 5MP selfie camera. The handset also features LTE, draws life from a 2,500 mAh battery and has a dual SIM card slot (not a hybrid one).
The Wileyfox Storm and Swift handsets are already up for pre-order from the company’s website in Sandstone Black. The higher-end model will cost you approximately $315 / €274, while the lower-end will go on sale for $204 / €177. Wileyfox plans to start shipping the first units in October.
