British phone maker Wileyfox initially announced plans to release a Windows phone for the B2B market earlier in 2017, but it was pretty mum on details. Now, as first spotted by mobile industry analyst Ben Wood on Twitter, Wileyfox is showing off the goods at IFA 2017.
Very surprised to see @Wileyfox offering a €249 Windows 10 smartphone. Apparently @Microsoft approached them to do it. pic.twitter.com/aaq7qH1IGWVery surprised to see @Wileyfox offering a €249 Windows 10 smartphone. Apparently @Microsoft approached them to do it. pic.twitter.com/aaq7qH1IGW— Ben Wood (@benwood) August 31, 2017August 31, 2017
At €249, Wileyfox is sticking to its original pledge to appeal to more budget-conscious B2B buyers. The firm is also trying to position this as a phone without compromise, using the tagline: "We don't compromise, so you don't either." Unfortunately, both of these points are undercut once you take a closer look.
For specs, Wileyfox's device packs a Snapdragon 210, 2GB of RAM, and a 5-inch IPS HD display. That's rounded out with a 2100mAh battery, with cameras coming in at 8MP on the rear and 2MP up front. Those are specs that definitely aren't going to turn any heads in 2017. More problematic, however, is that this appears to be a rebranded version of the Archos 50 Cesium, a phone that has also been sold under other brand names for a much, much cheaper price. The only discernible difference is an extra 1GB of RAM over the standard Archos model.
It's interesting to see a brand mainly known for its Android handsets jump into the Windows phone ring, to be sure. However, the combination of price point, specs, and questionable timing here are underwhelming at best.
Thanks for the tip, Daniel!
