Android Magazine 58 - 2015 UK

»^ Operating system........Cyanogen 12.1

»^ Processor ...........................Qualcomm Snapdragon 410

1.2GHz quad-core

»^ Memory ...............................16GB storage / 2GB RAM

»^ Dimensions .......................141.15 x 71 x 9.37 mm

»^ Weight ...................................135g

»^ Display size .......................5-inches

»^ Display resolution ........1280 x 720 pixels (294 ppi)

»^ Connectivity .....................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4

»^ Camera ................................13MP rear, 5MP front

technical specs

Price £129/$TBA

»^ More information wileyfox.com

»^ Supplied by Wileyfox

information

TheWileyfoxSwiftticksalot

ofboxesandforafirst-time

phonehasgotalotofthings

right with plenty of unique

functions for users to enjoy

»Verdict

Wileyfox Swift

»head-to-head

Benchmark score

The Wileyfox topped this test, narrowly

beating the Moto G. It scored highly for its

multitasking and RAM speed, so great for

power users. The Snapdragon 410 and

2GB RAM have been put to good use.

Looks

We’renotfullysoldonthelooks.It’sa

bit bland from the front with no design

riskstaken,asitiswiththeinternals.The

backing is a strange hard plastic and the

fox’sfaceisabitscary.Nevertheless,the

orange colour scheme is striking.

Value for money

At just £129 the Wileyfox is quite a steal.

Yougetspecsthatarenearlyasgoodas

its more expensive rivals and a high-quality

screen. The regular updates will be a great

advantage for users too.

Cameras

While not quite up to the same standard

as the Moto G (2015)’s cameras, these

are still two really good snappers. The rear-

facing one focuses extremely rapidly while

the front is only a bit grainy.

Wileyfox swept into the budget market with a

promise to shake things up and it really has made

good on its promise with the Swift. The really exciting

thing about this phone is the use of Cyanogen as the

main operating system. It runs over the top of Android

Lollipop 5.1.1 and gives its users that added level of

security and customisation you simply can’t have on

any other kind of phone. It also updates your software

on a weekly basis, so you’re not going to be left

hanging around for bug fi xes and improvements. The

OS is brilliant and so much fun to use. It is clearly a

mildly tweaked version of stock Android, but with a

vast array of theme and wallpaper options that are

updated regularly so you’re never going to get bored

of your handset.

It’s likely that a lot of people who are on the lookout

for a budget phone aren’t going to be massively into

modding or rooting their device, so this would be

perfect for those who want the customisation of a

rooted handset without the risk or diffi culty of actually

having to root your precious phone.

So what of the phone itself? It has a fi ve-inch 720p

screen, which is exactly the same as the LG G4c and

Moto G (2015), not to mention the same Qualcomm

410 processor. This is despite Wileyfox partnering

with Qualcomm in the building of this device so they

have missed a chance to get one up on its

competitors by not putting a slightly more powerful

processor inside. Having said that, it is nice, nippy,

there’s no lag when playing games and pixelation is

kept to a minimum when watching any videos.

Visually from the front there is nothing really to

distinguish it from the others, but on the back there is

an ominous matt-black fox head, the Wileyfox name

and an orange-rimmed camera.

This is a fascinating experiment, but it remains to

be seen whether the budget phone buyers are willing

to abandon their very familiar manufacturers and

operating system for an unknown brand and an

unusual fork of Android. Either way, this really is an

excellent device for a very low price point that

shouldn’t be ignored by bargain hunters.

The new kid on the block has a very cunning plan to

disrupt the market

Wileyfox Swift

Cunning

camera

13MPisagenerousreturn

fora£129phoneandweare

bigfansofthatdynamic

orange rim. The camera is

just another way Wileyfox

hasmarkeditselfout

as different

Group test
»^ Budget phones
Dual-SIM
This is the only phone of
thefourtohavedual-SIM
capabilities – ideal for a
work and personal phone.
Unlikeitsbrother,the
Storm, you don’t need to
decide between the second
SIMandtheSDcard

Google integration

Even though it could be

considered something of

an unauthorised rival to

Android, the Swift still

comes with all the Google

apps pre-installed and the

ability to have Google Now

added to the launcher