We were telling you about OSOM OV1, the new Android phone developed by the team behind the base phone. The new phone is focused on privacy and will ship with a special “secure data cable” that prevents data from being collected by your phone when plugged into a public charging port. OSOM plans to provide the cable as a separate accessory even before the phone launches during the fourth quarter.
OSOM’s original OV1 offering was very generous when it came to the bottom bezel
The new image released by OSOM (pronounced “cool”) includes a new rendering showing the lower front of the phone’s screen. The original display featured very thin bezels on the sides and bottom, but this was replaced by a revised display that showed the bottom bezels on the phone were thicker than what the company shared with the first render.
On the left, the first rendering of OV1 showed a very thin bottom edge but the new rendering shows the truth
You will notice that some of the icons displayed on the phone are privacy-focused apps and can be pre-installed on OV1 (which stands for OSOM Vault 1) or used in the display to emphasize the phone’s privacy angle. For example, we can see the Brave browser icon; The latter is an open source browser that focuses on privacy. Other apps seen on the show include Proton Mail, an email app that it says puts privacy first, and messaging app Signal.
One of the features that OSOM OV1 takes away from the Essential Phone is fast Android updates. OSOM co-founder Jason Keats recalled how angry Google was at how quickly the base phone delivered Android updates to users. According to Keats, “Literally, we were getting yells from Google for being so fast… Then they would say, ‘We won’t let you push your update until the Pixel team is ready.'” “
OSOM OS1 will not be available from carriers
The phone will have a triple dual camera module on the back panel with a capacitive fingerprint scanner. It will weigh in on the 48MP and 12MP rear camera sensors with a 16MP front camera sensor for the selfie camera. Keats says the company won’t have to sell a million units in order to achieve financial success. But that doesn’t mean OSOM isn’t loading the device with flagship-class specifications including an all-day battery and 5G support.
The screen will be protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and the phone will have a stainless steel body with some titanium accents. The back will be ceramic and the first two color options will be matte black and white. A third color option is also expected to be available.
OSOM OV1 will be released with Android 12 pre-installed, but this will be a close version of the OS similar to the way Android was introduced on the Essential Phone. But don’t be fooled. OSOM OV1 is not a supplement to PH-1. It will also not be sold by carriers which means the company will either have to spend money to promote it or rely on word of mouth.