Wileyfox Storm

[tenohfive]

Whilst browsing through a 'what phone,' thread I saw passing mention of the Wileyfox Storm, and after some digging I have to admit I'm intrigued.




Plenty of internet touting of the UK's answer to the OnePlusOne. But that's just noise. What I'm more interested in is the brass tacks.

£200.
64-bit Octa-core 1.5GHz processor.
3gb RAM.
32gb memory plus microSD (up to 128gb.) Or 2nd SIM in place of microSD.
LG 5.5" 1080p IPS display at 440ppi.
20MP Sony back camera and 8MP front camera.
Cyanogen 12.1.


Looks wise, I like it. I don't much care for the 'premium feel,' that Techradar et al bang on about, and to me it looks a bit different to the norm. Not that it'll matter much inside some sort of case or shell, but first impressions aren't bad at all.

Back to the specs, I have to admit the marketing has worked on me. Sony camera. LG screen. Qualcomm Snapdragon Octacore processor. None of those things sound cheap, and they're all trusted names in the mobile industry.

I'm seriously considering finishing up my contract then getting one on a SIM only deal. It doesn't look like an S6 beater, but if it's put together properly then it could be a lot of phone for £200.

[tenohfive]

Wileyfox are doing a £129 phone too, the Swift. Stuff.tv have done a review of it:
http://www.stuff.tv/wileyfox/swift/review

It's probably better to compare the Vodafone Ultra 6 to the Swift given the near identical price.
Most of the criticism seems to be of the camera, and that seems software related i.e. fixable by an update. The Vodafone also gets a panning for it's camera, so the two still look fairly comparable.

The Storm however is looking very promising. I'd want to see some reviews before committing, and to know if the camera shoots RAW, but it certainly has potential.

I'm happy paying top whack on a monthly contract for the next big thing, but I don't think we're there yet. It's been a few years of incremental updates - faster processors, better screens etc - rather than something truly 'wow.' The appeal of something like the Storm (if it's any good) is that whilst not the best, it's more than good enough. Saving a good chunk of money in exchange for a little bit less performance. And 12 months from now on a SIM only deal with more cash in my pocket, if the Next Big Phone is out then I'm not sitting there bemoaning a 24 month contract.

[tenohfive]

clonmult said:

I wish that someone would seriously ignore this irritating trend for "thin" and make a phone with a truly decent all round sensor, preferably with a xenon flash. Ideally with an ND filter and OIS. Sod the size, it wouldn't actually be that large.

I love the idea of something like the Sony QX-100 but which shoots RAW, without any connectivity issues and that'll let you take full manual control. I think the concept is excellent, it's just the execution that's not quite there.

Well, that and the fact that it'd be priced in RX100 II territory.

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BigsimonY said:

It is supposed to be the "General Mobile 4G".....Only simply re-branded and with Cyanogen

Rear camera locations don't appear to match up, unless I'm missing something?

[tenohfive]

Old Nick said:

It's a Samsung unit, but any issues will be software related. Always looking to update if we can.

Cheers, Nick

andy-xr said:

Nick, whats up with the camera, is it as laggy as what reports are saying or are they (read I) expecting too much for the price point?

It's sold on the website as a Sony camera?
And will it shoot RAW?

[tenohfive]

LordGrover said:

Who'd want RAW on a mobile? Memory capacity is at a premium and RAW images are typically pretty darn big.

Me, for one. And a good chunk of amateur photographers. Given that Google and most of the major players are releasing phones with Camera2API enabled, there must me some demand.

Given that any photo's I take are automatically backed up next time I hit wifi and that a 64GB class 10 MicroSD card is only £17 (plus 32GB onboard with the Storm) 128GB should be enough of a buffer.
One of the reasons I only look at phones with a microSD slot. Memory is cheap now.

For me, not having Camera2API is an issue. It's a feature I want at the end of the day.

[tenohfive]

Still no indication of whether it will shoot RAW?

Silly little thing, but it annoys me that I (and others asking) can't get a straight answer.

[tenohfive]

andy-xr said:

I cant imagine at this price point it's going to do anything like that

From what little I've been able to see it's entirely software related and may even be down to how Cynagon runs, but I don't know for sure.

But it's not the 'will it won't it' that bothers me. If it doesn't I can factor it in and move on. It's the lack of a definitive answer - I've seen questions asked on Facebook, Twitter, these forums and responses to most of 'we'll get back to you.'

If Camera2API isn't enabled just spit it out. It'll turn off a very small percentage of consumers (yes, I'm one) but at they'll know rather than being left to guess.