The British smartphone maker Wileyfox has returned with its third budget smartphone, the Spark, following up the Swift and Storm models launched last year. The Spark line of smartphones — there are three different variations of it, so hold on to your hats — runs Cyanogen OS 13, a heavily modified version of Android 6.0.
Wileyfox will release the Spark, Spark+ (more RAM and storage), and the Spark X (bigger screen) over the next two months, which is ambitious, but you should definitely avoid the lower-end Spark given its paltry amount of RAM and storage. Reports from users have the 8GB Spark offering less than 2.5GB of actual space after updating the pre-installed apps.
How much space does the 8GB WileyFox Spark have left after just booting & updating built in apps? Less than 2.5GB. pic.twitter.com/wJyQDnxNPQ
— Paul O'Brien (@PaulOBrien) June 28, 2016
Here are the full specs for the Wileyfox Spark:
- 5-inch 720p display
- 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor
- 1GB of RAM
- 8GB of storage
- 8MP front and rear camera
- 2,200mAh removable battery
It's safe to say that 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage in a smartphone is pretty unbearable in 2016 and probably should be outlawed. If you're set on picking up a Wileyfox device, you should move up to the Spark+ which has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, as well as a 13MP rear camera which is decent for a sub-$200 device. And if you go for the Spark X, it'll come with a 5.5-inch 720p display and a 3,000mAh battery.
The Wileyfox Spark will begin shipping on July 12th, and is currently available for pre-order from Wileyfox. The Spark+ will be available later in July, and the Spark X should hit shelves in August. If you live in the US you'll have to get creative to get your hands on one, as the entire Spark line will only be available in Europe. The Spark models will retail for £89.99 ($121), £114.99 ($155), and £129.99 ($175) respectively.