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While there’s a lot of excitement to be had about a potential Nothing phone, there’s another company working on entering the market. OSOM is a company that you probably haven’t heard of before, but the company is looking to bring the spiritual successor of the Essential Phone to the market. This phone was teased at the end of 2021, as OSOM Products is comprised of former Essential employees and was started up all the way back in 2020.
The goal of the OSOM OV1 is to be a privacy-first smartphone that doesn’t divert from what made the Essential Phone so appealing. Near-stock software with elegant hardware and the OV1 is already looking like it will accomplish those goals. But what makes it even more interesting is that the company has announced that it is delaying the launch of the OV1 in order to provide its future customers with the best tech available.
Originally the OV1 was supposed to be revealed in its entirety this week during MWC 2022, however, those plans have been delayed. The latest report from TechCrunch states that OSOM is delaying the launch so that it can use a different processor. Unfortunately, OSOM didn’t share exactly what Snapdragon chip it would be using, but it’s assumed that OSOM will make use of whatever the next flagship Snapdragon chip is.
OSOM was understandably convinced that pushing things back to launch a new device with the latest Qualcomm chip would be a prudent business decision.
A related report from Android Police provides a bit more insight as to what the phone will offer when it comes to the design and materials. The specs are still unknown, but OSOM has confirmed that the OV1 will be “made out of stainless steel, ceramic, and titanium.” It’s not often that we see a phone launched that combines these three materials specifically, but this is part of how OSOM is hoping to stand out from the crowd with its first product launch.
Very excited to announce that the OV1 will be based on a @Snapdragon 8 series chipset. Though this means a slight delay in our original ship date, it also means a more feature-rich, more private experience for you. Coming Q4 2022!#osom2022 #ownyourprivacy pic.twitter.com/SttMIXKgEz
— OSOMPrivacy (@OsomPrivacy) March 3, 2022
According to the same report, the following bits of information were provided in regards to what the phone will offer once it’s finally made available:
- Display: OLED w/ “Fast refresh rate”
- Processor: “Based on the Snapdragon 8 series”
- Cameras: 48MP + 12MP rear, 16MP front
- Connectivity: 5G sub-6 only (no mmWave), NFC, UWB
- Software: Android
- Price: “Well sub-$1,000”
- Other features: Dual physical SIM, secure data cable
As for that “secure data cable”, OSOM is looking to do something that we haven’t seen on a commercially available charging cable. On the front, there will be a physical switch that features a “kill/shutoff” function for the USB-C pins. By doing so, you’ll be able to charge your phone without any problems, but don’t have to worry about your phone’s data being stolen as the data transfer capabilities will be disabled.
It does appear that OSOM is going to take cues from the “heyday” of OnePlus, and will not be partnering with any carriers. Instead, OV1 will be available directly from the company, along with third-party retailers such as Amazon. There’s no indication if we’ll end up seeing the OSOM OV1 in big box stores such as Best Buy, but we’ll have to wait and see how that plays out.
While it’s disappointing to see that the OSOM OV1 was delayed, it seems that this is one of the few times that it could be for the better. OSOM is trying to play all of its cards right, as it attempts to enter a market that is cutthroat. But between OSOM and Nothing, 2022 could shape up to be one incredibly exciting year for the Android smartphone space.
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