UK Android upstart Wileyfox goes into administration


When UK phone maker Wileyfox burst onto the smartphone scene in August 2015, the company positioned itself as a small company that operated on small margins, with a plan to sell powerful but low-cost Android handsets.

Its first two phones -- the Swift and the Storm -- delivered on that promise, earning favourable reviews for their premium design and impressive spec sheet. The company's next releases, however, didn't fare as well. It was forced to ditch the Cyanogen operating system and build its own Android platform, which ultimately led to it offering reduced prices if you didn't mind putting up with lockscreen ads.

It appears Wileyfox's money-making strategy hasn't paid off. In a Reddit post, a (now) former Wileyfox employee named Wileyfox-Jack indicated that the company has gone bankrupt and is now in the hands of administrators. "Wileyfox Europe Limited is in Administration. Andrew Andronikou and Andrew Hosking are appointed joint administrators and act jointly and severely without personal liability," the post read.

What does this mean for Wileyfox? At the moment, that isn't immediately clear. The company hasn't yet returned our request for comment and its website doesn't yet display any indication of the company's new circumstances. However, its handsets are no longer listed on the site. Amazon UK, on the other hand, continues to sell its current range of phones.

With administrators attempting to secure the company's survival, existing Wileyfox handset owners will find it difficult to find support for their devices. Repairs and warranties will also be handled by the administrators, which could mean they aren't honoured for the time being.

Source: Reddit (r/Wileyfox)

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