Wileyfox is back! When British firm Wileyfox Europe Limited entered administration at the start of February things looked bleak for the low-cost smartphone manufacturer – but it lives once again.
As of today, March 19, another British phone-maker, STK, has agreed a licensing deal with the Wileyfox Group to sell the firm's handsets in the UK, Europe and South Africa.
STK isn't just selling the handsets though – it'll also be offering after-sales care and services, including customer support.
Android 8.1 update and new handsets
There's more good news for current Wileyfox owners too, as STK will honour warranties that are still in date, ensuring that you have the support you need if your phone develops a fault.
STK will sell the Wileyfox Swift 2, Swift 2 Plus and Swift 2 X, and it's currently planning a roadmap to launch new Wileyfox handsets in the second half of 2018.
It's also working on rolling out the Android 8.1 update to existing Swift 2 range of devices within the next three weeks, ensuring that customers are up to date with the latest software.
There's more too, as STK is adapting its STK Care app, which provides 24/7 live chat support for users directly on their device, for Wileyfox devices, giving owners a direct point of contact if they run into any trouble with their phone.
Watch this space
TechRadar spoke exclusively to Henri Salameh, STK's Commerical Director, who told us: "What we saw was a good opportunity to not only to continue the production of the Wileyfox handsets and reinstate after-sale and warranty support, but also to save jobs in UK and Europe while merging two strong UK brands together to operate under one roof."
STK already has its own smartphone portfolio, but Salameh said it plans to keep the two brands separate as they compliment each other.
"Wileyfox was playing at a slightly higher price point and was a stronger online presence [than STK]," he added. "Merging the two businesses allows us to become even stronger online ... as well as significantly improving our production channels, sales reach and customer service offering."
At the time of writing the current range of Wileyfox phones – the Swift 2, the Swift 2 Plus and the Swift 2 X – are out of stock on the Wileyfox website, but Salameh told us STK is working on updating the website and that you should "watch this space in the next two weeks".
- Read our reviews: Wileyfox Swift 2 | Swift 2 Plus | Swift 2 X
