Vietnam firm takes on Apple, Samsung with much-hyped phone, calls it 'world's best'
By Thanh Luan - Thanh Nien News -Tuesday, May 26, 2015 17:05
'Today is a historic day for all Vietnamese, as a local product is on par with those from powerful countries'
Bkav CEO Nguyen Tu Quang presented Bphone in Hanoi on May 26. Photo: Thanh Luan
A Vietnamese company on Tuesday unveiled a locally-made smartphone, claiming that its design, technical specifications and security are "on the same level" as the flagship products of Apple and Samsung.
Bphone, the first smartphone of Hanoi-based network security company Bkav, was presented to an audience of more than 2,000 a highly anticipated launch event, which was streamed live on many media outlets.
Since it was first displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show in US in January, it has been discussed a lot among local tech fans.
The hype was fueled by news reports which quoted Bkav CEO Nguyen Tu Quang as saying, several times, that his phone can easily surpass iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones.
In fact, during the latest event Quang kept repeating the claim.
"Today is a historic day for all Vietnamese, as a local product is on par with those from powerful countries," the CEO said.
He described Bphone's design as "one of the world's most beautiful," saying that its phone has a bezel-free display, which cannot be found on most available smartphones.
"It is a luxury fashion product," he said, adding that the design has already been patented.
Specs comparison between Bphone and iPhone 6 Plus showed at the event
Bphone runs on BOS platform, which Bkav has customized from the popular Android 5.0., and its one-handed use has been claimed to be 30 percent than other operating systems.
Its specs are better than those of the iPhone 6 Plus, including Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB RAM, 3000-amp-hour battery, and 5-inch full HD display with 441 PPI, according to the company.
Unlike many other smartphones, Bphone's camera does not protrude with 13-megapixel rear shooter and 5-megapixel front one, Bkav said, adding that it can also film videos in the currently best resolution 4K.
Moreover, the phone can play high-resolution audio.
Bphone is the world's first smartphone to apply TransferJet, which is a new type of short-range wireless transfer technology and "will be the technology of the future," Quang said.
Meanwhile, Vu Ngoc Son, who is in charge of Bkav's malware prevention, claimed that Bphone has "the best security system in the world."
It is immune to virus, junk mails and spyware, as it is applied with "extremely high security technologies," he said, adding that users do not have to worry about their privacy even when their phones are stolen or used by others.
The phone will go on sale on June 2, but it will only be available at the company's website vala.vn.
Its 16GB version is priced at VND9.9 million (US$457), 64GB version at VND12.96 million ($593), and the gold-plated 128GB version at VND20.19 million ($924).
Those who are not satisfied with the phones can return them within 14 days, Bkav said.
Vietnam’s first-ever domestically produced smartphone, Vivas Lotus S1, was launched in 2013 by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications (VNPT) Group, targeted local middle-income earners. The producer launched two low-cost versions, Vivas Lotus S2 and S2 Eco, last November.
The military-run telecommunications giant Viettel has produced a line of low-cost smartphones since 2013.
, good luck winning global hearts when there are visually more appealing alternatives from China/SK/USA
