The rise of smartphones in Europe is largely due to WhatsApp. When Apple and Google arrived in our country with the iPhone and the first Android, there were bus shelter advertisements paid for by Nokia, but they were for announce that their Symbian phones had WhatsApp. Such was the power of this application.
However, this service was available on many other operating systems. In fact, it was unthinkable that a system would attempt to fill a gap in the market without it. Yes indeed, everyone's approach was different. Currently, there are only two main options left and it's clear that the biggest difference between Apple and Google is around privacy.
Although Android is a much more widespread system in our country, More and more people are concerned about their privacyand even Google had to start partially changing its strategy to adapt to new times. And it's not the only one.
This is why it is not surprising that there are companies that see this new reality as a business opportunityone to allow us to create a mobile phone that is not a nightmare for our data and, at the same time, that is not extremely expensive. The BraX3 is not the first project that seeks to create a phone far from the services of big companies, but it is is one of the first to seek to be affordable.
This, which may seem optional, is the key so that many people who do not want companies to know everything about them can access an alternative to the many brands of Android mobiles that exist. Because yes, you can always opt for an iPhone, but The average price of Apple mobile phones is much higher than brands using Android.
Do not send data to anyone
The essential part of this project is the inclusion of iodeOSan operating system based on Android but in its AOSP version. That is, it does not have any applications from Google or any other company seeking to collect data and information from its users.
This operating system does not have I don't even activate the Google browser, Chrome or its default search engine.. They use alternatives like Brave, Ecosia and others, much more privacy-friendly options. Moreover, even the GPS positioning It is carried out via Open Source services, which ensure that location data is also not transmitted to third parties.
BraX3 software
Free Android
Despite everything, most existing Android apps can be used without problems. The fact is that there are some that don't work or don't work perfectly because they have lines embedded in their code that link to Google services. The community around the project has a list of applications that work and others that are limited. This is something similar to what happens to Huawei mobile phones.
In addition to this operating system, there are services that are not normally seen on mobile phones from conventional brands. An example is the inclusion of an ad blocker or a service that does not indicate What data do websites collect? that we visited.
En un futuro los dueños de este móvil también podrán instalar un sistema operativo alternativo, llamado Ubuntu Touch. Eso sí, no hay aún plazos cerrados para la llegada de esta ROM, y en la propia web del proyecto se especifica que podría haber retrasos. Además, los creadores del móvil indican que habrá actualizaciones del sistema hasta 2030, una fecha muy avanzada incluso para las marcas tradicionales. De serie el móvil sale con Android 14.
Un hardware algo escaso
Se trata de un proyecto que ha buscado financiarse en la plataforma de micromecenazgo Indigogo, y que ha logrado su objetivo en menos de 5 días, lo que deja claro que hay un interés enorme por este tipo de propuestas. De hecho, actualmente han duplicado el dinero que buscaban para pasar de la fase de prototipo a la de desarrollo a gran escala.
El punto fuerte de este móvil es que usa un sistema operativo basado en Android, pero sin las aplicaciones y servicios de Google y otras grandes compañías, que recopilan datos de forma masiva a diario. Esto no importa a mucha gente, la mayoría de hecho, pero cada vez más es algo que muchos consumidores no están dispuestos a aceptar.
Las prestaciones del terminal son las de un móvil de gama media o de entrada actual, con un procesador de MediaTek, el Dimensity 6300, 8 GB de memoria RAM, 256 GB de memoria interna, jack de auriculares y una batería de 5.000 mAh de capacidad con carga de 10 W. Se incluye una microSD de 256 GB al haber logrado la cifra de 500.000 dólares en Indigogo.
La cámara principal trasera es de 50 Mpx, pero no se especifica la resolución de la secundaria, que es un gran angular. La delantera es de 5 Mpx. La pantalla es de 6,56 pulgadas y tiene una tasa de refresco de 90 Hz. Lo llamativo es que la resolución es sólo HD+, de 1.612 x 720 px, mucho menor que las FHD+ que son la normal, sobre todo en móviles de 300 dollars. El precio es elevado para el hardware, pero se explica en el software.
Reparación garantizada
Pero que un móvil tenga soporte durante 6 años no implica que vaya a durar tanto tiempo. Para intentar lograr eso la compañía se ha comprometido a ofrecer piezas durante ese período, además de guías de reparación detalladas, diagramas y documentación técnica para la tarea.
Y eso no es algo menor, porque el BraX3 está diseñado de forma modular, de manera que sea posible cambiar muchos de los componentes de manera sencilla con herramientas normales, sobre todo los más críticos, como la batería o la pantalla. Se espera que los primeros envíos de este dispositivo se realicen en marzo de 2025.
