German start-up launches secure smartphone on the market

Anyone buying a cell phone can choose between two operating systems: Android or iOS. Now a Remscheid-based start-up wants to enter the market with the Volla-Phone. Not only does it have an operating system based on Linux, it also does not store any data or engage in tracking.

Germans distrust companies when it comes to data protection. Only six percent believe that tech giants such as Facebook or Apple handle their data responsibly. But there are often no alternatives. Worldwide, there are only two operating systems that run on almost all smartphones: iOS or Android. Now a German start-up has launched a cell phone with the Linux-based operating system Ubuntu Touch. The Volla-Phone is manufactured by Hallo Welt Systeme UG from Remscheid in cooperation with Gigaset and currently costs just under 360 euros.

The operating system is open source, meaning it is programmed and designed by a community. That is also Volla's corporate concept: More community, fewer individual interests. The smartphone was financed through a crowdfunding initiative. Ideas and improvements were discussed at the Volla Community Days in June 2020, after which the first beta version of the phone was sent out to selected users.

However, the smartphone is not easy to use. Many apps are blocked by third-party operating systems. To avoid this, the Remscheid-based company offers its own Volla OS operating system. This runs Android as the operating system, but promises not to store any data in the cloud. It does not require a user account and the pre-installed VPN connection does not store any activities.