German start-up launches secure smartphone on the market

Anyone who buys a mobile 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, but 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 like Facebook or Apple handle their data responsibly. But often the alternatives are lacking. Worldwide, there are only two operating systems that run in almost all smartphones : iOS or Android. Now a German start-up has launched a 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, i.e. it is programmed and designed by a community. This is also Volla's corporate concept: more community, less individual interests. The smartphone was financed through a crowdfunding initiative. Impulses 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 entirely easy to use. Many apps are blocked by foreign 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 need a user account and the pre-installed VPN connection does not store any activities.