Bkav causes a stir with first Vietnamese-made smartphone
Vietnamese technology corporation Bkav has debuted the Bphone, the first smartphone designed and assembled locally in an event that saw great public fanfare and media attention.
Bkav CEO Nguyen Tu Quang introduced the handset as a ‘world-class product’, boasting that the Bphone is one of the most beautiful phones in the world before a 2,000-strong audience on May 27.
The Bphone, which sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor 3GB of memory and a 5-inch full HD screen, runs a forked version of Google’s Android 5.0 operating system, said Vu Thanh Thang, Bkav Vice President for the hardware business.
Bkav CEO Nguyen Tu Quang introduces the Bphone, the first made-in-Vietnam smartphone. |
Bkav’s smartphone packs in a 3,000mAh battery and a 13-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, protected by a layer of sapphire glass, said Thang, adding that the lens features tracking autofocus technology which allows users to keep a moving object in focus.
According to Bkav CEO Nguyen Tu Quang, the Bphone can be used comfortably with just one hand and the average number of gestures made to use the phone is 30% less than other smartphones on the market.
The handset also comes pre-installed with Bkav Mobile Security software which is deeply integrated into the operating system’s core, making it the ‘most secure’ phone in the world, said Vu Ngoc Son, Bkav Vice President for Malware Protection.
Chief executive Quang stated that Bphone purchasers will be offered with 5GB of free storage on its cloud service Bdrive, which was launched at the same time with the mobile device.
The Bphone’s price starts at VND9,990,000 (around US$460) for the 16GB black version. The 64GB model comes in three colours - black, white and champagne - and will be sold at VND12,960,000 (US$596).
The 24-karat gold-plated Bphone with a storage of 128GB and limited availability is priced at VND20,190,000 (US$929). Pre-order will begin on June 2 on Bkav’s online store.
The launch of the Bphone has been anticipated for months since it was first announced at the CES 2015 electronics show in Las Vegas in January. At that time, the phone was enclosed in a metal case to conceal its design.
Momentum had been increasing in the build-up to the official launch event on May 27, which has received extensive coverage on domestic tech blogs and heated discussion on online forums.
However, after an impressive debut, it remains to be seen whether the first Vietnamese-made smartphone will hit the shops with a bang or if it is a flop.
(Source: nhandan.org.vn)