After the rolling-out for a string of smartphones this year by mobile manufacturers like Xiaomi, Meizu, Smartisan and Coolpad, the recent release of iPhone 6 is pushing the smartphone frenzy to a new height.
Chinese hardware maker Vargo took the wraps off iVargo, its answer to the smartphone bandwagon, after four years of development. iVargo is tapping the trend from a different angle–security, since the problem of smartphone security is really getting on the nerves of modern people with more large-scale leakage of private information, according to Fu Zhaowei CEO of the company.
Specs:
- CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad-core chip
- Display: 4.5-inch retina screen
- Storage: 2G
- Battery: 2400 milliamps
- OS: Vargo OS
- Thickness: 8.65 mm
- Rear Camera: 13 megapixel
- Front Camera: 2 megapixel
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
- Network: 2G- 4G networks
- Colors: Six
- Others: NFC, GPS, compass, g-sensor, FM
Although the hardware configuration of iVargo is not quite impressive as compared with that for peers, the company is putting all the efforts in software to protect the data of users. Targeted at governors, businessmen and others who value mobile security, iVargo is supported by a closed system with data encryption technologies for mobile terminal, data transmission process and the servers.
The SIM card, smartphone, Vargo ID of each user are bounded together. When a Vargo phone got stolen and someone other than the owner tries to remove the SIM card from the smartphone, the data stored in the handset will be locked immediately.
Legitimate users of the phone can unlock or download their data via operations on cloud-based Vargo ID. If users set the status of their Vargo ID as “lost mode”, they can receive geographical information of their lost phones once the handset got WIFI or mobile network connections.
iVargo adopted a military-grade encryption technology in data transmission process, said Fu. He added that Vargo also runs independent servers to serve cooperate clients that demand high-level data security service.
Designed for security-conscious professionals, Vargo OS features a dual system, which enables users to log in either work or daily OS so as to separate corporate and personal information. The operating system also offers several business-targeted features, like event timeline in the slide-to-unlock interface, and sending audio, file, business cards in message, etc.
To guarantee security, the smartphone is only compatible with an in-house store Vstore and do not support app downloads from other stores.
iVargo is available in 16G and 32G versions with the former priced at 2,888 yuan (around US$470). This prices might not that appealing to average users given the products from more popular brands like Xiaomi and Meizu are priced lower than this. The 16G version of Meizu’s MX4s and Xiaomi’s latest product are sold for 1,799 yuan and 1,999 yuan respectively.
It seems that we must wait longer to see whether it worth the price, cause Vargo did not show the actual product of iVargo to the audience at the press conference. The product will be open for preorder on Sept 25 at its official site.
The company also released “One More Thing” at the same event, a 269 yuan (around US$ 44) flash storage disk. The product can transmit 30G file within up to 25 seconds while transmission with regular devices usually takes more than one hour, according to CEO of the company.