Russia has been hit with multiple sanctions, and the country is now forced to look for local alternatives to global products like iPhones. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has brought about multiple sanctions from different countries. The US Government has asked companies to stop doing their business in Russia.
Following up on the request, brands like Microsoft, Apple, Google and even Visa have suspended their sales and business in the region. Apple stopping its sales means people in Russia cannot buy iPhones.
But it seems the country has a solution for that in the form of a smartphone called Ayya T1.
The Russian State Ministry wants Russians to ditch the iPhones and use the Ayya T1 which is powerful and safe, says Maria Butina, Member of the State Duma, as per her profile on the internet. “You know what, good gentlemen from Apple, but go through the woods! And you, my dears, become an eyewitness of the first contact of the deputy with the domestic smartphone AYYA T1,” she said.
Butina also shares details about the Ayya T1 on her Instagram account and unboxes the device as she speaks. So, what is special about this Ayya T1 smartphone and can it really become their iPhone alternative right now?
Ayya T1 Smartphone: Five Things To Know
Ayya T1 smartphone has been manufactured by a Russian company called SmartEkoSystem, which is a subsidiary of a state company Rostec. Reports say the Russian Ministry ordered around 500,000 units of the Ayya T1 smartphone a few years back for internal use. The phone cost around 15,000 Russian Ruble (Rs 10,800 approx).
Since the smartphone was made with a special focus on the Russian government, the software Aurora OS developed by Jolla is the brain behind the operation of this device. The OS has been built over the Android 11 version for consumers. It is reportedly built to secure against data breaches as well.
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Ayya T1 has been built with privacy as a strong focus. The device has a mechanical switch to help you disable the camera and microphone of the phone, whenever required. The hardware setup also includes a special LED light that alerts the user when the camera is turned on.
Ayya T1 carries a 6.5-inch 60Hz display, powered by MediaTek Helio P70 chipset. It gets 4GB RAM with 64GB storage. The device supports NFC and has a fingerprint reader.
Ayya T1 packs a dual rear camera setup of a 12-megapixel sensor and a 5-megapixel sensor. It has a 13-megapixel sensor on the front as well. The phone has a 4000mAh battery with fast charging support.
Going by these features it is clear that the Ayya T1 is not very comparable to an iPhone. Its features are basic but where it really seems to be strong is the security aspect. The ability to kill the mic and camera, along with its software prowess to prevent data hacks is interesting.
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It remains to be seen if the Russians move from iPhone or any other Android phone to this local product.
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