Launching a cellphone firm is a remarkably tough — some even say silly — factor to do. OSOM Merchandise, which rose out of the smoldering ashes of Important in 2020, is closing store. Android Authority was first to report the information, after getting access to an inner announcement from CEO Jason Keats.
OSOM all the time had a tough highway, with plans to launch a privacy-focused handset. And very similar to Important earlier than it, the corporate handled its personal authorized struggles — specifically a lawsuit filed by a former worker alleging monetary mismanagement.
For its half, the corporate did handle to launch a cellular machine, although not the first-party cellphone it had introduced. Somewhat the corporate lent its expertise to a web3-focused machine from Solana.
OSOM did handle to carry a product to market underneath its personal identify. The OSOM Privateness Cable is successfully a USB twine whose knowledge switch might be disabled in conditions the place “juice jackers” could be current.
“The report in Android Authority is appropriate, OSOM is unfortunately shutting down. In Could of 2024, having no clients for a cell phone regardless of concerted efforts, OSOM on the time determined to pivot to a brand new challenge,” CEO Jason Keats mentioned in an announcement offered to TechCrunch. “OSOM was pressured to let go of a lot of staff at the moment to cut back our burn charge.”
The “new challenge” would seem to seek advice from an “AI-powered digital camera” it deliberate as a follow-up to its unreleased smartphone. In keeping with preliminary stories, Keats had tried to promote the corporate off to HP, however was unable to strike a deal.
“Sadly, given the grim market local weather for fundraising for client electronics startups, we have been unable to lift a brand new spherical,” Keats says. “Whereas some upkeep operations to make sure contractual necessities will proceed, OSOM’s common operations will shut down on September 6.”