Grouped apps. The perfect overview and order

Of course, Volla OS also knows the classic app view, optionally also as the start view. Volla OS can group the apps automatically. The apps that you have used most recently appear first, so you can quickly find what you need if you have a lot of apps installed. Apps can also be grouped by categories, such as games and messengers.

Choose your style

The clean, minimalist design is reflected in the eye-friendly black and white icons and text. Choose between the dark mode for indoors or the fresh mode for outdoor activities, or bring color into your life with the transparent mode with glass effect.

AI as supportive intelligence

We think artificial intelligence can be useful. But what it does must be transparent; it should not patronize users and certainly not infiltrate their privacy. That’s why Volla OS takes a different approach and relies on supportive intelligence that always empowers the user instead of disempowering them.

Not only is the springboard a kind of supportive intelligence, but it also integrates speech recognition and speech synthesis, which also enables accessibility. Maximum security is provided by biometric access blocking of the device through facial recognition. What all these processes have in common is that they are open source, and not a single bit goes into the cloud.

Distributed cloud. Messenger and intelligent backup reinvented

For many users, the appeal of Apple and Google smartphones is not least due to the convenience of iCloud or Google Cloud. However, it’s not just emails, images, and videos that are stored in Big Tech’s data centers, but also internet activity, movement profiles, and personal contacts that we give away.

They are accessible to the data center operators and evaluated there. In many countries, operators are also obliged to enable monitoring.

The optional Volla Cloud gives the power back to the users. Your data belongs to you. Period. Because the Volla Cloud does not require a data center. Instead, networked Volla Phones form the cloud. You decide with whom you share highly encrypted data.

The Volla Cloud is based on Holochain technology. It is not a blockchain, but rather a technology that adopts the best concepts while overcoming the disadvantages. Holochain uses a chain of transactions that is shared and protects the data from manipulation, but only between trusted peers rather than globally. This makes the system more lightweight and also saves a considerable amount of resources and energy. At the same time, it also enables data to be securely deleted again. This is not possible with a blockchain and inevitably leads to data overflow.

The Volla Cloud forms the foundation for a new ecosystem of apps and services—the perfection of convenience and security. Two basic apps for your everyday life are the start.

Relay. The secure messenger for everyone

With the Relay app, you can connect with contacts with a confirmed identity for 1-to-1 conversations or with multiple contacts. You can also invite people to moderated groups using a passcode. Relay is a WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram alternative in terms of function. And yet more. Because you don’t have to register with your phone number or share your messages via a service in a data center.

Relay is convenient and secure at the same time. After the ability to exchange text messages, images, videos and files, audio and video calls will follow.

The app will also be available for macOS, Windows and dLinux so that you can stay in touch with all your friends and important people in your life.

Recovery. The intelligent backup

Back up all the data on your smartphone bit by bit with Recovery. The app is so intelligent that it starts with the most important data, such as your contacts, so that the performance and battery consumption of your Volla Phone Quintus is not affected, and you still gain security quickly.

If your Volla Phone Quintus is lost or damaged, you can restore your data to a new smartphone from the Volla Distributed Cloud. You decide which trusted peers store your distributed and encrypted backup. It could be your family or team or even your own PC. It is also planned to be able to restore data that you have accidentally deleted, or to swap it out if the internal memory is no longer sufficient.

Unique security functions. Decide for yourself

With the Volla Phone Quintus, you decide who you want to share which data with and when. That’s why Volla OS is free of Google services. You do not need to open a Volla account for the Volla Phone Quintus.

To create full transparency, we have published the source code of Volla OS. It is based on the Android Open Source project with numerous extensions and replaced, curated system apps that do exactly what they are intended to do.

The security mode. Turn your smartphone into a fortress

The Volla Phone Quintus allows you to configure and activate a special operating mode. 

• Selectively block apps and their background processes that you don’t trust or that collect user data but that you need. Or simply enjoy a tidy app overview and save battery consumption.
• Block specific Internet addresses not only for the browser but for all apps and your background processes. Volla OS offers templates for inclusion lists or exclusion lists for malware, scams, trackers and more.
• Block access to the Internet for selected apps so that apps cannot pass on content or statistics about your usage when you use them.

Optional VPN to protect your internet connection 

Volla OS includes an optional Hide.me virtual private network to protect your Internet connections from third parties who record and analyze your activity, such as your mobile service provider. With worldwide access points, the VPN can even help anonymize your connection.

Hide.me is characterized by a special, particularly secure encryption method and a strict log-free connection. Internet activity is not recorded.

The security features at a glance:

Ubuntu Touch. The mobile Linux alternative for full control

You can choose to get the Volla Phone Quintus with Ubuntu Touch, the mobile version of the popular Linux distribution Ubuntu. This is the perfect choice for anyone who already works with Ubuntu Linux. You will find yourself in the same world, including a sidebar for currently open or frequently used apps.

Ubuntu Touch comes with its own apps store Open Store and basic apps for all important everyday functions from telephony, text messages, photos and much more. Take full control of your smartphone with the Terminal App for en Command Line Interface.

Ubuntu Touch is already prepared for convergence. If you connect a display via Miracast wireless standard as well as a keyboard and mouse, you can use your Volla Phone Quintus like a PC. The new flagship model delivers enough power effortlessly.

Multi Boot for all those who want to be inspired

Volla OS offers the unique possibility to use several operating systems from the same smartphone. The installation of an additional operating system such as Ubuntu Touch is simply the installation of an app. For the first time, this is possible with the Volla Phone Quints on the internal memory, so that the second operating system runs just as smoothly as the first.

Freedom is also freedom of choice. Experience unlimited freedom and try something new. The second operating system is also ideal for anyone who wants to make a strict distinction between private and professional use. Decide which operating system you want to use every time you start your device.

Timeline

• 10.2023 – Device planning, sourcing
• 02.2024 – Final hardware specification
• 03.2024 – Volla cloud apps specification
• 04.2024 – Final design specification
• 04.2024 – Volla cloud apps (beta) development
• 05.2024 – Sample device production
• 06.2024 – Volla OS (beta) hardware adaptation
• 06.2024 – Ubuntu Touch (alpha) hardware adaption
• 06.2024 – Introduction at Volla Community Days
• 07.2024 – Kickstarter campaign
• 07.2024 – Start of Volla specific hardware component production
• 08.2024 – Start of mass production
• 10.2024 – Shipping start of early bird rewards
• 11.2024 – Shipping start of all rewards

The Volla story

Volla Systeme is an independent German manufacturer of smartphones, tablets and accessories. With 12 suppliers, 7 of them from Germany, and our own production capacities, we are both locally rooted and internationally connected with our employees in many parts of the world.

We have big plans. Nothing less than giving people back their freedom through simplicity and security: free communication, free access to information, and free time and attention for the things that are important to us.

We have been following this path from the very beginning with and for our users, as well as with our friends and partners. This enables us to realize our goals sustainably and offer the best combination of hardware, software, and services for mobile life.

Independent for new paths and your security

In 2017, Dr. Jörg Wurzer founded Hallo Welt Systeme UG in Remscheid, Germany, which later became Volla Systeme GmbH. To be and remain independent, the entrepreneur relied on his own capital and crowdfunding. After almost 3 years of research & development and a successful Kickstarter campaign, the first Volla Phone was launched in 2020. Since then, over 11,000 smartphones have been sold in over 55 countries worldwide.

Independence from investors allows consistent and long-term protection of privacy and explore completely new paths: away from the focus on apps and dependence on the cloud towards a focus on simplicity and independence from the cloud.