Wileyfox releases Cyanogen-powered Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus

British smartphone maker beefs up budget duo

British smartphone maker Wileyfox has unveiled the Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus, its follow-up to the Wileyfox Swift, released last year.

The Wileyfox Swift 2 and Swift 2 Plus offer improved specifications and are built from arguably better quality materials, while still retaining a budget price well below £200. Both handsets come with a fingerprint sensor and built-in NFC.

An aluminium case replaces the textured plastic of the earlier model, and the internals have been upgraded from a Snapdragon 410 to a more powerful Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor.

The Wileyfox Swift 2 comes with 2GB of RAM, while the Plus model increases that slightly to 3GB. Likewise, storage is 16GB for the Swift 2 and 32GB for the Plus. Despite the latter's 'plus' moniker, both handsets sport a 5in 720p HD resolution display.

The difference in camera tech is the only other factor to set the two models apart. The Swift 2 uses a 13MP snapper, while the Swift 2 Plus sports a 16MP Samsung sensor.

The new smartphones will run Android 6.0.1 with Cyanogen. Some might question Wileyfox's decision to once again stick to Cyanogen, especially when the firm has since announced a change in direction in favour of a modular system.

Connectivity-wise, USB-C is available on both models, along with Quick Charge 3.0 technology that will fill the battery to 75 per cent in 45 minutes.

Damage to your pocket will be very little. The Wileyfox Swift 2 has been confirmed at £159 and the Swift 2 Plus at £189.

The duo of smartphone are being offered directly from the Wileyfox website and are also available to pre-order through Amazon ahead of their 14 November release. There's a choice of Rose Pink, Midnight Blue and Champagne Gold colour options.

We'll put both phones through their paces shortly to see how they fare, but they can't be any worse than the disappointing Wileyfox Spark.