In a dynamic and competetive market that's giving rise to upstarts such as OnePlus, it's little wonder that other innovative competitors are coming into the game. That's the story with Wileyfox, a British smartphone maker founded in 2015 with the aim of selling affordable, optimised, CyanogenOS based handsets, and like OnePlus, it has started by retailing direct to customers (though thankfully not via an invite system!).

This is an interesting model as it is one that takes the power away from networks. OnePlus has made a HUGE success of it in recent years and for the most part is something of a law unto itself in this regard. Wileyfox is clearly a fan of the “other” way of doing a phone business and has set about in earnest since 2015 establishing itself as a serious player in the UK Android phone space, championing cost-effective handsets packed with useful specs and features.  

The firm has just annonced its latest batch of handsets; the Spark, Spark+, and Spark X, a pretty compelling trio with a very attractive pricing structure. Here are five points on the handset features.

All three models are affordable

The Spark is the entry-level base model with a 5in display and mid-ragne specs and priced at a mere £89.99. Up from there you've got the Sparx+, which is much the same setup but with a boost in RAM (from 1GB to 2GB), storage (from 8GB to 16GB), and camera (from 8MP to 13MP), but the price isn't hiked that much; only up to £114.99. Then there's the big kahuna, the Spark X with a 5.5in display, a battery boost (up to 3,000mAh), and a still affordable price of £129.99.

They use the official Cyanogen OS (NOT Cyanogen Mod) based on Android Marshmallow

All three handsets use the official Cyanogen OS software, which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. This is a custom Android build and it has direct support from the Cyanogen OS project, which should mean you get timely updates as they rollout. While Cyanogen OS is a modified and skinned version of Android, it is done with a relatively faithful, clean and minimalist approach that is very close to stock Android, and it isn't stuffed with bloatware either. Here's Wileyfox's comments onthe software package:

"If you want your experiences to be as unique as you, then the Cyanogen 13 OS does just that. Wileyfox brings all the familiar features you love from Android. Plus it offers unrivalled privacy, security and greater choices in how you use your everyday apps."

"Android 6.0 with a more user-friendly experience: Cyanogen has all the best features of Android with added security, privacy and customisation. Plus it reimagines the way we use apps. A truly enhanced experience."

"Evolved from the latest Android 6.0, Cyanogen 13.0 has all the same features you love. Plus it offers unrivalled security and the freedom to truly make your phone an extension of you. The same but different."

"With Cyanogen 13 OS you can enjoy all the features you love from Android with unrivalled security, privacy and customisation options. It gives you the chance to make your phone as unique as you are."

They've all got removable batteries

All three models have removable batteries. The Spark and Spark+ have 2,200mAh cells and promise 352 hours of standby time on the lightweight, optimised software and hardware package. The Spark X has a bigger 3,000mAh battery, though due to the bigger display the standby time is 200 hours.

The Specs

Wileyfox Spark

• Dimensions: 143mm x 70.4mm x 8.65mm
• Weight: 134.5g
• Display: 5 in IPS LCD
• Resolution: 1280 x 720p HD at 294ppi
• Processor: 64-bit Quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek 6735
• Battery: Removable 2200mAh battery
• Camera: 8MP primary camera/8MP front camera
• 4G LTE 
• HD video recording
• Dual-SIM
• MicroSD: Up to 128GB
• RAM: 1GB
• Storage: 8GB
• Software: Cyanogen OS 13.0 On Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Wileyfox Spark+

• Dimensions: 143mm x 70.4mm x 8.65mm
• Weight: 134.5g
• Display: 5 in IPS LCD
• Resolution: 1280 x 720p HD at 294ppi
• Processor: 64-bit Quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek 6735
• Battery: Removable 2200mAh battery
• Camera: 13MP primary camera/8MP front camera
• 4G LTE 
• HD video recording
• Dual-SIM
• MicroSD: Up to 32GB
• RAM: 2GB
• Storage: 16GB
• Software: Cyanogen OS 13.0 On Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Wileyfox Spark X

• Dimensions: 154mm x 78.6mm x 8.75mm
• Weight: 162.9g
• Display: 5.5 in IPS LCD
• Resolution: 1280 x 720p HD at 267ppi
• Processor: 64-bit Quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek 6735
• Battery: Removable 3000mAh battery
• Camera: 13MP primary camera/8MP front camera
• 4G LTE 
• HD video recording
• Dual-SIM
• MicroSD: Up to 32GB
• RAM: 2GB
• Storage: 16GB
• Software: Cyanogen OS 13.0 On Android 6.0 Marshmallow

You can buy them from Wileyfox or Amazon

If you want to buy direct from Wileyfox then head over to the webstore here (there's also the Wileyfox Storm or Wileyfox Swift if you fancy something a bit more premium). However, you can also purchase direct from Amazon, who will throw in a free protective case and display breakage insurance cover for a year. At present the Wileyfox Spark is available for pre-order and will ship from July 12. The Wileyfox Spark+ is expected to release later in July, while the Wileyfox Spark X is coming in August.