It was 2017 when Android creator Andy Rubin introduced the Essential Phone. It was a strange phone, a pioneer of teardrop notches and a shoddy camera. It was a failure. The phone failed, forcing the company to shut down. But it was the seed of Osom, a brand founded by former Essential engineers.

This brand also shut down after one of its executives denounced its CEO. Let’s go piece by piece.

two years. That’s how long it’s been since Osom saw the light. The company announced the Osom OV1 smartphone, a high-end device made of steel, titanium and ceramic coating, featuring today’s most powerful Qualcomm processor and a 48+12 megapixel dual camera. But the curious thing was its charging cable, a cable designed to increase privacy through a physical switch that allows it to switch between charging mode and data transfer mode. That’s why we use them in public USB ports.

Osom USB-C cable | Image: Osom

And that’s almost all. The Osom OV1 would evolve into the Saga, a mobile phone that Osom developed in collaboration with Solana Labs. It was a mobile phone designed for web3, blockchain, and NFTs. Beyond that, the company hasn’t done much in terms of hardware. There’s no data on sales of the Saga

The last piece of news was the launch of a privacy key USB cable on Amazon on June 22, but other posts in the press room are presentations from their employees. The company’s website also suggests that they are working on becoming a device and software manufacturer for third-party projects. In any case, the company is in the news today not because it is closing down, but because of the apparent reasons for the closure.

Mobile Epic | Image: Solana Mobile

What happened? As revealed by Android Authority (which claims to have access to the legal text), just a few days ago, Osom’s Chief Privacy Officer and former Essential engineer Mary Stone Ross filed a lawsuit against Osom’s CEO Jason Keats for using Android, among other things, to fund the purchase of two Lamborghinis. She also accused Keats of using company resources to pay for career-related expenses and even a mortgage. The company defended itself with the following statement:

“We are aware of the outlandish allegations made by a former employee and look forward to refuting them in court.”

Closing. Without knowing what will happen in court, the truth is that the company will be shut down. According to Android Authorithy, which quotes multiple sources, Osom announced the closure in an internal meeting last Thursday. The company’s CEO Jason Keats confirmed this in a statement sent to The Verge, explaining:

“Unfortunately, Osom is going bankrupt. In May 2024, despite intensive efforts, Osom, who had no customers to buy mobile phones, decided to turn to a new project at that time. Osom had to lay off several employees at that time. our layoff rate.

“Unfortunately, given the dismal market environment for fundraising for consumer electronics startups, we were unable to raise a new round. While some maintenance operations will be performed to fulfill contractual requirements, Osom’s overall operations will cease on September 6.”

Cover image | Osom

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