Umidigi A9

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Umidigi A9
Umidigi A9 Pro
Umidigi A9 Max
BrandUmidigi
Compatible networksLTE-FDD, TDD-LTE, WCDMA, SCDMA, GSM
TypeSmartphone
Form factorSlate
DimensionsH: 158.7mm

W: 74.9mm

D: 8.6mm
Operating systemOriginal: Android 11
System on chipMediaTek Helio G25
CPUARM Cortex-A53
GPUIMG PowerVR GE8320
Memory
  • 3 GB LPDDRX4
  • 6 GB LPDDRX4 (Pro)
  • 8 GB LPDDRX4 (Max)
Storage64 GB or 128 GB models
Battery4150mAh
ChargingUSB Type-C
Display6.3" FHD+ Full Screen 2340 x 1080 resolution
Rear camera48MP Sony AI matrix quad camera 48MP HD (32MP HD for 4GB + 64GB variant), Ultra wide-angle mode, Steady handheld night photography, Macro mode, Portrait mode, Panorama mode, HDR, AI Beautify, Ultra wide-angle edge distortion correction, Dual LED flash, Face recognition, Real-time filters
Front camera24MP Sony ultra-clear front camera
Websitehttps://umidigi.com/page-umidigi_a9pro_specification.html

The Umidigi A9, A9 Pro, and A9 Max are Android smartphones sold by Umidigi. Unveiled in December 2020, they are a family of entry-level smartphones.

In July 2021, the A9 Pro gained media attention after it was reported that a white-label version of the device with modified firmware was being sold in the United States as the "Freedom Phone", with marketing targeting conservatives.

Specifications[]

The A9 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G25 system-on-chip with a 2.0 GHz CPU and 3 GB of LPDDRX4 RAM. It includes 64 GB of external storage, which is expandable via a microSD card slot contained within its dual SIM tray. The A9 Pro has 128 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM. The A9 uses a 6.53-inch display, while the A9 Pro uses a 6.3-inch display. The A9 includes 13-megapixel and 8-megapixel ultra-wide rear-facing cameras with a 2-megapixel depth sensor and 8-megapixel front-facing camera, while the A9 Pro uses 48-megapixel quad rear-facing cameras and a 24-megapixel front-facing camera. Both devices also include an integrated infrared thermometer.[1][2] The devices ship with Android 11.[1][2]

In February 2021, Umidigi announced a third model in the A9 line known as the A9 Max, which has 8 GB of RAM and a curved display.[3]

Freedom Phone[]

Freedom Phone logo

In March 2021, Erik Finman, a 22-year-old who has described himself as the "world's youngest Bitcoin millionaire",[4] announced that he would be producing a smartphone targeting conservatives in the United States. Finman promoted that the device would include access to apps "censored" by Apple and Google such as Parler (factory installed), Newsmax, and One America News Network (OANN).[5]

The smartphone, branded as "Freedom Phone", was officially launched on 14 July 2021 via a social media post by conservative commentator Candace Owens,[6] and was promoted by other conservative activists and commentators such as Ali Alexander, Dinesh D'Souza, and Roger Stone.[6] It is being marketed in particular to supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump, with advertising promoting the device as a "free speech and privacy first" smartphone, that its hardware is "comparable to the best smartphones", and that it includes an "uncensorable" app store known as "PatriApp" that will not take down apps "censored" by the App Store or Play Store.[7][6]

At this time, it was reported that the Freedom Phone was a resold version of the Umidigi A9 Pro.[8][6] Its OEM Android software was replaced by a custom Android distribution known as "Freedom OS", which is stated to contain code from LineageOS and GrapheneOS, and comes with apps such as DuckDuckGo, alt-tech platforms such as Parler and Rumble, and Telegram installed.[9][6][7][10] The device was promoted as including a feature known as "Trust", which is a LineageOS feature.[8] It uses MicroG, an open source implementation of Google Play Services that is often used with custom distributions such as LineageOS.[7] The PatriApp store similarly appeared to be a rebranded version of Aurora Store, which is an alternative open source client for Play Store and thus dependent on its listings, rather than an independent app store as was implied in the device's marketing materials.[7] Source code for the PatriApp store was not available, and thus a contravention of the GNU GPLv3 license that the Aurora Store was licensed under, an example of intellectual property theft.[7]

The device is marketed at a price of US$500; in comparison, the Umidigi A9 Pro retails for US$120, a little less than a quarter the price of the Freedom Phone.[7] The Freedom Phone website did not initially publish specifications for the phone, but incomplete information was later published.[7] Finman confirmed to The Daily Beast that the Freedom Phone was manufactured by Umidigi.[6]

In a review of the product, CNET said that the $500 Freedom Phone appeared to be "nearly on par with a $200 budget Android phone."[11]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Agnihotri, Greeva (2020-12-24). "UMIDIGI A9- First Android 11 Smartphone with Infrared Temperature Measurement Launches Globally". Gizmochina. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  2. ^ a b Singh, Simranpal (2021-02-08). "Umidigi's smartphones with temperature sensor facilitates the fight against COVID-19". Gizmochina. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  3. ^ Singh, Simranpal (2021-02-01). "Umidigi A9 Max renders gives us a glimpse of powerful performance". Gizmochina. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  4. ^ Cancian, Dan (July 15, 2021). "What Is the 'Freedom Phone'? Candace Owens Backs Apple and Google Alternative". Newsweek.
  5. ^ B, Urian (2021-03-16). "This $450 American 'Freedom' Phone Comes with Pre-Installed Parler, Yet Made in China?". Tech Times. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Sommer, Will (July 15, 2021). "MAGA World's 'Freedom Phone' Actually Budget Chinese Phone". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Amadeo, Ron (2021-07-20). "The MAGA-targeted "Freedom Phone" has a breathtaking amount of red flags". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  8. ^ a b "The "Freedom Phone" is an overpriced smartphone that doesn't free you from anything". xda-developers. 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  9. ^ Holland, Patrick. "Freedom Phone: Why you should avoid it and what else to know". CNET. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  10. ^ Mihalcik, Carrie (July 16, 2021). "'Uncensorable' Freedom Phone raises a host of security questions". CNET. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  11. ^ Nicas, Jack (2021-09-06). "The Strange Tale of the Freedom Phone, a Smartphone for Conservatives". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
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