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The UP Phone’s privacy tracker screen contains information about screen time and blocked tracking requests (Image credit: Unplugged)<\/p>\n
The phone is, however, extremely resilient against data requests from third parties \u2013 Unplugged shared that an independent test found that in a 45-minute testing period, the UP phone sent and received no data packets to trackers, while a Samsung Galaxy S25<\/a> logged more than 170,000 exchanges and an iPhone 16 Pro<\/a> more than 210,000.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As for hardware, the UP Phone comes equipped with the MediaTek 1200 chipset \u2013 a 2021 chipset that’s now far from flagship grade \u2013 and 8GB of RAM, as well as a 4,300mAh battery. The phone sports a triple-camera system made up of a 108-megapixel main camera, as well as 8MP ultra-wide and 5MP macro cameras, 256GB of storage expandable up to 1TB, and a 6.67-inch AMOLED display of unlisted resolution.<\/p>\n With specs like these, we\u2019d typically expect the UP phone to cost around $450 \/ \u00a3450 \/ AU$850. Its actual retail cost? $989 (it’s only priced in US dollars). That’s around the price of some of the best phones<\/a> on the market, like the iPhone 16 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus <\/a>, or Google Pixel 9 Pro<\/a>.<\/p>\n Launching a phone with midrange specs and a flagship price tag is certainly an interesting gambit \u2013 but the Unplugged phone\u2019s loadout of privacy focused apps and features is rare to see in today\u2019s phone market.<\/p>\n I spoke with Unplugged CEO Joe Weil to find out more about how the UP phone was made and how the company hopes to challenge the status quo set by Apple<\/a> and Google.<\/p>\n Unplugged UP Phone \u2013 the de-googler\u2019s choice? <\/p>\n UnpluggedOS is based on Android, but lacks Google Mobile Services. (Image credit: Unplugged)<\/p>\n \u201cAs our lives move online, ad-driven smartphones fuelled by AI are harvesting unprecedented amounts of personal data, demanding our constant attention, and eroding our privacy,\u201d Weil tells me. \u201cThat\u2019s why Unplugged exists: to put people back in control of their digital lives, and to offer a true alternative to Big Tech smartphones\u2014one that restores privacy, choice, and trust.\u201d<\/p>\n Weil highlights three main technologies intended to put the UP phone ahead of competitors when it comes to privacy \u2013 the aforementioned control on data transfer, an \u201coff means off\u201d approach to shutting down your phone that means it emits and receives no data or signals, and secure data deletion, which means your phone can be wiped remotely or even after a pre-set period of time.<\/p>\n Continuing, Weil elucidates that Unplugged\u2019s focus on privacy is grounded in real-world concerns: \u201cWe have all seen ads that feel a little too personal and it makes us wonder, \u201cis my phone listening to me?\u201d The truth is that no, the phones\u2014and the apps on them\u2014aren\u2019t listening. They don\u2019t need to. They already know everything about us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe amount of ads we see online\u2014and the personal nature of many of them\u2014belies a deeper problem: our location, our relationships, and even our most personal preferences are monitored, recorded, and organized by data harvesters and brokers.\u201d<\/p>\n As well as the features mentioned above, Weil points to \u201cencrypted cloud storage\u201d, a \u201cbuilt-in no-logs VPN\u201d, and \u201can Android operating system<\/a> that is completely de-Googled\u201d as further privacy highlights \u2013 referring to the recent trend which sees tech users try to remove Google’s presence from their lives altogether.<\/p>\n Whether this package adds up to $989 of value is another question.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/9YbwHRqHFEpWX2nby8aRNX.jpg\")
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