It seems that this is due to competitors creating mobile phones which, if we’re reading through the translated press release properly, are becoming “bland” with little concern for the needs of users.
It seems that despite their best efforts, the more individual and unique phones generated by Geeksphone, and lauded by their followers, are not what the greater market are interested in.
Sadly, it seems that delivering phones that keep some of the people very happy isn’t a great business model. What’s that old saying? You can please some of the people all of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time? Either way, it’s kinda sad to see Europe’s first smartphone maker effectively shutting up shop.
A lot of staff have already moved over to Silent Circle’s Blackphone, with Co-Founder María Alzola leaving completely. Rodrigo Silva-Ramos and Angel Sánchez Díaz have created geeks!me, which will be developing wearables.
If you’re still after one of their phones or want to know more about the history of this Spanish company, read our coverage here.
Full details on the press release below.
Geeksphone leaves in the hands of its Users’ Community the development of their Multi OS platform.
– After having developed six smartphones in less than six years, the company has reached the end of a cycle.
– Our Customer Technical Support Service will continue to operate as usual.
-Geeksphone, jointly with some of its partners has created geeks!me, a new brand focused on the development of wearables.
Madrid, 20 June 2015.- It’s been almost six years since Rodrigo Silva-Ramos and Javier Agüera founded Geeksphone in 2009.
During all these years, Geeksphone has been the first Spanish company to develop a smartphone, the first European company to launch an Android based phone, the first global brand to launch a Firefox OS mobile device together with Telefónica and the Mozilla Foundation, besides being the first global project in the mobile environment to have believed in the free code, encouraging it as its core philosophy.
In addition, the Company embarked in 2013, on a joint venture with Silent Circle in order to create Blackphone, a project that has leadered security and privacy issues and which has garnered many successes and awards, and has even been exhibited in several museums around the world.
“When we started the Geeksphone project, we never imagined that we would develop six smartphones in just five years,” says Rodrigo Silva-Ramos, Geeksphone’s Co-Founder. “We are very grateful and proud of having achieved so many professional and personal success and, above all, we are extremely proud to have received great recognition from both the Industry and the users”
Geeksphone has sold several thousand terminals, has reached business figures of great importance in relation to the environment of European technology startups, and has facilitated independent investment in other projects undertaken by Geeksphone’s founding partners.
Now the time has come for a new cycle. The reality of the company today is very different from what it was in the beginning, since the concept of innovation based on a passionate geek community, talented and creative, has now much less sense and it is a differentiation, which currently generates little interest in the mobile environment. in relation to the 2009 date of our creation.
“Mobile telephony has changed a lot in recent years,” comments Rodrigo Silva-Ramos. “Our perception is that it is now a sector with great actors who have come to be where they are without much concern for innovation and without being concerned by the needs of its users.”
Geeksphone has always worked for its users, trying to listen to their needs, in order to bring innovation, freshness, quality, style and to differentiate their mobile devices.
However these arguments have currently few followers in the mobile phone industry environment, and it is very difficult for a company to maintain its viability and business with this philosophy. Therefore, and for the moment, Geeksphone will not undertake new projects and future development will be in the hands of users.
Geeksphone has made available to the entire community of users all the tools that we are legally able to spread, for further development, since the company also has licensing agreements with third parties who may not be made public.
“This Company has always complied, and will continue, with the law regarding the rights and property of our partners. But we have always tried to find the best balance concerning the values of open source and community development,” says Rodrigo Silva-Ramos, Co-Founder of Geeksphone. “In short, everything that belongs to Geeksphone belongs to its users.”
In compliance with the commitments made to users in terms of warranty and support, Geeksphone’s Customer Technical Support Service will be maintained and it will operate in the same way it has done so far.
Moreover, all the engineering talent has passed to Silent Circle’s Blackphone, in order to continue opening new avenues for innovation along with Ana Gay-Puente and Javier Agüera, who are also Geeksphone partners.
María Alzola, also Geeksphone member and Co-Founder, leaves the company.
Finaly, Rodrigo Silva-Ramos and Angel Sánchez Díaz have created geeks!me, a new brand focused on the development of wearables and it will launch its first product in the upcoming months. It will be an activity bracelet that will allow users to carry a healthier pace of life, in harmony with the environment.
