Originally posted on March 3, 2023
The Original Volla Phone
I bought 2 original Volla phones in 2021, mostly to support the project; one with the Volla OS on it, and another with Ubuntu Touch. I have been mostly using the Volla OS. In the beginning, I experienced some software bugs, but they got squashed after a while. The stability right now it's not any worse than any other smartphone I have owned in the past.
MicroG Support
In a recent update to the Volla OS, it adds the MicroG services that can be activated manually. This will, in theory, make the phone compatible with more apps that rely on Google Services, without having Google Services. Rob Braxman makes a good video on MicroG here.
Note: I just activated the MicroG services on my Volla Phone, but I haven't noticed any difference. Most apps have been working for me anyway, it's just displaying an annoying pop-up that Google-Services are not available. Those pop-ups still appear, even after re-installing the apps. A few apps won't work at all, even after re-installing them with MicroG activated (mostly banking-related apps that Rob Braxman mentions that they will not work regardless).
My conclusion: MicroG helps with notifications and may make some apps work that previously did not, but at the moment I have no good examples.
Drawbacks of the original Volla Phone
I must say I'm not impressed with the GUI appearance. It's colorless and dull. Volla 22 however will make it easier to install an alternative OS. It also adds some themes so you can at least switch to something that looks a bit nicer.
Their so called "springboard" doesn't seem to be working at all as advertised. I can only make notes or search the Internet with it. Maybe it works better on the Volla 22, but it's not a big deal for me anyway.
The original version uses some outdated hardware, even for it's time. The Volla 22 has improved that significantly.
Conclusion
Overall I think this is one of the best choices, with the least amount of work to make it work. It seems the company behind the phone, learnt from their previous mistakes and made something serious.
When you read about their visions and goals, take it with a grain of salt. There are certainly big plans ahead to make this phone the best privacy phone on the market, but they might underestimate how a difficult task it may be.
Note: The Volla X23 is on it's way. At a glance, it seems to be a more robust version of the Volla 22. I'm not sure if it's worth waiting for.
Appendix
Read More about Volla 22 here: https://volla.online/en/volla-phone-22/
For a more detailed review, check this blog:
https://liliputing.com/volla-phone-22-runs-ubuntu-touch-or-a-privacy-focused-android-fork-or-both-crowdfunding/