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OSOM Products shut down its general operations on September 6, 2024, CEO Jason Keats told TechCrunch the day before. A small maintenance group remained to meet contractual obligations for the Solana Saga. OSOM had been founded by former Essential employees, but it was a separate company—not a continuation of Essential.
Why did OSOM shut down?
OSOM had struggled to find customers for a phone and to secure more funding. In comments to TechCrunch, Keats said the company had no mobile-phone customers despite concerted efforts. He said OSOM decided in May 2024 to pivot to a new project; reports also described unsuccessful pivots and acquisition efforts. Keats told TechCrunch the company could not raise another funding round.
Android Authority reported on September 4, 2024, that OSOM was preparing to close. The following day, Keats confirmed the shutdown to TechCrunch, saying that general operations would end September 6. Reports described layoffs alongside the small team retained for Saga maintenance.
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Essential Products, founded by Andy Rubin, ceased operations in 2020 after saying it had “no clear path to deliver” its Project Gem phone to customers. OSOM was founded by former Essential employees and carried forward part of that team’s hardware work, but the two companies did not share ongoing corporate operations. Calling OSOM Essential’s successor is accurate as a description of personnel and design lineage—not as a claim that Essential continued under a new name.
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What happened to the OSOM OV1?
OSOM announced plans for the privacy-focused OV1, but it did not become a widely released standalone OSOM phone. After OSOM partnered with Solana, the OV1 technology was used in the Solana Saga instead. The Saga is therefore connected to OSOM’s phone project, but it was a Solana partnership rather than a broadly released OSOM-branded OV1.
What happened to the OSOM Privacy Cable?
The Privacy Cable was OSOM’s USB-C cable with a physical switch that could disable data signaling. That made it useful when a user wanted to charge a device without allowing a USB connection to transfer data. The function is also offered by modern USB-C data-blocker cables; the defining feature to check is whether the cable blocks data transfer, not whether it carries OSOM’s name.
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OSOM’s shutdown does not establish whether its original cable remains available for purchase. Anyone looking for the same function can search for a USB-C data blocker cable and check connector compatibility, charging support, switch operation, and build quality before buying.
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Can you still get support for the Solana Saga?
At shutdown, OSOM said a small maintenance operation would continue to meet contractual Saga obligations. That is a historical statement about the team retained in September 2024, not a guarantee of present-day support or future updates. For a used or refurbished Saga, verify the handset’s condition, current software-support status, network compatibility, and the seller’s warranty before purchase.
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- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
What replaced Essential?
There was no single company that took over Essential’s corporate operations. OSOM was the most direct continuation of its hardware team’s work, and the OV1 project fed into the Solana Saga, but OSOM itself later shut down. Those links explain the lineage; they do not amount to a continuing Essential phone business.
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- PRIVACY DISPLAY: Automatically hide your screen from those beside you. The built-in privacy display can be preset¹ to turn on when receiving notifications, typing passwords, or using specific apps
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