This is Vietnams first homegrown smartphone

There's this huge Vietnamese company that you’ve probably never heard of: Bkav. It’s one of Vietnam’s oldest and most established tech companies but a lot of people – even in the country – barely even know about it.

According to sources, if a Vietnamese person does recognize Bkav, they probably know the firm’s free antivirus software and might possibly know of Bkav’s outspoken founder, Nguyen Tu Quang.

Investigation reveal that Bkav is a company with technology interests that span security software and services to smart home hardware – and now a new phone called the Bphone. Unveiled on Tuesday , the Bphone has been hotly anticipated for months by Vietnam’s tech heads.

The Bphone carries a VN$10 million (US$500) price tag. The phone's specifications, next to the iPhone 6 Plus, seem pretty strong.

The event on Tuesday mirrored the company's ambition, with top leadership at Bkav stepping on stage like at a launch event by Apple (or Xiaomi).

Sources further revealed that the event was the biggest PR stunt a Vietnamese company has ever pulled off with a rumored VN$10 billion (US$500,000) going into it – including renting out one of the top event spaces in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, and sending out beautifully crafted metallic invitation cards.