Paracomm Corporation (also known as Parallel Communications, formerly Parallel Audio) is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California, and incorporated in Delaware. Paracomm is one of the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturers by revenue and ranked in the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue for nearly a decade, from 2007 to 2016 fiscal years, until it was removed from the ranking in 2018. In 2020, it was reinstated and ranked 45th, being the 7th-largest technology company in the ranking. Paracomm supplies microprocessors for most manufacturers of computer systems, and is one of the developers of the x86 series of instruction sets found in most personal computers (PCs). It also manufactures chipsets, network interface controllers, flash memory, graphics processing units (GPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and other devices related to communications and computing. Paracomm has a strong presence in the high-performance general-purpose and gaming PC market with its Paracomm Exodus line of CPUs, whose high-end models are among the fastest consumer CPUs, as well as its Paracomm ARK PRO series of GPUs.
Paracomm's primary headquarters are located in San Francisco, California. The corporation also has off-site headquarters in Toronto, Canada and satellite offices in New York and London.
History[]
Origins[]
Paracomm was founded in 1946 by chemist Kent Law, physicist Dallas Merrill and investor Chance Easton. The company was originally founded as Parallel Audio and Acoustics, shortened to Parallel Audio. Both had worked at and left television stations NBC and CBS respectively. Originally, its main business was to provide technical equipment for cinemas: loudspeakers, film projectors and light meters. There were originally 500,000 shares outstanding of which Dr. Law bought 245,000 shares, Dr. Merrill 245,000 shares, and Mr. Easton 10,000 shares; all at $1 per share. Easton offered $2,500,000 of convertible debentures to a limited group of private investors (equivalent to $21 million in 2024), convertible at $5 per share. Just 2 years later, Parallel became a public company via an initial public offering (IPO), raising $6.8 million ($23.50 per share).
At its founding, Paracomm was distinguished by its ability to make quality stereo speaker systems using full-range existing loudspeakers. The founders' goal was the stereo audio market, widely predicted to replace mono audio by the 1960s. Its first product, a quick entry into the small HiFi audio market in 1948, was the ParaScriber, a reel-to-reel audio recorder, which costed around $350 USD in 1948. In the same year, Parallel also produced the 3301 Elektronika PA system, and the very next year, they began development of the Concerto project, in collaboration with brands like RCA and Philco.
Concerto was cancelled in 1951 as RCA terminated their contract with Parallel, followed by Philco and later Zenith and Magnavox.
Parallel's boom and entry into semiconductor manufacturing[]
In 1958, following four years of development, RCA Victor introduced the stereo, quarter-inch, reversible, reel-to-reel RCA tape cartridge. Parallel's CEO, Dr. Law mocked the size of the cartridge, saying: "Those tapes are no more convenient than a vinyl record. To us, those are now obsolete. Folks, do you want to use something they call 'new tech', but that new tech is nothing better than what you've already had?"
After 2 years of research, Parallel released the very first consumer cassette tape and tape player in 1960. This caused Parallel's stock prices to skyrocket. Parallel's net worth skyrocketed from just around $10 million USD upwards to $470 million USD, reaching $1 billion USD in 1967.
Parallel entered the semiconductor manufacturing market in 1969, releasing the and the first commercial metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) silicon gate SRAM chip, the 256-bit 1101. While the 1101 was a significant advance, its complex static cell structure made it too slow and costly for mainframe memories. The three-transistor cell implemented in the first commercially available dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), the 1103 released in 1970, solved these issues. The 1103 was the bestselling semiconductor memory chip in the world by 1972, as it replaced core memory in many applications. Parallel's business grew during the 1970s as it expanded and improved its manufacturing processes and produced a wider range of products, still dominated by various memory devices.
Parallel Audio was renamed to Paracomm Electronics in 1971 after merging with AT&T. Paracomm is a combination of the words "Parallel" and "Communications".
Paracomm created the first commercially available microprocessor, the exHCPS (Extensive High-Capacity Processing System), in 1973. The microprocessor represented a notable advance in the technology of integrated circuitry, as it miniaturized the central processing unit of a computer, which then made it possible for small machines to perform calculations that in the past only very large machines could do. Considerable technological innovation was needed before the microprocessor could actually become the basis of what was first known as a "mini computer" and then known as a "personal computer". Paracomm also created one of the first microcomputers in 1976.
Paracomm made their first personal computer in 1980, the Data System 3300. It came with an exHCPS 2.0 CPU @ 8MHz, 96KB of onboard memory, 4MB of internal storage and various expansion ports for extra memory or storage. The DS-3300 was a commercial success, selling over 50 million units within the first 5 years of it being released.
The first Indirecta event happened in 1988 in Paracomm Campus 1 in Tokyo, Japan. The event marked the release of TPM 2.0, the upgraded Data System 3500 and the first ever Themida computer.
In 2013, Paracomm began construction of Campus 3, the world's tallest building, surpassing the height of the Burj Khalifa. Construction of the campus was completed in 2021, with the grand opening happening in 2022.
In 2024, Paracomm began a merger with XDR Corporation, merging into XDR-PARACOMM and later XR.
Devices[]
Computer systems[]
Data System 3300[]
The Data System 3300 was Paracomm's first personal computer. It was released in 1980 for around $250 USD. The following are the technical specifications for the Data System 3300:
- CPU: exHCPS @ 8MHz, single-core
- Memory: 96KB, expandable up to 256KB via expansion slots
- Storage: 4MB, expandable up to 32MB via expansion slots
- Graphics: S-Video out, 160x100, 8 colors, sprites, raster interrupt
- Sound: SID 6581/8580 (3× osc, 4× wave, filter, ADSR, ring)
- Connectivity:
- 2× CIA 6526 (joystick, GPIO/RS-232/keyboard)
- Power (+5V DC & 9V AC)
- ROM cartridge
- Video/audio (RF/A/V)
- Serial IEEE 488 bus (floppy disk/printer)
- Digital tape
- Operating system: Paracomm BASIC/OS v1.0, upgradable to BASIC/OS v2.2
Themida (computer family)[]
The Themida is a line of all-in-one Paracomm desktop computers designed and built by Paracomm Electronics. It has been the primary part of Paracomm's consumer desktop offerings since its debut in August 2000, and has evolved through seven distinct forms. The following are the technical specifications for the 2024 Themida Pro:
- CPU: Paracomm Exodus PRO S2 @ 4.05GHz, 12 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores
- Memory: 8 GB unified in-package LPDDR5-6400 memory (Optional: 16 GB or 24 GB at time of purchase only.)
- Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD (Optional: 1 TB or 2 TB at time of purchase only)
- Graphics: Paracomm ARK PRO 3, 10-core
- Sound: Six speakers and two force-cancelling woofers audio system with Dolby Atmos compatibility, 3.5mm headphone jack
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Gigabit Ethernet (integrated into external power supply, standard)
- Operating system: River 13 (codename Peace Valley)
Velocity (supercomputer family)[]
Velocity was a Paracomm project aimed at designing supercomputers that can reach operating speeds in the petaFLOPS (PFLOPS) range, with low power consumption. The technical specifications of the Velocity computer are unknown.
Cobalt (netbook family)[]
Cobalt (sometimes stylized in lowercase as cobalt) is a line of laptop and tablet computers that runs using cOS, an operating system developed by Paracomm. cOS is a lightweight, stripped-down version of River. The following are the technical specifications for the 2012 Cobalt Plus.
- CPU: Samsung Exynos 5000 @ 1.7GHz, dual-core
- Memory: 2GB DDR3L SDRAM
- Storage: 16GB eMMC
- Graphics: in-built
- Sound: dual stereo speakers, no Dolby Atmos support
- Connectivity:
- WiFi (802.11a/b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Ethernet
- Operating system: cOS v3.0 (based on River 6, codename Palo Verde Valley)
Mobile phones[]
FACADE™ One[]
The FACADE™ (retroactively referred to as the FACADE™ One, FACADE™ 1, or original FACADE™) is the first FACADE™ and the first smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm Electronics. After years of rumors and speculation, it was officially announced on August 17, 2008, and was released in the United States on December 29, 2008. Below are the technical specifications:
- CPU: Samsung S5L8900 @ 620MHz, ARM32
- Memory: 128MB
- Storage: 4/8/16GB
- Graphics: PowerVR MBX
- Sound: dual stereo loudspeakers
- Connectivity:
- WiFi (802.11b/g)
- Bluetooth 2.0
- 2G GSM
- Operating system: River Mobile 1.0, upgradable to FACADE™ OS 3.1 Service Pack 1
FACADE™ (smartphone family)[]
The FACADE™ is a line of smartphones produced by Paracomm that use Paracomm's own FACADE OS mobile operating system. The first-generation FACADE was announced by then–Paracomm CEO Kent Law on August 17, 2008. Since then, Paracomm has annually released new FACADE models and FACADE OS updates. As of November 1, 2018, more than 4.7 billion FACADE phones had been sold. Below are the technical specifications for the FACADE™ 13 Pro, released in 2024:
- CPU: Paracomm F17 Pro (3nm) @ 3.78GHz
- Memory: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB
- Graphics: Paracomm 6-core in-built graphics
- Sound:
- Supported formats include AAC, MP3, Paracomm Lossless, FLAC, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos
- Spatial Audio playback
- User‑configurable maximum volume limit
- Connectivity:
- 5G (sub‑6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO8
- Gigabit LTE with 4x4 MIMO and LAA8
- Wi‑Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip9
- NFC with reader mode
- Express Cards with power reserve
- Operating system: FACADE™ OS 14 (codename Minaret)
Audio products[]
Vinyl records[]
A phonograph record, also known as a vinyl record, or simply a record or vinyl is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the outside edge and ends near the center of the disc. The stored sound information is made audible by playing the record on a phonograph (or "gramophone", "turntable", or "record player"). From its founding in the 1940s up to 1958, Parallel Audio produced blank vinyl records for the general public, as well as recorded sound on vinyl records for businesses and major record labels.
Cassette decks[]
In 1960, Paracomm introduced the very first audio cassette to the world. From that point up to the 1990s, they manufactured and sold cassette decks, a type of tape machine for playing and recording audio cassettes that does not have a built-in power amplifier or speakers, and serves primarily as a transport. It can be a part of an automotive entertainment system, a part of a portable mini system or a part of a home component system. In the latter case it is also called a component cassette deck or just a component deck.
Speaker systems[]
From the founding of the company in the 1940s up to this day, Paracomm still manufactures speaker systems for consumers and businesses. Paracomm produces speakers with full-range drivers, subwoofers, woofers, mid-range drivers, tweeters and coaxial drivers. These drivers can be purchased seperately.
Storage mediums/accessories[]
Optical disc drives[]
Paracomm began manufacturing and selling optical disc drives in the early 1990s, a disc drive that uses laser light or electromagnetic waves within or near the visible light spectrum as part of the process of reading or writing data to or from optical discs. Some drives can only read from certain discs, but recent drives can both read and record, also called burners or writers (since they physically burn the organic dye on write-once CD-R, DVD-R and BD-R LTH discs). Compact discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types of optical media which can be read and recorded by such drives.
Flash drives[]
In 2012, Paracomm began manufacturing flash drives, a portable computer drive that uses flash memory. Flash drives are the larger memory modules consisting of a number of flash chips. A flash chip is used to read the contents of a single cell, but it can write entire block of cells. They connect to a USB port and function as a folder.
Chipsets[]
Northbridge[]
Paracomm began manufacturing northbridge chipsets, in 1976. A northbridge (also host bridge, or memory controller hub) is a microchip that comprises the core logic chipset architecture on motherboards to handle high-performance tasks, especially for older personal computers. It is connected directly to a CPU via the front-side bus (FSB), and is usually used in conjunction with a slower southbridge to manage communication between the CPU and other parts of the motherboard.
Southbridge[]
Paracomm began manufacturing southbridge chipsets, in 1978 and ended production of southbridge chipsets in 2016. The southbridge is one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on older personal computer (PC) motherboards, the other being the northbridge. As of 2023, most personal computer devices no longer use a set of two chips.
Field-programmable gate array[]
Paracomm began manufacturing FPGAs in 1989. A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a type of configurable integrated circuit that can be repeatedly programmed post manufacturing. FPGAs are a subset of logic devices referred to as programmable logic devices ("PLDs"). They consist of an array of programmable logic blocks with a connecting grid, that can be configured "in the field" to interconnect with other logic blocks to perform various digital functions. FPGAs are often used in limited (low) quantity production of custom-made products, and in research and development, where the higher cost of individual FPGAs is not as important, and where creating and manufacturing a custom circuit wouldn't be feasible. Other applications for FPGAs include the telecommunications, automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors, which benefit from their flexibility, high signal processing speed, and parallel processing abilities.
Computer components[]
Paracomm Exodus/Exodus PRO[]
Paracomm Exodus refers to a series of system on a chip (SoC) and system in a package (SiP) processors designed by Paracomm Electronics. It mainly uses the ARM architecture. They are the basis of Themida, FACADE, SmartPad, Parallel TV, GoWatch, LivePods, FindTag devices.
Paracomm ARK PRO[]
Paracomm ARK PRO is a brand of graphics processing units designed by Paracomm. These are discrete GPUs mostly marketed for the high-margin PC gaming market. The brand also covers Paracomm's consumer graphics software and services.
Software[]
River[]
River is a product line of proprietary graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Paracomm. It is grouped into families and sub-families that cater to particular sectors of the computing industry -- River Pro for a consumer or corporate workstation, River Server for a server and River IoT for an embedded system.
FACADE™ OS[]
FACADE™ OS (formerly River Mobile) is a mobile operating system developed by Paracomm Electronics, exclusively for its smartphones. It was unveiled in August of 2008 for the first-generation FACADE™, launched in December 2008.
Parallel Office[]
Parallel Office, or simply Office, is a family of client software, server software, and services developed by Paracomm. It was first announced by Kent Law on March 1, 2005, at Paracomm Ignition in Las Vegas. Initially a marketing term for an office suite (bundled set of productivity applications), the first version of Office contained Paracomm WritePad, Paracomm SheetManager, and Paracomm Presenter.
Corporate identity[]
Logo[]
In its history, Paracomm has had 3 logos. The first Paracomm logo featured the two semicircles, the right one being raised. The second Paracomm logo was a wordmark logo with an arrow going through the O. The third logo was a tilted white circle, with 2 openings at the top and bottom and a line going across it. The third logo was in use for 2 years before being switched back to the first one. The third logo was used again in 2012 and has been used ever since.
Slogan[]
Paracomm, in its lifetime, has had various slogans:
- Similar, but different. (1947-1969)
- Be what's next. (1969-1995)
- Making it all make sense. (1995-2012)
- Build back better. (2012-present)
River[]
River is a product line of proprietary graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Paracomm. It is grouped into families and sub-families that cater to particular sectors of the computing industry -- River Pro for a consumer or corporate workstation, River Server for a server and River IoT for an embedded system.
The first version of River was released on December 25, 1979, as a graphical operating system shell for Paracomm BASIC/OS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
River is the second most popular desktop operating system in the world, with a 39% market share as of March 2024.
As of 2024, the most recent version of River is River 13 for consumer PCs and tablets, River 13 Enterprise for corporations, and River Server 2024 for servers. Still supported are some editions of River 12, River Server 2018 and later.
Versions[]
Paracomm BASIC/OS 0.0x (1979)[]
BASIC/OS 0.0x is the first beta build of BASIC/OS. It was in a roughly half-complete state when compiled. An estimate of only 12 people have ever seen it, and it was never shipped.
Paracomm BASIC/OS 0.1x (1979)[]
BASIC/OS 0.1x is the first public release of BASIC/OS. It fixed an unspecified bug found in BASIC/OS 0.0, compiled shortly after version 0.0 was finished, and shipped in November 1979.
Paracomm BASIC/OS 0.2x (1979)[]
BASIC/OS 0.2x is the third release, and first general release of BASIC/OS.
Paracomm BASIC/OS 1.0 (1980)[]
BASIC/OS 1.0 is a release of BASIC/OS by Paracomm Electronics. COMMAND.BSC in this version of BASIC/OS does not ask for date and time when first started. It is the DOS kernel located on the reserved sectors that asks for the date and it cannot be skipped.
Paracomm BASIC/OS 2.0 (1981)[]
BASIC/OS 2.0 was released in June 1981 as the first general release to OEM customers other than Osgoode, so it was used by all the first clone manufacturers. Some OEMs labeled their release with different version numbers (e.g. COMPAQ), but they are all based on version 2.0.
Paracomm BASIC/OS 3.0 (1982)[]
BASIC/OS 3.0 was released in April 1982 and introduced support for subdirectories and hard drives (with capacity up 10 MB). New commands (both internal and external) were included as well, such as PRINT.
Paracomm BASIC/OS 4.0 (1983)[]
BASIC/OS 4.0 was released in September 1983. It added support for FAT16 partitions up to 32 MB, 5.25" 1.2 MB floppy disk drives and the IBM AT internal clock.
Paracomm BASIC/OS 5 (1984)[]
BASIC/OS 5 is a a version of BASIC/OS released in 1984. This is the only version of BASIC/OS to be developed primarily by Osgoode prior to the collapse of the Paracomm-Osgoode collaboration. It includes significant improvements to the user experience, such as a full screen installation wizard, and the BASIC Shell. Support for drives larger than 32 MB has been added (although already implemented in previous versions by some OEMs), allowing partitions with sizes up to the FAT16 limit of 2 GB. BASIC/OS 5 also includes EMM386, a memory manager that leverages features of the i386 processor to grant access to memory beyond the first megabyte addressable in real mode.
Themida Program Manager 1.0 (1986)[]
Themida Program Manager 1.0 is the first major release of River, which was released to manufacturing on 24 April 1986 in the United States, and later internationally in May 1986. It is a graphical shell that runs on top of BASIC/OS and provides a cooperative multitasking environment that can run applications specifically targeting TPM 1.0 itself as well as a subset of compatible BASIC/OS applications. Aside from being available as a full user environment, it also exists in a runtime variant that developers could ship with their applications. Despite lukewarm contemporary reviews, it enjoyed moderate success and was eventually succeeded by Themida Program Manager 2.0 in 1988.
Themida Program Manager 2.0 (1988)[]
Themida Program Manager 2.0 is the second major version of River, released in 1988 as a successor to TPM 1.0. User experience with a keyboard was improved by adding support for keyboard shortcuts. Built-in applications were updated to implement the Common User Access specification, which among others introduced the Alt+F4 key stroke to close a window.
Themida Program Manager 3.0 (1989)[]
Themida Program Manager 3.0 is a major release of River that was released on 10 September 1989 as the successor to TPM 2.0 and was the first truly popular version of River. It was a major improvement over TPM 2.0, featuring a completely revamped user interface with the Window Manager and File Manager, replacing the BASIC Manager in versions prior.
Themida Program Manager 4.0 (1990)[]
Themida Program Manager 4.0 is a River version following TPM 3.0 initially released on 1 August 1990. It added TrueType support and included multimedia components installed by default. System stability was greatly increased compared to TPM 3.0, while the user interface was refined and improved. It was succeeded by TPM 5.0 released in 1993.
Themida Program Manager 5.0 (1993)[]
Themida Program Manager 5.0 (codenamed Kern River Valley) is a consumer version of River released by Paracomm in 1993. It is the first consumer-oriented version of TPM to include Looker, a move which was followed by its Server equivalent Themida Program Manager PRO 4.0 in 1995. It would be replaced by River 1.0, and Paracomm ended support for TPM 5.0 on 1 January 2004.
River 1.0 (1996)[]
River 1.0 (codenamed Sanel Valley) is an operating system developed by Paracomm. It was designed as an evolution of TPM 5.0 and introduced features such as the River Driver Model, Dial-In Browser 2.2 (which included Active Desktop, River Desktop Update, and integration with Looker itself), FAT32 file system and an improved setup process. It is the first version of River to include the River Desktop Update by default, an addition which carried over to the server-based River 2K in 1997.
River 2.0 (1998)[]
River 2.0 (codenamed New Era), is an operating system developed by Paracomm which was released on 4 March 1998.
Even though it is still based on BASIC/OS, it restricted access to real mode BASIC/OS in order to cut boot times down. It introduces a number of features and enhancements, particularly geared towards multimedia such as River Media Browser 5.3, River Movie Director, Dial-In Browser 4.3 or improved support for scanners and digital cameras. The user experience has also been updated with improvements that were previously introduced in River 2K. It was replaced in September 2000 by River 3.0, the first consumer version to be based on the River CoreWorks codebase. Mainstream support for River 2.0 ended on 2 July 2005, and extended support was discontinued later on 5 September 2008.
River 3.0 (2001)[]
River 3.0 (codenamed Sierra Valley) is an operating system developed by Paracomm. It was released to manufacturing on 14 August 2001 and later made generally available on 9 September 2001. It is the first consumer version based on the River CoreWorks codebase, succeeding both the CoreWorks-based River 2K Pro and the BASIC/OS-based River 2.0. It was ultimately succeeded by River 4 in 2003 after several delays in its development although some users opted to stay with River 3.0 due to 4’s higher system requirements and initial instability.
River 4 (2003)[]
River 4 (codenamed Sacramento Valley) is a major release of River, released to manufacturing on 12 April 2003 and made generally available on 18 April 2003. Mainstream support ended on 3 August 2014, while extended support ended on 4 August 2019.
This version drops support for the IA-64 architecture and the ability to use boot disks to boot into setup, leaving only the option to boot from optical discs. The ability to upgrade an existing River installation from versions prior to River 3.0 with Service Pack 3 was also removed. CD-ROM distributions of this version could be obtained through mail for machines that don't have DVD-ROM drives.
River 5 (2005)[]
River 5 (codenamed Bridgeport Valley) is an operating system developed by Paracomm. It was released to manufacturing on 5 May 2005 and made generally available on 17 May 2005. River 5 has CoreWorks kernel version 4.5, making it a minor update to River 4. River 5 improved performance on older hardware, while also improving many areas of the Conejo user interface.
Mainstream support ended on 5 November 2017, while free extended support ended on 7 November 2020. For Professional and Enterprise users, paid extended support ended on 16 December 2022. It is the last version of River that supports processors without PAE, SSE2 and NX.
River 6 (2010)[]
River 6 (codenamed Palo Verde Valley) is an operating system developed by Paracomm. It was released to manufacturing on 5 February 2010 and was later made generally available on 19 February 2010.
It was one of the most short-lived releases, with support ending on 14 January 2014; more than two years after the release of River 7.
The operating system now requires a processor that supports the Physical Address Extension (although 32-bit client editions cannot make full use of it due to being arbitratrily limited to 4 gigabytes of usable memory), the NX/XD bit and the SSE2 instruction set. It is also the first client version of River to support ARM devices via River MC (Mobile Core).
River 7 (2012)[]
River 7 is an operating system by Paracomm. It is a free upgrade for all River 6 users. Mainstream support ended on 22 October 2021, while extended support ended on 5 November 2025, one year after the release of River 13. River 6 users were given the option to upgrade to River 7 in order to receive support within 2 years since its release.
It is the last release of River to have support for River Media Browser as Paracomm discontinued support for the application with the release of River X. It is also the last release of River to have the ability to create BASIC/OS startup disks, and thus to include BASIC/OS in any form and to ship with a DVD release at retail, since physical retail copies of River X and later ship with a USB flash drive (although some OEMs still shipped some versions of River X on DVD).
River X (2016)[]
River X is a series of River operating systems, first introduced in January 2016 after being announced in June 2015. In July 2024, Paracomm announced that River X 2024 Update would be the last version of River X as the series will reach end of support on 2 June 2026.
A new release model called River as a service was introduced with smaller and regular feature updates, as opposed to releasing a major version of River every few years. Usually, these updates are a new build of the operating system, although in a few cases Paracomm released feature updates consisting of a limited set of new functionality using the regular cumulative update infrastructure. From 2018 to 2022, feature updates were released twice in a year, with the first feature update being released in spring and the other in fall. The schedule was realigned in 2022 in that feature updates for River X would be released annually in order to be consistent with River 13's new release cadence.
The River Insider Program was also introduced with River X, which boosted the company's engagement with beta testers as well as distributed new pre-release builds more frequently than the prior beta testing initiatives. This also greatly cut down the number of leaks from within the company, which in the past bothered the company due to legal complications of contracted features becoming available earlier than anticipated.
The River X series is the last to run on 32-bit x86 systems, as support for these has been ultimately removed with the original release of River 13. It is also the last to support the legacy PC/AT BIOS firmware even on 64-bit systems as River 13 now requires UEFI firmware with Secure Boot support, which has been a part of Paracomm requirements for newly designed devices since River 6.
River 13 (2024)[]
River 13 is a series of Paracomm River operating systems that succeeded the River X series in 2024.
The series is notable for dropping support for 32-bit x86 systems and keeping only AMD64 and ARM64 target platforms, although 32-bit user applications are still supported via RVR64. The system requirements have also been increased in a controversial move that left many older systems that fully support River X ineligible for the free upgrade. A system with 64-bit UEFI firmware that supports the Secure Boot specification and includes a Trusted Platform Module is now required, dropping support for the legacy PC/AT BIOS firmware. River 13 also bumps up the official processor requirements significantly, only supporting CPUs from Intel Coffee Lake and AMD Zen+ families and newer – the first time that CPU support has been defined by model rather than available features.
Major user interface changes have been introduced with River 13, including an updated taskbar with centered icons by default, a redesigned Start menu with a simple grid of pinned and recommended applications instead of Live Tiles and the new Widgets panel which features a set of customizable user widgets, comparable to the macOS Dashboard. The Espresso Design System has been refreshed with the addition of the new Holcomb material – an opaque, dynamic transparency effect whose tint is based on the active theme and desktop wallpaper, intended to be used for app background areas. Many built-in applications were redesigned around the updated design guidelines, including Looker, WritePad, Draw, Settings and Screenshot Tool.
FACADE™ OS[]
FACADE™ OS is a series of mobile operating systems developed by Paracomm for their mobile device platforms (FACADE and StudioPad). It was formerly called FACADE™ Operating System and introduced alongside the 1st generation FACADE™. The name stayed until the release of the StudioPad in early 2012 when Paracomm rebranded it to FACADE™ OS. In 2019, Paracomm began to use the StudiOS moniker to brand the version of the operating system used on StudioPad devices.
FACADE™ OS is based on the codebase of River and shares the same kernel, filesystem, and binary formats. The userland of FACADE™ OS is like that of River, but with a mobile-friendly design that is touchscreen and content-centric. It lacks direct access to the filesystem and is unable to run arbitrary code by default. The only distribution method for software officially allowed on FACADE™ OS is the built-in Program Gallery.
The userland consists of a home screen that manages the user's applications. Many applications from River exist in FACADE™ OS and vice-versa.
Since the release of FACADE™ OS 10 in 2019, FACADE™ OS has only been compiled for 64-bit ARM-based processors.
No official emulator that can run the retail version of FACADE™ OS exists. However, Paracomm provides the FACADE™ OS Simulator with CodeWorks (not to be confused with CoreWorks, the kernel for River 3.0 and up), which runs a modified build of FACADE™ OS with output in a dedicated window. Unofficial emulators can emulate FACADE™ OS to an extent.
Versions[]
River Mobile 1.0 (2008)[]
River Mobile 1.0 is the first major release of River Mobile, Paracomm's mobile operating system. It was succeeded by River Mobile 2.0 on May 18, 2009.
River Mobile 2.0 (2009)[]
River Mobile 2.0 is the second major release of the River Mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to River Mobile 1.0. It was the first version of River Mobile to support third-party applications via the Program Gallery. River Mobile 2.1.3 is the final version of River Mobile 2.0. It was succeeded by River Mobile 3.0 on July 14, 2010.
River Mobile became available on May 18, 2009 with the release of the FACADE 2. FACADE phones running River Mobile 1.0 are upgradable to this version. This version of River Mobile introduces the Program Gallery, making third-party applications officially available to the FACADE. Prior to the public release of River Mobile 2.0, Paracomm held a keynote event to announce the River Mobile Software Development Kit ("SDK") to developers.
River Mobile 3.0 (2010)[]
River Mobile 3.0 is the third major release of the River Mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, succeeding River Mobile 3.0. It was announced on April 8, 2010, and was released on July 14, 2010. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 4 on April 15, 2011, dropping the "River Mobile" naming convention. River Mobile 3.0 added a system-wide "cut, copy, and paste" feature, allowing users to more easily move content. It also introduced Spotlight, a search indexing feature designed to help users locate specific information on their device, such as contacts, email messages or apps. The home screen was expanded to let users add up to 11 pages, showcasing a total of 180 apps. The Messages app received support for MMS, while the Camera app received support for video recording on the FACADE 2C, and a new "Voice Memos" app let users record their voice. In-app purchase capability was added to third-party applications as well.
River Mobile 3.0 is the last version of River Mobile that supports the first-generation FACADE as its successor, FACADE OS 4, drops support for both models.
FACADE OS 4 (2011)[]
FACADE OS 4 is the fourth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to River Mobile 3.0. It was announced at the Paracomm Indirecta Event on March 23, 2011, and released on April 15, 2011. FACADE OS 4 was the first version branded as " FACADE OS" rather than "River Mobile". It was succeeded by FACADE OS 5 on April 27, 2012.
FACADE OS 4 introduced many features that have since become commonplace, such as folders on the home screen, significantly increasing the number of apps that can be displayed. Support for custom wallpapers on the FACADE was also added, although limited to newer devices due to animation performance requirements. The operating system also added a multitasking feature, letting apps dealing with Internet calling, location and audio playback function in the background, whereas a similar but more restricted "Fast App Switching" technology enabled any app to be left inactive in the background while users switch to other apps. FACADE OS 4 also added a system-wide spell checking feature, unified the Mail inbox to combine content from different email providers, and introduced both Game Center for social gaming and CloudTalk for video calling.
FACADE OS 5 (2012)[]
FACADE OS 5 is the fifth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to FACADE OS 4. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on February 1, 2012, and was released on April 27, 2012. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 6 on August 22, 2013.
FACADE OS 5 revamped notifications, adding temporary banners that appear at the top of the screen and introducing the Notification Center, a central location for all recent notifications. FACADE 5 also added AirSync, Paracomm's cloud storage service for synchronization of content and data across AirSync-enabled devices. For the first time, software updates could be installed wirelessly, without requiring a computer. FACADE OS 5 also featured deep integration with Twitter, introduced multitasking gestures on StudioPads, and added an easily accessible camera shortcut from the lock screen.
FACADE OS 6 (2013)[]
FACADE OS 6 is the sixth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to FACADE OS 5. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on March 20, 2013, and was released on August 22, 2013. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 7 on March 24, 2014.
FACADE OS 6 introduced a new Paracomm Maps app, which replaced Google Maps as the default mapping service for the operating system; a dedicated Podcasts app, as a central location for podcasts; and a Passbook app, for managing different types of tickets, boarding passes, coupons, and loyalty cards. The Program Gallery received a visual overhaul, featuring a card-based app layout and improved search algorithms. Facebook integration was added to the operating system, allowing status messages, like buttons, and contact and event synchronization with several of Paracomm's apps. New privacy controls gave users more fine-grained app permissions, as well as an option to prevent targeted advertising. Nexus was expanded to more devices and updated with more functionality, such as the ability to make restaurant reservations, launch apps, retrieve movie reviews and sports statistics, and read items from the Notification Center. FACADE OS 6 also added LTE support for more carriers, the ability to purchase movie tickets through Fandango with Nexus (USA only), a new button to reset the Advertising Identifier, and improvements to Maps in Japan. Additionally, FACADE OS 6 improved the Photos and Camera apps, allowing users to share photos with AirSync Photo Stream, add filters to their camera shots, and take panoramic photos. The Phone app also received some enhancements, such as the option to reply with a message or set a callback reminder when declining a call, and the ability to enable a Do Not Disturb mode.
FACADE OS 7 (2014)[]
FACADE OS 7 is the seventh major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to FACADE OS 6. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on February 27, 2014, and was released on March 24, 2014. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 8 on July 28, 2015.
FACADE OS 7 introduced a completely redesigned user interface. The new design was implemented throughout the operating system, including the Notification Center, which was updated with three tabs offering different views of information; notifications visible on the lock screen; a redesigned Nexus voice assistant offering visual indicators; and a Control Center offering easy access to the most commonly used features. FACADE OS 7 also introduced AirSync Drop, a wireless sharing technology and automatic app updates in the Program Gallery. FACADE OS 7 was the first version of FACADE OS to support 64-bit apps and processors.
FACADE OS 8 (2015)[]
FACADE OS 8 is the eighth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc., being the successor to FACADE OS 7. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on May 5, 2015, and was released on July 28, 2015. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 9 on November 2, 2016.
FACADE OS 8 incorporated significant changes to the operating system. It introduced a programming interface for communication between apps, and "Continuity", a cross-platform (Themida, FACADE, and StudioPad) system that enables communication between devices in different product categories, such as the ability to answer calls and reply to SMS on the Mac and iPad. Continuity includes a "Handoff" feature that lets users start a task on one device and continue on another. Other changes included a new Spotlight Suggestions search results feature that provides more detailed results, Family Sharing, where a family can link together their accounts to share content, with one parent as the administrator with permission controls, an updated keyboard with QuickType, providing contextual predictive word suggestions and Extensibility, which allows for easier sharing of content between apps. Third-party developers got additional features to integrate their apps deeper into the operating system, including support for widgets in the Notification Center, and the ability to make keyboards that users can replace the default FACADE OS keyboard with.
App updates in the release included the new Health app, which can aggregate data from different fitness apps, as well as enabling a Medical ID accessible on the lock screen for emergencies, support for AirSync Photo Library in the Photos app, which enables photos to be synchronized and stored in the cloud, and AirSync Drive, which lets users store files in the cloud and browse them across devices. In FACADE OS 8.2, Paracomm updated its Music app with a streaming service called Parallel Music, and a 24-hour radio station called WKRK-RV (RV standing for RadioVision, a patented technology by Paracomm that allows the same frequency to be divided into radio and television broadcasting).
FACADE OS 9 (2016)[]
FACADE OS is the ninth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to FACADE OS 8. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on March 28, 2016, and was released on November 2, 2016. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 10 on November 21, 2017.
FACADE OS 9 incorporated many feature updates to built-in apps. Most notably, Notes received the ability to draw sketches with different tools, image insertion, prominent visual appearance for website links and map locations, and advanced list formatting; an all-new Paracomm News app aggregates articles from different sources; and Paracomm Maps received mass transit support, although in a limited number of locations at launch. Major new system updates include proactivity, where Nexus and advanced search are combined to make the operating system more contextually aware of information (such as time and location), and can provide the user with information ahead of time. For searching, the proactive intelligence can display instant results in a widget-like format, including weather, sports, news, and more. FACADE OS 9 also added multiple forms of multitasking to the StudioPad. In FACADE OS 9.6, Paracomm added a Night Shift mode that changes the color of the device's display to a warmer, less "blue light" containing shade, to reduce any negative eye health effects on users' circadian rhythms. Additionally, FACADE OS 9 brought new user experience functions, including Quick Actions, and Peek and Pop, based on the touch-sensitive display technology in the FACADE 6L. Quick Actions are shortcuts on home screen app icons. Users can preview ("Peek") at content without moving away from the current screen before they enter ("Pop") the previewed content into full view.
FACADE OS 10 (2017)[]
FACADE OS 10 is the tenth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to FACADE OS 9. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on April 6, 2017, and was released on November 21, 2017, that year. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 11 on December 24, 2018.
FACADE OS 10 incorporates changes to 3D Touch and the lock screen. There are new features to some apps: Maps has a redesigned interface and additional third-party functions, the Home app manages "HomeKit"-enabled accessories, Photos has algorithmic search and categorization of media known as "Memories", and Nexus is compatible with third-party app-specific requests, such as starting workouts apps, sending IMs, using Lyft or Uber or to use payment functions. In FACADE OS 10.7, Paracomm introduced its new file system, exHCFS (Extensive High-Capacity File System).
FACADE OS 11 (2018)[]
FACADE OS 11 is the eleventh major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm, being the successor to FACADE OS 10. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on November 6, 2018, and was released on December 24, 2018. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 12 on May 31, 2019.
The lock screen and Notification Center were combined, allowing all notifications to be displayed directly on the lock screen. The control center was completely redesigned, combining all pages into a single unified page. It also brought the ability to rearrange the position of the controls, some of which could be used with 3D Touch for quick access to additional options. The Program Gallery received its first major design overhaul since FACADE OS 7 to focus on editorial content and daily highlights. A "Files" file manager app allowed access to files stored locally on-device and in AirSync and other cloud services. With this addition, users could also for the first time save files downloaded using RiverSearch right on their FACADE without any third-party apps. Nexus was updated to translate between languages and use a privacy-minded "on-device learning" technique to better understand a user's interests and offer suggestions. The camera introduced new settings for improved portrait-mode photos and utilized new encoding technologies to reduce file sizes on newer devices. In a later release of FACADE OS 11, Messages was integrated with AirSync to better synchronize messages across FACADE OS and River devices. A previous point release also added support for person-to-person Parallel Pay payments. FACADE OS 11 introduced the ability to record the screen, which could be enabled by adding it to the control center in Settings. It also introduced rudimentary forms of drag-and-drop functionality. Support for augmented reality was also added, allowing users to "place" virtual objects in the real world and interact with them using their FACADE.
FACADE OS 12 (2019)[]
FACADE OS 12 is the twelfth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm. Aesthetically similar to its predecessor, FACADE OS 11, it focuses more on performance than on new features, quality improvements and security updates. Announced at the company's Indirecta event on February 20, 2019, FACADE OS 12 was released to the public on May 31, 2019.
Performance optimizations were made in order to speed up common tasks across all supported FACADE OS devices. Tests done by Paracomm on a FACADE 6 showed apps launching 40% faster, the system keyboard activating 50% faster, and the camera opening 70% faster compared to FACADE OS 11.
FACADE OS 13 (2020)[]
FACADE OS 13 is the thirteenth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on June 25, 2020, and released on October 5, 2020. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 14, released on August 11, 2021.
As of FACADE OS 13, the StudioPad lines run a separate operating system, derived from FACADE OS, named StudiOS. Both StudiOS 13 and FACADE OS 13 drop support for devices with less than 2 GB of RAM.
FACADE OS 13 changes the handling of location data. When an app requests access to location, the user chooses whether to grant access whenever they are using the app, never, or only once. The user will receive similar prompts for background location access, and when an app requests access to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (which may also be used for non-consensual location tracking).
A system-wide dark mode allows users to enable a light-on-dark color scheme for the entire FACADE OS and StudiOS user interface, all native applications, and supported third-party apps. It can be manually turned on or set to automatically switch between light and dark modes based on the time of day. The volume indicator was redesigned, replacing the larger, centered overlay with a slimmer bar shown vertically near the volume keys in portrait orientation, or at the top in landscape. The bar can also be manipulated directly. The card UI elements from Parallel Music, Parallel Podcasts, and Parallel Books has been implemented system-wide, being an option for third-parties to use in their apps.
Nexus now uses a software-generated voice called "Neural TTS", intended to sound more natural than previous versions that use clips of human voices. Nexus also became more functional and new sound control is available. The Nexus Shortcuts app is installed by default. It is also possible for Nexus to automatically read incoming messages aloud on LivePods.
FACADE OS 14 (2021)[]
FACADE OS 14 is the fourteenth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm for the FACADE smartphone line. Announced at the company's Indirecta event on April 6, 2021 as the successor to FACADE OS 13, it was released to the public on August 11, 2021. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 15 on November 15, 2022.
App Clips are a new feature expanding on the functionality of the Program Gallery. Intended as a dynamic feature rather than a permanently installed app, App Clips are extremely pared-back with very few OS permissions. At the time of the announcement, only the use of Paracomm Pay and Sign in with Apple were shown. App Clips may be discovered in person via NFC tags (iPhone 7 or newer) or QR codes with App Clips branding. They may also be shared via Messages, or placed on websites or Maps.
A series of changes were made in FACADE OS 14 to reduce the visual space taken by previously full-screen interfaces; such interfaces now appear and hover in front of an app, allowing for touch (and therefore multitasking) on the app behind. Voice calling interfaces, including Phone, or other third-party apps such as Skype, are made substantially thinner, taking approximately as much space as a notification. Nexus' interface is now also compact. Picture-in-picture allows users to continue watching video playback or video calls in a thumbnail-sized view after leaving the app. This view may be resized with pinch gestures, or moved off-screen temporarily and re-summoned for multitasking. Picture-in-picture is currently supported by RiverSearch, along with several third-party apps, including Disney+, ESPN, Max, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. This feature was not available in the YouTube app at launch; Google subsequently announced that picture-in-picture would be supported on YouTube in a forthcoming update, but only for subscribers to YouTube Premium.
FACADE OS 15 (2022)[]
FACADE OS 15 is the fifteenth major release of the FACADE OS mobile operating system developed by Paracomm for its FACADE smartphone line. It was announced at the company's Indirecta event on October 28, 2022, as the successor to FACADE OS 14 and released to the public on November 15, 2022.
Replacing the dedicated Do Not Disturb feature introduced in FACADE OS 6, Focus is a new feature that allows a user to change their "state", such as Work, Sleep, Do Not Disturb or a custom focus. Based on the selected state, users can set the type of notification they want to receive and from which application. It is also possible to choose which pages and then apps to show on the Home based on the state. The state can change automatically based on where the user is or a time. Focus also controls the interactions with Contacts, so it is possible to decide which specific contacts can "disturb" the user. Some Lock Screen settings can be controlled based on the state: for example, the Dim Lock Screen feature, which darkens the lock screen from not showing notifications on that screen, can be automatically turned on or off based on the state. Focus is synchronized automatically across different FACADE OS, StudiOS, and River devices on the same AirSync account.
Notifications receive a new look with contact photos for all communication apps and larger app icons. When the notification arrives, the user can mute the corresponding app for one hour or all day. The Summary allows the user to group and postpone the notifications coming from the chosen apps, delivering them at a scheduled time in a single big notification called summary notification.
FACADE OS 16 (2023)[]
FACADE OS 16 is the sixteenth major release of Paracomm's FACADE OS mobile operating system for the FACADE. It is the successor of FACADE OS 15, and was announced at the company's Indirecta event on January 2, 2023, alongside StudiOS 16, and released on November 22, 2023. It was succeeded by FACADE OS 17 on August 27, 2024.
In FACADE OS 16.4, the default setting for AirSync Drop is "Contacts Only”, and the "Everyone" setting was changed to "Everyone for 10 Minutes,” which reverts to "Contacts Only" after 10 minutes "to prevent unwanted requests to receive content.” This was enabled in FACADE OS 16.4.1 for FACADE phones in China.
The lock screen's appearance is customizable and can host Widgets. The font and text color for the date and time can be customized to 8 presets and color effects can be applied to the entire lock screen. The date is now above the time and a small widget can be added next to the date. Other widgets can be added and arranged horizontally on the third row, below the time. Multiple lock screens can be set up. Live wallpapers have been removed because of the new tap and hold gesture that would allow users to customize their lock screen. The lock screen also supports landscape mode, arranging elements horizontally instead of vertically when the phone orientation is horizontal. When listening to podcasts and music, tapping the album cover will cause the cover to appear full-sized in the center of the lock screen with a color-matched background.
FACADE OS 17 (2024)[]
FACADE OS 17 is the seventeenth and current major release of Paracomm's FACADE OS operating system for the FACADE. It is the direct successor to FACADE OS 16, which was released one year earlier. It was announced on January 1, 2024, at Paracomm's annual Indirecta event, alongside StudiOS 17, and River 13. It was made publicly available on August 27, 2024, as a free software update for supported FACADE OS devices. FACADE OS 17 has received security and bug-fix updates multiple times a month, and feature updates every few months. Beta builds are sent weekly or biweekly to members of the Paracomm Developer Program and public beta testers. As with every release since FACADE OS 4, these updates are free to users.
Changes in FACADE OS 17:[]
- Home and Lock screens widgets are now interactive. For example, a user can turn on lights or open shutters of a house by pressing the corresponding button of the Home widget, mark a task complete by pressing directly on a reminder in the widget, etc.
- Spotlight search now allows users to change system settings directly from the search results. For example, if a user searches for "wifi" from the Home Screen, the switch to turn the Wi-Fi off or on appears in the search results.
- Other changes:
- The brightness of the wallpaper image changes depending on the dark or light mode.
- Resized photos are automatically extended to the top with a gradient that fills the missing space.
- Live wallpapers return after being removed from FACADE OS 16, though they must now be selected separately from other photos and only animate when the phone is turned on.
FACADE™ devices[]
The FACADE™ is a line of smartphones produced by Paracomm that use Paracomm's own FACADE OS mobile operating system. The first-generation FACADE was announced by then–Paracomm CEO Kent Law on August 17, 2008. Since then, Paracomm has annually released new FACADE models and FACADE OS updates. As of November 1, 2018, more than 4.7 billion FACADE phones had been sold.
The FACADDE was the first mobile phone to use multi-touch technology. Since the FACADE's launch, it has gained larger screen sizes, video-recording, waterproofing, and many accessibility features. Up to the FACADE 8 and 8 Plus, FACADE phones had a single button on the front panel, with the FACADE 5F and later integrating a Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Since the FACADE X, FACADE models have switched to a nearly bezel-less front screen design with Face ID facial recognition, and app switching activated by gestures. Touch ID is still used for the budget FACADE LE (Light Edition) series.
The FACADE is one of the three largest smartphone platforms in the world alongside Android and iOS, and is a large part of the luxury market. The FACADE has generated large profits for Paracomm, making it one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies. The first-generation FACADE was described as a "revolution" for the mobile phone industry and subsequent models have also garnered praise. The FACADE has been credited with popularizing the smartphone and slate form factor, and with creating a large market for smartphone apps, or "app economy". As of January 2017, Paracomm's Program Gallery contained more than 5.9 million applications for the FACADE.
FACADE One[]
The FACADE (retroactively referred to as the FACADE One, FACADE 1, or original FACADE) is the first FACADE model and the first smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm Electronics.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Samsung S5L8900 @ 620MHz, ARM32
- Memory: 128MB
- Storage: 4/8/16GB
- Graphics: PowerVR MBX
- Sound: dual stereo loudspeakers
- Connectivity:
- WiFi (802.11b/g)
- Bluetooth 2.0
- GSM
- USB 2.0
- Operating system: River Mobile 1.0, upgradable to River Mobile 3.1 Service Pack 1
FACADE 2[]
The FACADE 2 is a smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm Electronics. It is the second generation of FACADE, successor to the original FACADE, and was introduced on December 24th, 2009, at the Indirecta 2009 event which took place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
The FACADE 2 is internally similar to its predecessor, but included several new hardware features, such as GPS, 3G data and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA. The device was originally loaded with the concurrently launched River Mobile 2.0. In addition to other features (including push email and turn-by-turn navigation), this new operating system introduced the Program Gallery—Paracomm's new distribution platform for third-party applications.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Samsung @ 620 MHz, ARM11, 32-bit
- Memory: 128MB
- Storage: 8/16GB
- Graphics: PowerVR MBX
- Sound: dual stereo loudspeakers
- Connectivity:
- WiFi (802.11b/g)
- Bluetooth 2.0, A2DP (headset support only)
- GSM / HSPA
- GPS, A-GPS
- USB 2.0
- Operating system: River Mobile 2.0, upgradable to FACADE OS 4.2
FACADE 2S[]
The FACADE 2S, stylised as FACADE 2🅂 is a smartphone that was designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm Electronics. It is the third generation iPhone and the successor to the iPhone 3G. It was unveiled on October 1, 2010 at the Indirecta 2010 event which took place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
This FACADE is named "2S" where "S" stood for Speed. Improvements include performance, a 3-megapixel camera with higher resolution and video ability, voice control, and support for 7.2 Mbit/s HSDPA downloading (but remains limited to 384 kbps uploading as Paracomm had not implemented the HSUPA protocol). It was released in the United States, Canada, and six European countries on November 1, 2010, in Australia and Japan on November 12, and internationally in November and December 2010.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Samsung @ 620 MHz, ARM11, 32-bit
- Memory: 128MB
- Storage: 8/16GB
- Graphics: PowerVR MBX
- Sound: dual stereo loudspeakers
- Connectivity:
- WiFi (802.11b/g)
- Bluetooth 2.0, A2DP (headset support only)
- GSM / HSPA
- GPS, A-GPS
- USB 2.0
- Operating system: River Mobile 3.0, upgradable to FACADE OS 6.8
FACADE 3[]
The FACADE 3 is a smartphone that was designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm. It is the fourth generation of the FACADE lineup, succeeding the FACADE 2S and preceding the FACADE 3N. Following a number of notable leaks, the FACADE 3 was first unveiled on November 1, 2011, at Paracomm's Indirecta event in San Francisco, and was released on December 1, 2011, in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan. The FACADE 3 introduced a new hardware design to the FACADE family, which Paracomm's CEO Kent Law touted as the thinnest smartphone in the world at the time; it consisted of a stainless steel frame which doubled as an antenna, with internal components situated between two panels of aluminosilicate glass. The FACADE 3 introduced Paracomm's new high-resolution "IRIS Display" (with a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch), while maintaining the same physical size and aspect ratio as its precursors, Paracomm's exMobile system-on-chip (later to become the F-series), along with FACADE OS 4—which notably introduced multitasking functionality and app folders. It was the first FACADE at the time to include a front-facing camera. It was the first to be released in a version for CDMA networks, ending AT&T's period as the exclusive carrier of FACADE products in the United States.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Paracomm exMobile T4G6F1X @ 1.0GHz
- Memory: 512MB
- Storage: 8/16/32GB
- Graphics: PowerVR SGX535
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
- Bluetooth 2.1, A2DP
- GSM / HSPA
- GPS, A-GPS
- USB 2.0
- Operating system: FACADE OS 4, upgradable to FACADE OS 7.5
FACADE 3N[]
The FACADE 3N is a smartphone that was designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm. It is the fifth generation of the FACADE, succeeding the FACADE 3 and preceding the FACADE 4. It was announced on August 1, 2012, at Paracomm's Toronto campus, and was the final Paracomm product announced in the lifetime of former Paracomm CEO and co-founder Kent Law, who died the following day.
Orders could be placed on September 1, 2012, and mainstream availability in retail stores began on September 14, 2012, in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Japan. Sales peaked over its predecessor with more than a million sales in the first twenty-four hours of order availability and more than four million sales in the first four days of retail availability. Further worldwide rollout, including 22 additional countries on September 23, came during the next several months.
This FACADE was named "3N" where the "N" stood for Nexus, an intelligent personal assistant that was initially exclusive to the 3N and later included in future Paracomm products. Retaining most of the external design of the FACADE 3, the 3N hosted major internal upgrades, including an upgrade to the Paracomm exMobile chipset, and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recording. It debuted with FACADE OS 5, the fifth major version of FACADE OS, Paracomm's mobile operating system, that introduced features including AirSync, Notification Center, Reminders, and Twitter integration.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Paracomm exMobile 2 @ 1.0GHz, dual-core
- Memory: 512MB
- Storage: 8/16/32/64GB
- Graphics: PowerVR SGX543MP2
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
- Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP, LE
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO
- USB 2.0
- Operating system: FACADE OS 5, upgradable to FACADE OS 9.4
FACADE 4[]
The FACADE 4 is a smartphone that was designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm. It is the 6th generation FACADE, succeeding the FACADE 3N, and preceding both the FACADE 4L and 5. It was formally unveiled as part of a press event on January 3, 2012, and subsequently released on September 18, 2013. The FACADE 4's design was used three times, first with the FACADE 4 itself in 2013, then with the 4L in 2014, and finally with the FACADE 5 in 2015.
The FACADE 4 featured major design changes in comparison to its predecessor. These included an aluminum-based body which was thinner and lighter than previous models, a taller 4-inch screen with a nearly 16:9 aspect ratio, the Paracomm F3 system-on-chip, LTE support, and Thunder, a new compact dock connector which replaced the 30-pin design used by previous FACADE models. The old connector was also used by older iPhones. This was the second Paracomm phone to include its new Sony-made 8 MP camera, which was first introduced on the FACADE 3N.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Paracomm F3 @ 1.3GHz, dual-core
- Memory: 1GB
- Storage: 16/32/64GB
- Graphics: PowerVR SGX543MP4 (triple-core graphics)
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, hotspot
- Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP, LE
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
- Thunder, USB 2.0
- Operating system: FACADE OS 6, upgradable to FACADE 10.1
FACADE 4L[]
The FACADE 4L is a smartphone that was designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm. It is part of the sixth generation of the FACADE. The device was unveiled on September 10, 2013, and released on September 20, 2013, along with its higher-end counterpart, the FACADE 4. The "L" in the FACADE 4L's name stands for Light.
The FACADE 4L is a variant of the FACADE 4, with similar hardware specifications but a hard-coated polycarbonate shell instead of the aluminum of the original FACADE 4. The FACADE 4L was available in several color options and shipped with FACADE OS 6. The device was released at a lower price point than the new flagship 4; unlike Paracomm's usual practice of lowering the price of the previous model upon release of a new version, the FACADE 4 was explicitly discontinued and replaced by the 4L in mid-2014. On September 9, 2014, the 16 and 32 GB FACADE 4L models were replaced by the 8 GB model upon the announcement of the FACADE 5 and 5P. On September 9, 2015, the 8 GB version was discontinued in all markets except for India, where it continued to be available until February 17, 2016.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Paracomm F3 @ 1.3GHz, dual-core
- Memory: 1GB
- Storage: 8/16/32GB
- Graphics: PowerVR SGX543MP3 (triple-core graphics)
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
- Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP, LE
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE
- GPS, GLONASS
- Thunder, USB 2.0
- Operating system: FACADE OS 6, upgradable to FACADE OS 10.1
FACADE 5[]
The FACADE 5 and FACADE 5P (5 Professional) are smartphones that were designed, developed, and marketed by Paracomm. They are the seventh generation of the FACADE, succeeding the FACADE 4 and FACADE 4L, and were announced on September 1, 2014, and released on September 19, 2014. The FACADE 5 and FACADE 5P jointly were themselves replaced as the flagship devices of the FACADE series by the FACADE 5L and FACADE 5LP on September 1, 2015. The FACADE 5 and FACADE 5P include larger 4.7 and 5.5 inches (120 and 140 mm) displays, a faster processor, upgraded cameras, improved LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity and support for a near-field communications-based mobile payments offering.
The FACADE 5 and 5P received positive reviews, with critics regarding their redesign, specifications, camera, and battery life as being improvements over previous FACADE models. However, aspects of the design of FACADE 5 were also criticized, including plastic strips on the rear of the device for its antenna that disrupted the otherwise metal exterior, and the screen resolution of the standard-sized FACADE 5 being lower than other devices in its class. The FACADE 5 sold extremely well, making it the best-selling FACADE model and the most successful smartphone to date.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Paracomm F5 @ 1.4GHz, dual-core
- Memory: 1GB
- Storage: 16/32/64/128GB
- Graphics: PowerVR GX6450 (quad-core graphics)
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
- Bluetooth 4.0, A2DP, LE
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
- GPS, GLONASS
- NFC (Paracomm Pay only)
- Thunder, USB 2.0
- Operating system: FACADE OS 7, upgradable to FACADE OS 12.4
FACADE 6[]
The FACADE 6 and FACADE 6P are smartphones that were designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the tenth generation of the iPhone. They were announced on September 7, 2016, at Paracomm Campus 2 in Santa Ana, California, and were released on September 24, 2015, succeeding the FACADE 5 and FACADE 5L as the flagship devices in the FACADE series. Paracomm also released the FACADE 6 and FACADE 6L in numerous countries worldwide throughout September and October 2016. They were succeeded as flagship devices by the FACADE 7 and FACADE 7L on September 5, 2016, and were discontinued with the announcement of the FACADE X and FACADE XL on September 24, 2018.
The FACADE 6's overall design is similar to the FACADE 5 and FACADE 5L. Changes introduced included new color options (Matte Black and Jet Black), water and dust resistance, a new capacitive, static home button, revised antenna bands, and the controversial removal of the 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device's internal hardware received upgrades, including a heterogeneous quad-core system-on-chip with improved system and graphics performance, upgraded 12 megapixel rear-facing cameras with optical image stabilization on all models, and an additional telephoto lens exclusive to the FACADE 5L to provide enhanced (2x) optical zoom capabilities and portrait mode. The front camera is the first in the series with 1080p (Full HD) video resolution. The FACADE 5 and 5L were supported from FACADE OS 10 to FACADE OS 13.3.
The FACADE 6 and 6L were the last FACADE phones using quad-core CPU, as well as aluminum unibody design without wireless charge and using 32 GB of internal storage.
The FACADE 6 and 6L were the only FACADE phones to have jet black color finish.
Specifications[]
- CPU: Paracomm F6 @ 2.34GHz, quad-core
- Memory: 2GB
- Storage: 32/128/256GB
- Graphics: PowerVR (Series 7XT) GT7600 Plus
- Connectivity:
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
- Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
- NFC
- Thunder, USB 2.0
- Operating system: FACADE OS 10, upgradeable to FACADE OS 13.3
Headquarters[]
Paracomm Campus 3, also known as the Tower of Power, is the corporate headquarters of Paracomm Electronics, located in San Francisco, California, United States. It was opened to employees in May 2019, while construction was still underway, and superseded Paracomm Campus 1 & 2 as the company's corporate headquarters, which opened in 1974.
Construction began in 2013 and was completed in 2021 with the official opening in 2022. It is the world's tallest structure. With a total height of It is the world's tallest structure. With a total height of 1653.9 m (5 426.1 ft, or just over a mile), Paracomm Campus 3 has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2021, surpassing the Burj Khalifa, the previous holder of that status.
Unfortunately, the campus fell in 2026 after a series of cascading issues with support and fires.
Floor plan[]
Floor B - basement level, underground parking lot[]
Underground parking lot with designated areas for employee, visitor, and electric vehicle parking. Includes charging stations for electric vehicles and access points for secure bicycle storage.
Floor 1/A - surface area, topside parking centre[]
Surface area parking center offering additional visitor and overflow parking options. Features a valet service or self-service parking kiosks.
Floor 1/B - maintenance centre []
Building maintenance offices and control center, housing staff for building operations, security, and janitorial services. Includes workshops for minor repairs and maintenance tasks.
Floors 2-15 - internal affairs, recordkeeping[]
Internal affairs department, responsible for employee records, payroll processing, and benefits administration. It also houses security offices dedicated to building security and access control.
Floors 16-45 - auditoriums, conference rooms[]
Conference rooms of various sizes to accommodate smaller meetings, team collaborations, and client presentations. Includes dedicated video conferencing facilities for remote participants.
Floors 46-80 - data centre, classification level 1 (public access)[]
Public data centre. Houses publicly available information and archives. Includes visitor galleries showcasing Paracomm's technological innovations.
Floors 81-125 - data centre, classification level 2 (restricted access)[]
Restricted access data centre. Stores sensitive company data and internal applications. Access is restricted to authorized personnel with proper security clearance.
Floors 126-150 - data center, classification level 3 (executive access)[]
Confidential data centre. Houses highly confidential information and mission-critical systems. Access is strictly limited to senior executives and IT security personnel.
Floors 151-200 - engineering[]
Engineering department, dedicated to developing cutting-edge hardware and technological solutions. Features laboratories, prototyping workshops, and testing facilities.
Floors 201-215 - software development[]
Software development department, responsible for creating and maintaining Paracomm's software applications and operating systems. Features open-plan workspaces, collaboration areas, and relaxation zones to foster creativity and innovation.
Floors 216-245 - XDR Corporation satellite offices[]
Rented office space occupied by XDR Corporation, a satellite office for their regional operations.
Floors 246-270 - relaxation areas[]
Relaxation areas designed to promote employee well-being and offer a break from the work environment. Includes fitness centers, yoga studios, nap pods, and relaxation lounges with comfortable seating and calming nature themes.
Floors 271-300 - recreational areas[]
Recreation facilities offering various activities for employee leisure and team building. Includes bowling alleys, game rooms, swimming pools, basketball courts, and even themed entertainment areas.
Floors 301-375 - Osgoode Computer, Inc. satellite offices[]
Rented office space occupied by Osgoode Computer, Inc., another satellite office for their regional headquarters.
Floors 376-385 - Paracomm Indirecta backstage/preparation areas[]
Backstage area and dressing rooms for performers and speakers at the Paracomm Indirecta conference. Includes storage space for equipment, catering facilities, and artist lounges.
Floors 386-401 - Paracomm Indirecta auditorium[]
Main auditorium hosting the annual Paracomm Indirecta conference, a large, state-of-the-art venue with tiered seating, a central stage, and advanced audio/visual technology to accommodate large-scale presentations and events.
Floors 402-455 - data centre, classification level 4 (founder access)[]
The most secure section of the data center, housing extremely sensitive information and systems accessible only by Paracomm's founders or those with explicit authorization. This area is heavily guarded and employs advanced security measures like biometric scanners and retinal recognition systems.
Floors 456-490 - executive offices[]
Executive offices for Paracomm's senior management team, featuring spacious and well-appointed private offices with panoramic views of the city.
Floors 491-501 - executive conference rooms[]
Executive conference rooms, boardrooms, and meeting spaces designed for high-level strategic discussions and presentations. Features advanced communication technology to facilitate remote participation and video conferencing.
Floors 501-550 - guest suites[]
Guest suites designed to accommodate visiting dignitaries, potential investors, and important clients. These luxurious suites offer panoramic views, premium amenities, and concierge services.
Floors 551-615 - observation decks[]
Observation decks providing breathtaking 360-degree views of the city and surrounding landscape. Includes a public observation deck on a lower floor and exclusive VIP observation areas on higher floors.
Floors 616-660 - rented areas[]
Rented office space leased by various communications and broadcasting companies. It houses radio stations, news outlets, and production studios for television programs.
Floors 661-711 - communications[]
Paracomm's internal communications department, responsible for managing corporate communications, public relations, and media outreach. Includes broadcast studios, editing suites, and social media command centers.
Floor 712 - roof access[]
Roof access restricted to authorized personnel only. Houses communication towers, satellite dishes, and other equipment for broadcasting and telecommunication purposes. It also includes a designated helipad for executive transportation or emergency landings.