Troubled UK-based mobile brand Wileyfox has found a saviour in the form of fellow Brits STK, which has today struck a licensing deal with the Wileyfox Group.

As well as saving the brand, which went into administration last month, the deal will see Android 8.1 rolled out to the Swift 2 range, new Wileyfox phones launched later this year.

STK's Care service, a 24/7 customer support/diagnostic tool, will also be rolled out to Wileyfox customers.

TechRadar broke the news, getting the following from STK's commercial director Henri Salameh.

"What we saw was a good opportunity to not only to continue the production of the Wileyfox handsets and reinstate after-sale and warranty support, but also to save jobs in UK and Europe while merging two strong UK brands together to operate under one roof."

Despite the deal and the arrival of STK Care on Wileyfox phones, the two brands will remain distinct.

"Wileyfox was playing at a slightly higher price point and was a stronger online presence [than STK]," Salameh added. "Merging the two businesses allows us to become even stronger online ... as well as significantly improving our production channels, sales reach and customer service offering."

It's unclear if Wileyfox will resurrect Add-X - opt-in ads that would knock £50-£70 off the price of a new phone - if the promised revenue sharing scheme will ever see the light of day, or if Wileyfox Jack will get his old job back.

At the time of writing the current range of Wileyfox phones, the Swift 2, the Swift 2 Plus and the Swift 2 X, remains out of stock on the Wileyfox website, but Salameh says that this should change in the next two weeks.