Hysteria caused by the security service surveillance of the users of today’s smartphones is actively supported by the users themselves and leads to the appearance of new brands. On January 15, a small Blackphone startup announced its own eponymous device, which is stated to become the safest of all that are on the market.
The company is located in Switzerland – one of the few countries that did not participate in the surveillance program of the CIA. The enterprise was organized by merging two startups. The first one is Silent Circle – the one that makes secure communication protocols for Android and iOS. Silent Circle app replaces the standard calls and SMS exchange program. Recently, the company has announced its own mail client.
The second founder of Blackphone is the Spanish Geekphone company. This tiny smartphone manufacturer was started in 2010, when it produced the first fully open Android-based smartphone – it gives the user an opportunity to introduce changes in the OS code directly from the phone.
But Blackphone can surprise. The smartphone has a not quite normal Android. This is another of its deeply reworked versions called PrivateOS. It is a mystery how it looks and how it differs from the original. In all the promotional videos Blackphone is shown with a turned-off black screen. As promised, it will have all the necessary elements for security. All of this comes in the best traditions of GeekPhone – it will be deeply customizable. Apparently, the software developers are not limited to encryption. The issue is not discussed directly, but one of the Blackphone founders hinted that the device comprises hardware encryption modules.
The fully working version of the device is promised to be shown very soon – at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in late February. The price will also be announced, and preorders will start being collected.
In general, Blackphone still looks like the most technologically complex and multifaceted response to espionage in the mobile sphere.
