14 DAY TRIAL // In the wake of BlackBerry announcing a super secure Android phone called Priv, which is due to be released later during the year, the maker of the so-called anti-spyware smartphone, the Blackphone, has just introduced a sequel to their first product.
This time they are calling it “sexy and smart,” a marketing line that implies the Blackphone 2 should impress customers with its looks but also its famous privacy-focused features.
The new phone comes with a new version of the firm’s Android-based SilentOS and also bundles the proprietary Silent Phone app, which offers encrypted voice calls, messages and file transfers, all in order to cater to even the most paranoid of customers.
Silent Circle’s privacy-savvy app store is also included on the Blackphone 2 (you still get access to the Google Play Store, though), as well as the Silent Meeting app, which is described as being the world’s first truly encrypted conference call platform.
The Blackphone 2 is now up for purchase in the US
As Silent Circle announced back at MWC 2015, when it first unveiled the phone, Blackphone 2 is also compatible with Android for Work, Google’s secure enterprise platform that will keep “work” and “play” environments separate.
The handset is also certified to work with some mobile data management systems like MobileIron, Citrix, Good and SOTI.
Now, you are probably wondering about the specifications of the Blackphone. Looking at the spec sheet, we have to say we’re dealing with an upper mid-ranger. The device comes equipped with a 5.5-inch full HD display (1920 x 1080 pixels), an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor under the hood, 3GB of RAM, and a 3,060mAh battery under the hood.
Silent Circle also throws in a 13MP main camera plus a 5MP selfie shooter, Bluetooth 4.0 and 32GB of expandable storage (up to 64GB). The phone is available for purchase in the US for $799 / €715, and Silent Circle says the UK will be getting it soon enough. Nevertheless, we’re not given any clear dates.
When BlackBerry Priv launches, it will certainly compete closely with the Blackphone 2. It remains to be seen how much the Canadian company will be asking for it, because the Silent Circle model is pretty expensive. If BlackBerry prices it right, it might be able to win consumers over.
