An upcoming smartphone called Blackphone aims to put privacy in your hands, protecting you from anyone wanting to snoop into your private data â€" even the NSA.
A Switzerland-based join venture between Silent Circle and Geeksphone, the project is backed by several important figures in the fields of computer security, including Phil Zimmermann, creator of data encryption protocol PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).
Blackphone is powered by a "security-oriented" Android build called PrivatOS. It's carrier- and vendor-independent, and enables users to make and receive secure phone calls and video chats, exchange secure texts as well as transfer and store files.
Exact specifications of the phone haven't been revealed, but Silent Circle CEO Mike Janke claims it'll be a "high-end" smartphone.
The No. 1 priority of Blackphone isn't its specs, however: It's protecting users' privacy, claims Zimmerman.
"Blackphone provides users with everything they need to ensure privacy and control of their communications, along with all the other high-end smartphone features they have come to expect," said Zimmermann.
The two companies behind the project make an interesting match. Silent Circle is a U.S.-based company focused on encryption; Geeksphone is a Spanish company behind Firefox OS developer devices.
Blackphone will be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Feb. 24.
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Image: Blackphone
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