Blackphone launches, offers ‘unparalleled’ secure searching, messaging, browsing

Blackphone, the pitch-black gadget for the online paranoid is now available for pre-order. The smartphone uses a branched-off version of Android called PrivatOS which offers “unparalleled” security and privacy. The Blackphone is the result of a joint venture between Silent Circle and Geeksphone.

We first caught wind of this device in January this year but not much details were known about the privacy conscious gadget. As mentioned in the official site announcement recently, the Blackphone is for information workers, executives, public figures, and “anyone else unwilling to cede ownership of their privacy to other authorities.”

So what makes this phone so great for users’ privacy? Blackphone comes pre-installed with a bunch of tools including Silent Phone, Silent Text, and Silent Contacts which give you anonymous search, private browsing, and VPN from online privacy service provider Disconnect. You’ll also get secure, encrypted cloud file storage from SpiderOak.

The device is furthermore shipped with a remote-wipe and device recovery tool. All of these default services are meant to be completely secure and anonymous. These apps are great and all but they’re not for free. You’ll get them for two years after which you’ll have to subscribe to Silent Circle services.

The security focused device is powered by a 2GHz quad-core SoC and has a 4.7″ HD IPS display. It furthermore boasts LTE, 2GB DDR3 RAM and 16GB storage. It has an 8MP primary camera with flash and a 1.3 MP front camera.

Phile Zimmerman, an ex-Navy Seal says that Blackphone is “the first mainstream, fully-integrated secure communications phone, designed for anyone to use as easily as the legacy phones they’re used to already.”

Blackphone ships June this year for US$630.