Blackphone 2 Privacy-Centric Smartphone Now Available

The Blackphone 2 security- and privacy-focused smartphone is now available for sale, almost seven months after its March introduction at Mobile World Congress as a successor to the original Blackphone.

The Blackphone 2, which is offered by Silent Circle, runs on a the company’s Enterprise Privacy Platform (EPP), a cloud-based combination of software, services and devices that enable a deeper level of privacy than other devices, according to the vendor.

The handset, which is priced at $799 around the world, protects users by providing full device encryption by default using Silent Circle’s Silent OS operating system and Android technologies, according to the company.

The smartphone features a 5.5-inch Full HD display that is covered in protective Corning Gorilla Glass, a Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot that supports another 128GB of storage, and a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera. It also has a 5MP front-facing camera, a 3,060mAh battery with quick charging and worldwide LTE and 3G/HSPA+ connectivity. The device is 6 inches high, 3 inches wide and 0.3 inches thick.

The handsets are built for enterprise use with the ability to separate a user’s personal and work calling, texting, social media activities and other functions into separate spaces on the device. The handset uses a built-in security center that enables the user to easily manage their privacy and security settings in one place, giving them control of individual app permissions and the data on the devices. Also included is a remote wipe setting that can be activated if the phone is lost or stolen.

The Blackphone 2 includes all-new support for Google’s Android for Work program and tight integration with Google’s applications and services, according to Silent Circle. The device is also certified to operate with existing mobile-device management systems from vendors including MobileIron, Citrix, Good and SOTI.

The handsets are preloaded with the company’s Silent Phone private communications app, which includes encrypted, secure voice calls; conference calling; video conferencing; secure text and file transfers.

“The launch of Blackphone 2 is a game-changer for the mobile sector and for the way we provide individual and enterprise privacy,” Bill Conner, president and CEO of Silent Circle, said in a statement. “Blackphone 2 combines an enhanced Android operating system with a suite of apps designed to keep your enterprise and personal information separate and private. We’re proud to deliver a safe and sexy device with a seamless user experience.”

The original Blackphone, unveiled in 2014, was built from the ground up to put users’ privacy before all else, according to the company. The original security-enhanced PrivatOS operating system was built on Android 4.4 KitKat. The first Blackphones had a 4.7-inch HD In-Plane Switching (IPS) display, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) connectivity, and a 2GHz quad-core processor. The original models sold for $629 directly through the company.