Now at last, the Blackphone 2 release has arrived for the United States, although details have not been given for availability elsewhere yet. Most valuable, though, is the extended privacy controls for apps on the Blackphone 2.
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This new device is a personal phone that “separate virtual workspaces for recreational and work usage, and it gives employers granular control over what information is emitted through it”, Fast Company reported. The original models sold for $629 directly through the company. However, there is also a regulated Blackphone app store that features content reviewed by Silent Circle staff for security.
Designed for individuals and corporations alike, the first Blackphone was originally presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona back in 2014 before going on sale for $629, which is right up there with the unlocked cost of most flagship smartphones.
But now we come to Silent OS, the operating system that Blackphone 2 is built around (Silent is a retooled version of an Android OS, if you were wondering).
Conner called the launch of the Blackphone 2 a “game changer for the mobile sector and for the way we provide individual and enterprise privacy”.
The phone is shipped fully encrypted, and Silent Circle is able to push out updates to its custom operating system without having to wait for carriers to do so. Silent OS is focused on security and privacy, offering features like a Security Center that’ll let you tweak app permissions to your liking. Plus, a remote-wipe setting protects content if the phone is lost or stolen.
Blackphone 2 also has separate “spaces”, so you can essentially have completely different phones with varying degrees of privacy on the same device. The phone also works with major device management platforms including those from MobileIron, Citrix, Good and SOTI.
The Blackphone 2 comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p resolution Gorilla Glass display and underneath is a Snapdragon Octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
The phone is powered by SilentOS, based primarily on Android and offers encrypted voice calls, text messages, file transfers and more.
SilentOS has upgraded to the latest version of Android, so you get the slick look and speed. Silent Circle has also improved the services it offers and has an improved relationship with Google. But Blackphone lets you see every single thing an app collects, including sound picked up from your microphone.
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“Blackphone 2 represents the second stage of the Silent Circle Rocket Ship” said Mike Janke, Co-founder and Chairman. “My fellow co-founders, Phil Zimmerman, Jon Callas and our CEO Bill Conner have been working tirelessly towards the goal of launching our global Enterprise Privacy Platform”.
