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Silent Circle

This smartphone wants to prevent anyone from spying on your calls and texts

BlackPhone 2 offers encryption by default and allows users detailed control over app permissions.

THE FOLLOWUP TO a privacy-focused smartphone which allows users to control apps permissions at a minute level has been launched today.

The Blackphone 2, designed by Swiss security company Silent Circle, is designed to protect users against surveillance and attacks by offering encryption by default and can be wiped remotely.

The smartphone runs on a modified version of Android Lollipop (5.1.1), allowing users to fine-tune the amount of access an app, site or service has to their data.

Blackphone 2 Silent Circle / YouTube Silent Circle / YouTube / YouTube

While the next version of Android, which is called Marshmallow, allows users to control app permissions, BlackPhone 2 allows users to dive deeper, controlling anything that an app has access to like the vibrate function or data when connecting to WiFi.

It also allows people to create ‘spaces’, profiles that allow different permissions for apps depending on what the phone is being used for.

Silent Circle / YouTube

The original, which was released in 2014, offered the same functionality, but was criticised for lack of functionality and no access to the Google Play store. This version allows full access to Google Play – and has been endorsed by Google itself and follows the pure version of Android closely.

So far, the response to Blackphone 2 has been positive with praise being directed at its privacy features and its ease of use.

ZDNet says it an “elegant handset… [that has] a whole lot of potential” but questioned whether it would be able to appeal to security-minded people and pick up from Blackberry, which is still the standard for smartphone security despite its woes.

Wired say that while you’ll be trading in some performance for increased privacy, despite the 3GB of RAM, it’s not a deal-breaker. It cites the deep dive into app permissions and what it can reveal as one major reason for purchasing one.

Some of the finds are surprising, like the social networking app that wants the ability to access and delete your phone’s call log, or the fact that almost every app, even the most basic of utilities, wants to see your contacts. Most of the permissions sliders are meant to protect your privacy and to keep your phone secure, but some are just downright useful.

Forbes called it “slick“ but criticised the high price point, $799 (€714) for an unlocked version in the US, which it feels would put the average consumer off buying one. It did praise the extended privacy controls, saying that its success would depend on how much people would value privacy when considering a device.

The device is only available in North America for now but a European release is on the cards.

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9 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Babadook
    Favourite Babadook
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    Sep 28th 2015, 12:57 PM

    Try explaining to the other half as to why you need this phone.

    90
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Allister
    Favourite Allister
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    Sep 28th 2015, 4:39 PM

    You’d know a man came up with that lol…

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pronnsias McCarthaigh
    Favourite Pronnsias McCarthaigh
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    Sep 28th 2015, 12:51 PM

    It will be fine until Mark Zuckerberg buys out the company.

    74
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute f m
    Favourite f m
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    Sep 28th 2015, 12:46 PM

    Anyone buying this phone is either a drug dealer or an Irish politician.

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Sands
    Favourite Michael Sands
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    Sep 28th 2015, 12:50 PM

    But people go for gadgets mainly like camera, speaker / sound quality, screen quality etc etc

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jake Race
    Favourite Jake Race
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    Sep 28th 2015, 1:44 PM

    It’s amazing how suspicious we’ve become of people who value their privacy.

    10 years ago if I told you that companies were reading your emails, monitoring your online activity and your real life activity, you would have been up in arms.

    Now anyone who has a problem with that is a presumed criminal.

    82
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kqh Construct
    Favourite Kqh Construct
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    Sep 28th 2015, 12:59 PM

    Yes until the NSA crack the software :-)

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Rónán O'Suilleabháin
    Favourite Rónán O'Suilleabháin
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    Sep 28th 2015, 2:43 PM

    Want

    I might even finally install messenger if I get this phone and can control the permissions. I’d need to look a little deeper at the level of control though. I roam a lot for work and I really like the idea of creating app profiles that I can block a whole bunch of crap from using a data roaming connection and keep it for minimal essentials.

    I’d also be far more likely to use this phone for NFC purchasing (I wouldn’t use my current phone as a wallet in a fit)

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul FitzGerald
    Favourite Paul FitzGerald
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    Sep 28th 2015, 5:07 PM

    Just install Cyanogenmod which has an inbuilt privacy guard. Pair it with a good handset like the OnePlus2 and Robert is your mother’s brother.

    8
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