Geeksphone's Blackphone promises user privacy (pictures)

BARCELONA, Spain -- Running what Geeksphone calls "PrivatOS," (which is based on a modified version of Android) the $629 Blackphone handset was showcased this year at MWC and emphasizes user privacy.

The Blackphone runs on an modified version of Android; one in which the OS has been extensively altered, with a focus on increasing security and user privacy. Dubbed PrivatOS, essentially everything you do is kept secret.

On the back is an 8-megapixel camera with flash.

The phone houses a 4.7-inch screen with a 1,280x800 resolution IPS display.

Security options are user-controlled and intended to be easily implemented. The UI is a simple and straightforward, while allowing for a great deal of flexibility with regard to which apps and services can access your information and which cannot.

Inside the handset is a 2GHz quad-core processor. Users will also get 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

It supports the usual protocols like Bluetooth 4.0, 801.11n Wi-Fi, LTE, and HSPA+, with 2GB of internal RAM and 16GB of onboard storage.

The phone will ship this June; however, pre-order is available now. The basic starting package starts at $629, plus delivery costs.