Sikur's secure GranitePhone plan (pictures)

Feeling insecure? Sikur, part of Brazilian security firm Ciberbras, hopes businesses will go for its locked-down phone with encrypted-communication abilities. Here's a Nexus 5-based prototype it showed at Mobile World Congress.

Stephen Shankland

March 3, 2015 12:11 p.m. PT

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Sikur GranitePhone demo

Sikur announced the GranitePhone, a locked-down security-first model, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The main home screen is simple, because people can only use Sikur's apps.

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Sikur GranitePhone demo

The GranitePhone -- or in this case a Google Nexus 5 running the Granite Phone's operating system as it's being developed -- will arrive in the third quarter of 2015. It offers encrypted communications, including this e-mail service that only works with other Sikur software users.

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Sikur GranitePhone demo

The GranitePhone's dialer is reached via one of the tabs on the left side of the dashboard.

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Sikur GranitePhone demo

A contact list lets people reach those they need to call or message.

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Sikur GranitePhone demo

If a contact uses Sikur's software a Granite Phone user will get an option for an encrypted call. Otherwise ordinary calls over the regular phone network are possible.

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Sikur GranitePhone demo

This is the back of the GranitePhone, but it's just an LG-built Nexus 5 development model for now. Sikur hasn't yet announced its GranitePhone manufacturing partner, but it'll be in Asia.