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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
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Stephen Shankland
Sikur GranitePhone demo
1 of 6 Stephen Shankland/CNET

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.

Related story: Brazilian company reveals security-minded GranitePhone


Sikur GranitePhone demo
2 of 6 Stephen Shankland/CNET

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.

Sikur GranitePhone demo
3 of 6 Stephen Shankland/CNET

Sikur GranitePhone demo

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

Sikur GranitePhone demo
4 of 6 Stephen Shankland/CNET

Sikur GranitePhone demo

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

Sikur GranitePhone demo
5 of 6 Stephen Shankland/CNET

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.

Sikur GranitePhone demo
6 of 6 Stephen Shankland/CNET

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.

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