Serious security

While it’s common to pick a a smartphone based on tech-specs and visual appeal, ensuring that these devices are truly secure is of the highest priority. What are generally perceived as ‘high-end’ phones do not necessarily offer the assurance of a secure communication channel. Instead, they fall into the high-end category because of unnecessary jewels and precious metals on their bodies. So what is a truly secure phone?

Give the jewels a rest Sirin Labs, an Israeli start-up, has come out with Solarin, which claims to be the ‘world’s most secure’ device. It is targeted at those who deal with extremely sensitive data such as military records, intellectual property, and even trade and government secrets. It functions as two devices in one — the first being your regular, high-specification Android device and the second a communication lock-down gizmo. This might sound complicated but for the privacy-sensitive it is nothing short of absolute relief.

Luxurious look and feel It is an impressive looking device, encased in titanium and specially treated by industrial designer Karim Rashid, making it a worthy entrant into the luxury sector. It avoids physical wear and tear thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass 4 that protects not only the 5.5-inch IPS LED 2K screen but also the camera lens. The rear leather panel is a tangible delight. The Security Switch present at the back of the handset sends the phone into the shielded mode, making it impenetrable.

A fortress in your palm “Cyber-attacks are endemic across the globe. This trend is on the increase. Just one attack can severely harm reputations and finances,” said CEO and co-founder of Sirin Labs, Tal Cohen. We couldn’t agree more. The so-called ‘military grade’ security specific on the device offers mobile threat protection via Zimperium - a tried-and-tested system that successfully blocks device-, network- and application-based attacks. Another level of security is added by KoolSpan, a company whose strengths include voice and messaging security. The system also employs chip-to-chip 256-bit AES encryption that the militaries of the world brag about.

More than secure The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU and offers X10 LTE and Wi-Fi. For super-fast connectivity the phone also employs WiGig Wi-Fi to enable speeds of up to 4.6 Gbps. It is armed with a 23.8-megapixel camera with laser autofocus, four-tone flash and an accompanying front-facing flash. The 4,040 mAh battery supports quick charging, which is just as fast as the phone, thanks to the 4 GB RAM.

A justified price tag What you would expect from a device that offers the design, security and specification to match the needs of Presidents is a hefty price tag — and Solarin doesn’t disappoint there either. The phone is priced at a whopping $14,000. Is it more than what you would pay for a blinged out ordinary Android phone? Probably! The price here is justified simply because total security for your data is invaluable. The phone can be purchased at the company’s first store located in London’s Mayfair neighbourhood, as well as, Harrods.

Dhiram Shah  is the Mumbai-based founder of Luxurylaunches.com

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