HIGHLIGHTS
SikurPhone debuted at MWC 2018 as with focus on cryptocurrencies
The new smartphone is available for preorders at $799
It runs a custom Android version, called SikurOS
A long time after launching its security-focused GranitePhone, Brazil's Sikur at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in Barcelona on Tuesday brought the SikurPhone that helps you protect your cryptocurrency. The new smartphone comes with a pre-installed cryptocurrency wallet and includes cloud integration to securely store various cryptocurrencies under one roof. Pre-orders for 20,000 units for the SikurPhone have already started at a promotional price of $799 (roughly Rs. 52,100), while the units will ship sometime in August this year.
The SikurPhone is touted to be "hack proof", protecting user data as well as cryptocurrencies from hackers. To test how the phone can protect users, Sikur hired ethical hackers from bug bounty company HackerOne between November and December who were failed to gain access to any information, as per COO Alexandre Vasconcelos. The company deployed a custom Android version on SikurPhone, which it calls SikurOS, that doesn't allow you to install any of the third-party apps on your own. This doesn't mean that the smartphone won't support your favourite apps - you instead need to ask the Sikur team to configure the apps individually.
Vasconcelos, in an interaction with CNET, pointed out that while the SikurPhone is designed to protect user data, it will not give the same tough protection to save criminals. The executive highlighted that the company would disable access to its services if it gets hints of any criminal behaviour of a user. In a separate interview with Mashable, Vasconcelos revealed that the Sikur will not only secure your digital currencies through its cloud-connected wallet but will also remotely wipe the data in case if you lose your phone to protect your money. "If you lose your phone, we can remotely wipe it for you. You can get a new one, log in, and your funds will be safe, as your private keys are stored in our cloud," he said.
The SikurPhone additionally includes fingerprint authentication, and the preloaded wallet offers up-to-date market information about pricing, cryptocurrency news, and quotes. The wallet also has multisignature (P2SH) and multiple wallet support to give you an extensive cryptocurrency platform.
On the specification side, the Android 7.0 Nougat-based SikurPhone features a 5.5-inch full-HD display with Gorilla Glass protection on top. It is powered by a MediaTek MT6750 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM and has 13-megapixel rear camera sensor and a front camera sensor. Also, there is 64GB of onboard storage and a 2800mAh battery.
The hardware of the SikurPhone is certainly not in line with what Apple and Samsung offer through their latest flagships. However, if cryptocurrency is your interest, this the only option you should pick.
We spoke about all the big launches of MWC 2018 on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.