Are you paranoid enough to pay $629 for a Blackphone? Security-focused phone now shipping

If you’re a business concerned about rivals hacking your phone to obtain company secrets, or perhaps a politician having an affair, the security-focused Blackphone has now started shipping.

Running a forked version of Android known as PrivatOS, it’s designed to prevent rogue apps gaining access to data stored on the phone. It comes pre-installed with encrypted Silent Phone, Silent Text and Silent Contacts apps, along with a remote wipe facility … 

Not to be confused with the Boeing Black, most of what it does is available on standard Android phones, including the aforementioned apps, but if you want to minimize the risk of hacks and are prepared to pay $629 for a mid-spec handset, a Blackphone can now be yours.

Don’t, though, expect it to be NSA-proof: the company admits that it is unlikely to prevent government snooping.

Photo credit: Manuel Blondeau/Corbis via The Guardian