Sirin Labs launches N3m ”military-grade super smartphone”

Sirin Labs has launched Solarin, a smartphone that focuses on security with business travellers as its main target audience. The company said it would retail at a whopping $13,800 (N3million). Each phone will run two versions of Android: a regular one that will let users access social media and browsing, and a second which, with […]

Sirin Labs has launched Solarin, a smartphone that focuses on security with business travellers as its main target audience.
The company said it would retail at a whopping $13,800 (N3million).
Each phone will run two versions of Android: a regular one that will let users access social media and browsing, and a second which, with the flick of a security switch at the back, will add an extra layer of security with more limited functionality.
The phone will enter a shielded mode, presenting an “exclusive suite” of tools for fully encrypted calls and messages.
The regular version is protected by mobile security firm Zimperium, backed by Sirin’s own cyber defence team, while the second version comes with Koolspan’s encryption.
Zuk Avraham, CEO of Zimperium, said his firm has provided solutions that will detect attacks in real time, alerting users and disinfecting the phone without violating privacy.
Sirin Labs also partnered with KoolSpan to integrate chip-to-chip 256-bit AES encryption, the same technology used by the military.
The launch follows more than two years of research and development in Sweden and Tel Aviv.
Moshe Hogeg, co-founder and president, explained the high price by saying that normally a firm decides on its target audience and bases the budget for its tech on how much it can charge, but Sirin decided to “play the game backwards”.
He noticed it was “frightening to see how exposed” user data was, and decided to focus on quality and security, while “pushing the boundaries of technology”.
He added that Sirin was inspired by Tesla to build something first and then determine its price.
Tal Cohen, co-founder and CEO, said the target audience is business travelers, entrepreneurs and partners in financial firms who are not fooled by style over substance, are short on time, and don’t want to compromise on certain features such as voice clarity, security, damage resistant screen and a high quality camera.