BlackBerry Priv Phone Vs. Sirin Labs Solarin: Which Will Be The Most Secure Android Smartphone?
When it comes to picking the most secure Android smartphone, Sirin Labs have announced their newest option in the form of the Solarin. The device has a $16,000 price tag attached but promises to offer the best security that you’ll find in a smartphone. However, if there’s a name known for manufacturing secure smartphones, it’s BlackBerry. So how does the Sirin Labs Solarin stack up against BlackBerry’s most secure smartphone to date, the BlackBerry Priv?
According to the Verge, the Sirin Labs Solarin is largely targeted at “international business travellers, entrepreneurs, and partners in financial firms,” which could go some way in explaining the extraordinary price tag attached to this product. The manufacturer behind the product claims that it offers “military-grade security” and the most advanced privacy software available, which Sirin Labs claims can stop an array of mobile cyber attacks.
For most people, it’s safe to assume that the maximum they’re going to need in terms of smartphone security is a fingerprint scanner and two-factor account authentication. However, the Sirin Labs Solarin promises to offer a lot more than that, providing the ability to shield outgoing voice calls and securely encrypt messaging.
However, according to the Times of India, there’s already a tech company claiming that they can provide the most secure smartphones, and that’s BlackBerry. The company was once an incredibly prominent name on the smartphone scene, however, since the rise of Apple and Google, the company has retreated back to manufacturing devices designed with security in mind. Their latest handset promising to be the most secure smartphone you can buy is the BlackBerry Priv, which is running Google’s Android software.
Sirin Labs launches Solarin, a $14,000 privacy-focused smartphone https://t.co/eKeI5DLsL1 pic.twitter.com/ekiZVavDpy
— VentureBeat (@VentureBeat) May 31, 2016
Arguably the biggest difference between the BlackBerry Priv and the Sirin Labs Solarin is pricing. As aforementioned, the Sirin Labs Solarin comes in at an incredibly high price point of $16,000, priced firmly out of reach of the rest of the Android market. The BlackBerry Priv, on the other hand, is priced at under $600, meaning it’s able to compete with other products.
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Given the price difference and the similar levels of security offered by the two products, it might sound like the BlackBerry Priv is the obvious option when it comes to picking the most secure Android smartphone. However, while BlackBerry has been quick to include encryption technology in their platform, according to CNET, they’ve seemingly overlooked some of the more common smartphone security features like a fingerprint reader or iris scanner. For a smartphone promising to be the most secure option on the market, that’s an incredible oversight.
With the incredible price of the Sirin Labs Solarin and BlackBerry’s aforementioned oversights in terms of modern security, it’s difficult not to ask whether these two companies truly offer the best solutions available when it comes to the most secure Android smartphone?
Nexus 6P by Huawei – Official with 5.7? display, 12MP camera, fingerprint scanner http://t.co/CNDrxBMFzm pic.twitter.com/9YGJbtxBW5
— techprolonged (@techprolonged) September 30, 2015
Sirin Labs and BlackBerry may market their products as the most secure options available. However, Google’s own Nexus devices, including the Nexus 6P and 5X, both have a fingerprint scanner and receive regular security updates from Google. If average-priced smartphones are able to offer the same basic security features as devices that are designed to offer top-notch security, does that remove the need for such products?
Outside of a select number of business users, it’s difficult to see a widespread need for the Sirin Labs Solarin, especially considering its price point. At the same time, BlackBerry is quickly becoming irrelevant by not offering some of the basic security features that the likes of Google do. With Sirin Labs’ lack of a business plan going forward, it’s very likely that they’ll head in the same direction as BlackBerry when it comes to smartphone manufacturers.
[Image via Sirin Labs]
