Aerospace company Boeing has developed the Boeing Black, a smartphone designed to offer highly-secure communications and data storage for governments and enterprise users. The Boeing Black smartphone was designed with security and modularity in mind to ensure Boeing's customers can use the same smartphone across a range of missions and configurations.

Boeing Black's security is powered by the Boeing PureSecure architecture, which is built upon layers of trust from embedded hardware, operating system policy controls, and compatibility with mobile device management systems. Hardware media encryption and configurable inhibit controls are embedded to protect the device, its data, and the transmission of information, reducing the risk of mission compromise due to data loss.

The Android smartphone also provides modularity and integration with other mobile ecosystems based on mission-specific requirements. Its flexibility is enabled by a modular expansion port, which can be used for integrating additional sensors or technology enhancements like satellite connectivity or expanding power capacity, plus other customizations. The device also includes connections for portable digital media interface (PDMI), universal serial bus (USB) and secure digital (SD) cards.

The device hs been manufactured as a sealed device both with epoxy around the casing and with screws, the heads of which are covered with a tamper-proof covering to identify attempted disassembly. In addition, attempts to open it would render the device "inoperable," according to Boeing.

Black has a also dual-SIM capability that enables users to switch between government and commercial networks.

Product Specifications

- Display: 4.3" qHD (540 x 960 pixels)
- Weight: 170g
- Battery: Lithium-Ion 1590 mAh

- Dual SIM Supported Bands:
LTE 700/1700/2100
WCDMA 850/1900/2100
GSM 850/900/1800/1900

- Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR-enabled connectivity
- Dual 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex-A9 CPUs
- Storage: On-board + microSD
- Expansion Ports: micro USB, PDMI, Modular 24-Pin Connector
- Security Features: Embedded FIPS 140-2 Key Storage, Hardware Inhibits, Trusted Modules, and Configurable OS Security Policies

And while Boeing's device will not be sold directly to the public, Silent Circle and Geeksphone's will be.

The Blackphone made an appearance at Mobile World Congress with a focus on offering peer-to-peer encrypted VoIP communications and other related services.

Blackphone is now available for pre-order to individuals and enterprises as an unlocked device with a starting price of $629, and will also be available through selected partner carriers from launch, including KPN Mobile, the inaugural launch carrier for Blackphone serving European regions including Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Blackphone includes a combination of operating system and application tools which offer security and privacy. Blackphone's PrivatOS, built on Android, and combined with a suite of privacy-enabled applications, allows users to regain control over their communications activities.

Blackphone is powered by a >2 GHz quad-core SoC and features a 4.7" HD IPS screen, LTE, HSPA+, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB of storage, >8MP primary camera with flash and 1.3MP front camera, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n WiFi, GPS, and more.

Blackphone comes unlocked and features several pre-installed privacy tools, all of which are fully enabled for at least two years of usage. These tools include the Silent Circle suite of apps, including Silent Phone, Silent Text, and Silent Contacts; anonymous search, private browsing, and VPN from Disconnect; and secure cloud file storage from SpiderOak. In addition, Blackphone ships with the Smart WiFi Manager from Mike Kershaw, Chief Architect for SGP Technologies, and a remote-wipe and device recovery tool.