New Encrypted Crypto Smartphone Using Sony Xperia Hardware Launches from Brazilian Firm

Brazilian-based firm Sikur Launches Encrypted Crypto Smartphone Using Sony Xperia Hardware

If you are an avid crypto enthusiast and need to carry a substantial amount of cryptocurrency on you at all times, an average smartphone won't do it for you. Brazilian based company Sikur has a solution for you. The company recently started shipping the SIKURPhone XZ1 and the SIKURPhone XA2, repurposed Sony handsets that run the company’s OS.

It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard the Sikur name, with the security-focused company last seen in February promoting its “hack proof” SIKURPhone. The company had 20,000 units available for pre-order, but they weren’t scheduled to ship until August.

Like all its phones, the device essentially amounted to a very secure messenger and cryptocurrency wallet with few third-party apps.

Features Of The New Phone

The crypto smartphone comes in two flavors both with different hardware features and software capabilities.

One model is a 5.2″ smartphone based on Sony’s XZ1 smartphone. It has a storage capacity of 64GB, Random Access Memory of 4GB, a 2,700mAh battery a Snapdragon 835 chip, a 19 megapixels back camera and a 13-megapixel selfie camera. The other one is based on Sony’s XA2 mid-range smartphones and has a storage capacity of 32GB, Random Access Memory of 3GB, a 23 megapixel back camera paired with an 8 megapixels selfie camera, 3,300mAh battery and a 630 snapdragon chip.

There is also a native Secure App Store, which will go live later in 2018. It provides device owners with vetted applications pertaining to blockchain and cryptocurrency. Which apps users can expect exactly, remains a bit unclear at this time, primarily because the store itself hasn’t been officially unveiled. Launching a blockchain phone prior to having applications available seems unusual, although users can access the native wallet functionality from the get-go.

To build the new, Sony-based SIKURPhone, Sikur joined Sony's Open Devices Program, which allowed the company to built its software on top of Sony's hardware. “We are already talking to other manufacturers to port the SikurOS for other devices,” said the company COO Alexandre Vasconcelos.”

SIKURPhone has a clear separation between hardware and software layers, the solution is very consistent. Even though the hardware/software layers are apart, we plan to run a permanent bounty program so that we keep the high-quality product level,” Vasconcelos added.

The XZ1 is set to cost $850 USD and the XA2 is to retail $650.