{"id":9,"date":"2016-03-01T15:53:16","date_gmt":"2016-03-01T21:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/byrondoss.com\/?p=9"},"modified":"2016-03-02T10:26:02","modified_gmt":"2016-03-02T16:26:02","slug":"blackphone-2-is-it-worth-800","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/byrondoss.com\/?p=9","title":{"rendered":"Blackphone 2\u2026..Is it worth $800?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Angle-frontBack_homescreen_v2\"<\/a><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Blackphone 2\u2026..Is it worth $800?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The header says it all. \u00a0I have spent almost 3\u00a0weeks with this device and I can tell you the answer is a definitive Yes…well maybe a No. \u00a0Depends on how you look at it. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Full disclosure, I am a long time user of the Silent Circle products. \u00a0I will not be reviewing those, but I will be touching on them. \u00a0However, this review is about the phone and how it functions versus the Silent Circle secure phone, text and video calling product. \u00a0So let\u2019s dive in.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Specifications<\/strong><\/p>\n

First let\u2019s get these out of the way right off the bat. \u00a0Because everyone likes to know what the specs are on a phone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dimensions(mm)<\/b> 152.40 x 76.40 x 7.90 <\/span><\/p>\n

Weight(g)<\/b> 165<\/span><\/p>\n

Battery(non-removable)<\/b> 3060 mAh<\/span><\/p>\n

Display<\/b> 5.5in \u00a01920×1080<\/span><\/p>\n

Processor<\/b> Qualcomm Snapdragon 615<\/span><\/p>\n

1.7 GHz octa-core<\/span><\/p>\n

Internal Storage<\/b> 32 GB<\/span><\/p>\n

Expandable<\/b> Yes – with microSD card up to 128 GB<\/span><\/p>\n

Rear Camera(mp)<\/b> 13<\/span><\/p>\n

Front(mp)<\/b> 5<\/span><\/p>\n

Operating System<\/b> Silent OS 2.1<\/span><\/p>\n

The Blackphone 2 is a world phone, so it will work on any major GSM network. \u00a0It can utilize HSPA+, 3G, 4G\/LTE worldwide. \u00a0So that makes it a great phone to be able to do some SIM swapping if you need to. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Costs<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Blackphone 2 cost $799. \u00a0It does come unlocked, but that is still a chunk of money. \u00a0You do get one year\u2019s service utilizing their Silent Circle suite. \u00a0After the year is up then you will be paying at minimum $10\/month for the service. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Phone <\/strong><\/p>\n

So now that we have the fluff out of the way, let\u2019s talk about the phone. \u00a0I spent almost 3 weeks using it as my daily driver and can tell you, I didn\u2019t enjoy it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The outside of the phone is nice and clean. \u00a0It is understated and very well built. \u00a0But, \u00a0it is slicker than an ice cube on water. \u00a0I had to make sure to grip it harder than I would normally grip a phone. \u00a0This was due to fear of dropping it. \u00a0I don\u2019t mind holding a phone a bit harder, but, I definitely don\u2019t want to get a cramp in my hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

It has the same type of glass back that Sony likes and that makes it even worse. \u00a0And because I couldn\u2019t tell where I was grabbing the phone when pulling out of my pocket, I was constantly putting my fingers over the glass that was covering the camera. \u00a0So I was constantly trying to clean the back so that when I needed to take a picture, it wasn\u2019t smudgy from the oil on my fingers.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a 5.5 inch screen the actual phone size is nice. \u00a0I have a little bit bigger than the average hands and there were a lot of things that I was able to do one handed. \u00a0This was solely due to the slipperiness of the phone. \u00a0I could just slide it where I wanted to, and then I was able to use the one hand for just about everything. \u00a0So this is a case of being super slick worked to the phone\u2019s advantage. And that is the only positive thing you can say about that.<\/span><\/p>\n

The speaker is just mehhh…It is just your average mid-range phone speaker. \u00a0Nothing to shout out about. \u00a0It does it\u2019s job, but sometimes it was just a bit too quiet. \u00a0Other than that, sounds were clear, just not loud enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

The buttons were well placed, and easy to find. The only thing I didn\u2019t like about them, was that I never got a satisfying \u201cclick\u201d feel. \u00a0Maybe it was just me, but I like to feel that I have done something, and sometimes I had to look to see if I was actually turning up the volume.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Operating System<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Blackphone 2 uses Silent Circle\u2019s own operating system dubbed SilentOS. \u00a0It is an overlay based on the Android OS. \u00a0One of the nice things about this system is that it does a lot to mirror the way the Android OS works. \u00a0So things swype the same way. \u00a0Or look about the same. \u00a0So when I was going through everything it all seemed somewhat familiar. \u00a0Even though it looks different, there was still a feeling of familiarity. \u00a0Which is ALWAYS a good thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a lot of good things to say about SilentOS. \u00a0It really does a great job of making sure that you know what you are doing and keeps it extremely simple. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They have Spaces, which allows you to have multiple users or accounts that are totally separated from each other at the chip level. \u00a0This is a little different that what just about everyone else is doing. \u00a0Having it separated that far down in the system means that your security for each space really can\u2019t be compromised. \u00a0If one section is compromised, then the others are safe. \u00a0So you can have a work and personal profiles and never the two shall meet. \u00a0And they are truly separate. \u00a0The only things that \u201cbinds\u201d them, and I use that term loosely, is that all utilize the same storage. Sof if you have 25GB of available space, then both profiles can only utilize that amount. \u00a0So you won\u2019t get 25 for each space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Security is top notch. \u00a0You can utilize specific apps to make sure your data isn\u2019t being leaked. \u00a0You can use VPN and also specify which apps are allowed specific permissions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the one thing that struck me as just funny. \u00a0Or lazy, is the Silent Circle App store. \u00a0This is a place you go that Silent Circle has vetted all the apps and say that they are secure enough for the user to use. \u00a0But, in reality it is just a place that has a hyperlink to the Google Play app store. When I click on an app I was expecting to go to a secure page to download that app, but I was surprised when I just went to the Play Store. \u00a0Not what I was expecting.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know that they vet these apps, so downloading them from the Play store makes sense, but if you are going to have a store, then have a store. \u00a0Not a link to another store. \u00a0And on top of that, what struck me as even weirder, on the first Blackphone, you had Disconnect Browser and also SpiderOak backup storage. \u00a0And neither are in the Silent Circle App store. Makes me wonder why.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Camera<\/strong><\/p>\n

All I\u2019m going to say about the camera is this. \u00a0Great for simple things, but you can tell it isn\u2019t an $800 phone camera. \u00a0It takes good enough pictures for documents or if you just want something to reference. \u00a0It just isn\u2019t good enough to try and think about using it for those great family photos. \u00a0But, if you are buying this phone as a daily driver and want a super sharp camera, then I\u2019m sorry to say that you will be disappointed. I literally carried around my Sony DSC-RX100 III for all the pictures I wanted to take of my family. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Silent Circle Suites<\/strong><\/p>\n

The biggest thing about the phone is the ability to make secure phone calls, video calls and secured texting. \u00a0If you are in a world where secure calls and texting is super important, then this is the way to go. \u00a0Each call, video call and text is secured peer to peer. \u00a0And the way it is done pretty much gets rid of the dreaded Man-in-the-Middle attack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now having said that, do I need a $800 phone to do this? \u00a0No, you can get these for any android or iOS phone for that said price of $10\/month. \u00a0They work exactly the same, just on a different phone. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Final Analysis<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For the best security with a phone, I think Silent Circle has nailed it. \u00a0It does a great job of making sure that all your data and information is secure. It does a great job of making the SilentOS seem familiar and user friendly. \u00a0It is a good looking phone. \u00a0It is simple, and understated. \u00a0Some won\u2019t like that, because it isn\u2019t metal or super shiny or fancy. \u00a0But this phone isn\u2019t trying to be those phone. \u00a0So it fits right in where it is supposed to be.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now having said that, it is a mid-range phone. \u00a0It isn\u2019t anywhere near worth the price of $800. \u00a0This, in my opinion, should be priced around $400-$450. I had a lot of lag issues. \u00a0I had a few reboots. \u00a0And then I had times where the phone just stopped. \u00a0I know those might be a single use case scenario and that is what I\u2019m chalking it up to be. But, still what if it isn\u2019t? Silent Circle has done a great job of adding all the security features you want. \u00a0But, that still doesn\u2019t make it worth the $800 in my mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

We must remember that this isn\u2019t targeted at your average user. \u00a0This is a business level phone. \u00a0Designed for business and their way of working. \u00a0The average consumer won\u2019t even blink an eye at this. \u00a0But for the business person who wants that top level security, then this phone is right there at the top.<\/span><\/p>\n

I like what Silent Circle is doing. \u00a0I like what they are trying to accomplish, but spending $800 for the phone, and then another roughly $120 for the next year, makes this a $1000 phone for two years. \u00a0And I just can\u2019t see that as a viable solution. \u00a0Cost wise that isn\u2019t fun. \u00a0Especially for what is essentially a decent mid-range phone. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Blackphone 2\u2026..Is it worth $800? The header says it all. \u00a0I have spent almost 3\u00a0weeks with this device and I can tell you the answer…<\/p>\n

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