Sirin Labs launched Solarin, a smartphone that focuses on security with business travelers as its main target audience, retailing at a whopping $13,800.
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.
According to him: “Just one attack can severely harm reputations and finances. Solarin is pioneering new, uncompromising privacy measures to provide customers with greater confidence and the reassurance necessary to handle business-critical information.”
“Exceptional audio and vision capabilities feature highly on our target audience’s wish list. Sirin Labs’ audio and vision engineers fixated on exceeding expectation, turning to experts to develop a new benchmark for smartphone speaker systems and unparalleled striking screen intensity,” he added.
Meanwhile VP of product, Fredrik Oijer, said the firm focused on design and quality, visual experience including a 24MP camera, loud speakers, global optimisation and privacy.
“At every level, Solarin outperforms. Advanced carrier aggregation technology combines multiple LTE carriers for wider bandwidth, providing a faster, clearer connection.”
“Using 802.11ac 2×2 MU-MIMO technology provides up to three times the bandwidth of a smartphone, and WiGig (802.11ad) pushes data transfer limits, allowing next generation features,” he said.
Solarin is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, offers 450 Mb/s downlink and up to 150 Mb/s uplink speeds, and 24 band LTE compatibility.
It features titanium panels for structural strength, Corning Gorilla Glass 4 to protect the curved display screen and camera lens, and a technical leather back panel.
The phone comes in four versions: black with either titanium, carbon or yellow gold details, or white with carbon.
Solarin is available online. It will also be available from Sirin’s first store, in Mayfair, London today (1 June ) and in other London locations from 30 June.
Hogeg concluded by saying he is “more excited about the future” than he is about the current device, as Sirin “is just getting warmed up”.
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