French device maker Archos moved into the “private communications” market with a security-focused smartphone called GranitePhone.

The device is being delivered through Logic Instrument, a subsidiary of Archos, and Sikur, provider of a secure communications platform. Unveiled at Mobile World Congress, it has apparently “attracted the attention of government and defence agencies, as well as executives and consumers concerned about data privacy”.

Unsurprisingly, the device has been compared with Silent Circle’s BlackPhone line, which has a similar target audience.

According to Archos, “the security architecture has been carefully designed by Sikur with multiple layers of protection in order to diminish security issues while still delivering the best in mobile technology today”.

GranitePhone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chip and runs “Granite OS”, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. It has a 5-inch full HD screen, with 16MP rear and 8MP front cameras.

It is available now for $849.