You can say a phone’s failure to secure your personal data was our own doings. Many a time, it was us who gave the device the permission to pry into our deepest secret buried inside the phone. That said, software is the main culprit that gave us away and with that in mind, a London-based outfit, Una Inc Ltd., came out with a new Android smartphone that promised to eliminate any known software vulnerabilities to offer you a secure and private smartphone. Dubbed UnaPhone Zenith, this otherwise nondescript device is actually a LG device, powered by a 64-bit 2.0GHz octacore chip with full 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and has a large 5.5-inch FHD display.
The specs are, as one might argue, pretty standard, but the real magic lies in the software called UnaOS, an Android 6.0-based OS that promised security and privacy by dropping potential data-mining software such as Google apps, “shady apps,” and apps that required “strange permissions.” It then tops it up with encrypt storage by default. And thanks to Tutanota, the specialist in secured communications, even email, text and phone calls are encrypted too. Furthermore, UnaOS promised to prevent data leakage that may compromise your privacy, patched all known vulnerabilities, and offers a truly private setup unidentifiable by the carrier.
“The project is a result of partnerships with Elephone, one of the most influential smartphone manufacturer in China, Tutanota, one of the best and most secure email providers, and Callprotector, a security communication suite. The UnaPhone Zenith is a carrier and vendor independent smartphone, with a suite of secured applications that allow uses to make and receive phone calls, send text messages, have chat conversations, transfer files and send emails without comprising their privacy or security, since they are all protected and fully encrypted.”
The device also boasts a suite of carefully selected, open source third party apps that are robust and secure, and further modify them to ensure they are of the highest standard in security and privacy. In other words, invasive system apps are eliminated, and in their places, are apps that provides the same level of functionalities (if not more), but less the security leaks and invasion of privacy. Every app installed is signed with a specific key that allow the individual apps to work on the UnaPhone Zenith. There will be absolutely no unsigned third party apps and less of such apps mean you don’t have worry about spywares/malwares.
But the UnaPhone Zenith is not without trade offs. As you can see, you are limited to the apps the device has to offer and for the sake of security and privacy, you’d have to forgo fancy apps that once populated your device. Then again, with over 40 apps being offered with the device, I am sure you will find that it will be as functional as any regular phone. The only difference is, somebody is watching out for you to ensure your personal information won’t be mined. Software aside, the phone is, as mentioned, pretty much standard.
In case you are interested, you can expect other hard specs like 13MP camera from Sony with double color temperature flashes and laser focus, an 8MP wide-angle front-facing camera, dual SIM capability, 4G LTE network, dual-band wireless a/b/g/n, Mali-T860 700MHz GPU, microSD support up to 256GB. fingerprint sensor and e-touch, a 3,000 mah battery with wireless charging support, USB type-C connectivity, plus a host of sensors that you have come to expect from a modern day smartphone.
The eventual retail price for the UnaPhone Zenith Secured Android Phone is $539, but for now, you can pre-order it on Indiegogo for a special price of $439. And if all goes as planned, UnaPhone Zenith will start shipping this September.
All images courtesy of Una Inc. Ltd.
submitted via TIP US page.
