Unless you happen to be a big proponent of cybersecurity or work for the Secret Service, Sikur is likely not the first name that comes to your mind when you think of smartphones. However, the company has been making security-focused mobile phones for quite some time now. After launching its first smartphone — the rather oddly named GranitePhone — in 2015, Sikur followed it up with the Sikur Phone in 2018. Four years later, Sikur is back with its latest security and privacy-focused smartphone, the Sikur One.
Sikur One and the Zero Trust Concept
Co-developed with the help of Brazilian manufacturer Multilaser, the the phone’s selling point is that it follows the Zero Trust Concept. For those unaware, this is a security framework based on the premise that no entity can be fully trusted regarding privacy. For users of the Sikur One, they will need to continuously authenticate themselves and validate their IDs to retain access to the phone and the data stored in it.
However, what is more interesting how this validation process works. To summarize, the phone, in order to avoid dealing with passwords, uses a password-less authentication token function. This, in turn, significantly reduces the threat of phishing and malware attacks. And in case you haven’t figured it out already, the Sikur One is primarily intended to be used by governments and organizations. This time around, however, the company has opened a retail sales channel for the phone. This opens the doors for the paranoid among us to buy the phone for themselves.
Apart from meeting European Union General Data Protection Regulation and Brazilian LGPD data privacy standards, the phone gets its own messaging app called Sikur Messenger. This full-featured, privacy-focused messaging tool supports various functions, including corporate messaging, messaging, file sharing, and even voice and video calling. The phone also supports remote locking and can be made to reboot securely after blocking access to USB file transfers. And if the phone is lost, it can be wiped clean remotely as well.
Sikur also adds that users on the phone will be blocked from installing apps from unauthorized third-party stores. In addition, location services on the device are off by default, and the phone will regularly receive over-the-air (OTA) updates.
A budget smartphone with a twist
Purpose-built smartphones are usually known for focusing on function over form. And in the case of smartphones, this approach has often resulted in people ending up with great smartphones that look terrible. The Sikur One, however, is a departure from that philosophy. While not a head-turner, the Sikur One looks like an average budget Android smartphone that happens to have rounded edges and a triple camera array at the rear.
Key specs of the Sikur One include a 6.5-inch HD display and an octa-core processor — the details of which the company has yet to reveal. Even though the phone appears to have triple cameras at the rear, the company has only released details on the primary 13-megapixel camera. We also know that the phone gets a 5MP selfie camera.
Apart from being offered in a single memory configuration — 4GB RAM plus 128GB storage — the Sikur One also supports memory expansion using microSD cards and even offers dual SIM support. The battery capacity of the phone is rated at 4,000 mAh, and the phone ships with a standard 10-watt charger and a protective case. Unfortunately, there is no 5G support yet, and the phone still runs Android 11.
The Sikur One will be available in select countries ,where it is likely to be sold for around the $275 mark. This price also includes a one-year subscription to Sikur Messenger. The app will, however, need to be purchased again for an extra $145 a year.
