Privacy firm Silent Circle has revealed the successor to Blackphone , its security-focused smartphone, along with its first, somewhat confusingly branded, Blackphone tablet.
The Blackphone 2 and Blackphone+ tablet will both go on sale later this year, running updated versions of the company’s Android-based PrivatOS operating system and suite of communication apps.
The Blackphone 2 will arrive in the second half of 2015 and will add a faster processor, more RAM, a longer lasting battery, and a larger display. The Blackphone + tablet will follow later in the year but the company is currently keeping its specs totally under wraps.
The new version of PrivatOS will include Spaces, a feature that promises to keep personal and work apps separate, allowing employers to remotely wipe their ‘spaces’. The company announced last year that the update was coming .
The update will also include Silent Meeting, a new, secure conference calling system for multiple users. Silent Circle says the system won’t feature access codes or ask you “who’s just joined?”
Last week, Silent Circle announced that it had raised $50 million in funding and bought out Geeksphone from its SGP Technologies joint venture to take full control of the Blackphone project.
➤ Silent Circle
Image credits: Silent Circle
Here are the 6 new phones Acer forgot to announce at IFA
Acer was due to announce six new smartphones as part of its Liquid range at IFA in Berlin today – four running Android 5.1 and two with Windows 10.
In a press release sent out by the company it stated the phones would be “unveiled today at the [email protected] press event at IFA Berlin in Germany.”
However, it seems like the reveal was either forgotten or left out on purpose as the press conference swiftly came to an end without any mention of the handsets.
The six phones are the Z530, Z330, Z320 and Z630, which all run Android; and the M330 and M320 are set to run Windows 10.
The Z630 and Z530 are the main models, in terms of spec.
The Z630 is a 5.5-inch 720p device that has a quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, 2GB of RAM and comes with 16GB of storage and a 4,000mAh removable battery.
Both the front and back camera are capable of 8-megapixel shots; the front facing snapper has a wide angle lens for optimal scope when shooting.
A more powerful version, the Z630S features an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
The smaller Z530 has a 5-inch 720p screen and the same quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor. It comes in two versions – 1GB of RAM paired with 8GB of storage, and 2GB of RAM and 16GB of space. Acer did not specify which markets will receive the different versions.
Acer says this phone is designed with selfies in mind and has the same wide angle 8-megapixel camera on the front.
There is also a higher-end version of the Z530 called the Z530S, which comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
The Z330 is Acer’s budget-friendly offering. It’s equipped with a 4.5-inch IPS display (854 x 480 pixels), 1GB of RAM and comes with 5-megapixel cameras on the front and back.
The Z320 is a variant of the Z330 with the same specs and design, only it has a 2-megapixel front snapper, instead of the 5-megapixel on the Z330.
The Windows 10 phones – the M330 and M320 – are identical to their Z counterparts in terms of specs and appearance. Microsoft’s Windows 10 isn’t available officially for mobile yet so we’ll have to wait another few months to see how the mid-range handsets will handle the new OS.
Each handset in the range comes with Acer’s BluelightShield, which allows you to control the exposure and blue light on the phone.
Another common feature across the range is QuickMode. It allows you to customize the interface of your phone to one of three options: Standard mode, for users who are proficient with smartphones; Easy mode, for those who are still learning and adjusting and Base mode, which offers a wide range of safe browsing options for children.
Acer Aid Kit comes on the handsets as well, which lets you monitor battery life, performance, and back up or restore your phone’s data.
Acer’s press release says the Liquid Z630 will be available in Europe and the Middle East by the end of September with prices starting at €199 ($220). The Z530 and Z330 will follow suit in October with prices from €149 ($167) and €129 ($145) respectively. And there is no word on when the Acer M330 will be available, although Acer’s press release states it will be out by the end of the year.
We have contacted Acer about the non-announcement and will update this post when we receive a response.
Amazon prematurely announces a cheaper Echo Dot
Amazon launched the Alexa-enabled Echo Dot back in March. Strangely, the unit has been listed as sold out on the firm’s website since July, which led many people to speculate that a new variant was on its way — and it’s now looking like they were right.
Earlier today, Amazon prematurely fired a tweet from its official Echo Twitter account, promoting an “all-new” model of the Echo Dot . Unfortunately, the tweet didn’t provide any information about the unit other than that it’ll carry a price tag of $49.99, which is $40 less than its predecessor.
For those unaware of the first-generation Echo Dot, it’s a puck-sized contraption that can be connected to any speaker to turn it into an Alexa-powered device, capable of providing users with weather updates, traffic alerts and even a breakdown of their schedule.
Much to my disappointment, we don’t know exactly when this new model will be available or what new features it will bring to the table, but seeing as a tweet was scheduled to go live, we’re guessing that it will break cover fairly soon.