The last time we saw something with “Tor integrated”, it turned out to be a fiasco. While nobody denies that Tor is one of the main options when it comes to achieving security and privacy, it also doesn't make sense to try to add its features to just anything... or does it? The BOSS Phone has been presented as the first smartphone (or should we say tablet?) certified with Tor security. What does that mean? We'll soon find out, if the crowdfunding helps.
Mobile devices and privacy don't usually mix very well. In fact, the idea of manufacturers is that the user shares more information and not less, so we are facing a direct clash between personal and commercial interests. Due to this conflict, developments like the Blackphone, a smartphone specifically designed with user security and privacy in mind. Of course, there are no perfect solutions, and the ones that exist demand significant changes to the user, turning every situation into a game of compromises. Now, how about a smartphone that requires no compromises, offering a robust and transparent security layer? CES 2015 already closed its doors, but before saying goodbye it left room for one more announcement: The BOSS Phone.
No, it has no relation to fashion or the Roland brand, and we're not sure if it will even be able to keep that name (intellectual property, you know how it goes), but for now, the BOSS Phone is the first smartphone with integrated Tor encryption. Despite the official announcement, calling it a smartphone isn't entirely appropriate. Its screen is seven inches, so it even exceeds the formal specifications of the phablet category. Its resolution is 1,920 by 1,200 pixels, it supports dual SIM cards, a microSD slot that allows expanding its capacity, WiFi/BT/3G/LTE connectivity, cameras of eight and two megapixels respectively, and a battery with twenty hours of duration. As far as we've been able to find out, its SoC is an eight-core MediaTek MT6592, RAM amounts to 2 GB, internal storage is 16 gigabytes, and its operating system is Android 5.0, with access to the Play Store.
Doubts? Yes, personally I have several, starting with the fact that the BOSS Phone is very similar to a Chinese phablet called the Chuwi VX3. However, its makers successfully completed a previous campaign based on an eight-inch tablet, which forces me to give them the benefit of the doubt... for now. There are exactly six units of the BOSS Phone available at the price of $329, and then it will jump to $355 (an extra $30 for international shipping). In total, the project seeks $150,000 through Indiegogo, and the first deliveries are scheduled for October.
