Security-conscious mobile users can now come out of hiding: Silent Circle and Geeksphone have begun shipping their super-secure Blackphone handset.
The smartphone should arrive any day on the doorsteps of those who pre-ordered the device. Those who didn't make the first cut can order the currently sold-out device starting July 14.
"We are excited to achieve this key milestone on schedule and ship a remarkable device to customers that is the result of an unprecedented combination of privacy and mobile innovations and visionaries," Toby Weir-Jones, CEO of SGP Technologies, said in a statement.
SGP Technologies, the Switzerland-based joint venture between Silent Circle and Geeksphone, formally launched its $629 Blackphone at the 2014 Mobile World Congress, promising Fort Knox-like protection against government spying.
The unlocked phone supports GSM, LTE, and HSDPA, and maximizes user privacy via features like private communications, Wi-Fi security, remove wipe and protect, anonymous Web browsing and VPN, and private cloud storage.
Its security comes from two separate places: the custom-built Android 4.4-based PrivatOS, and a collection of third-party security services, the latter of which can be controlled via the Security Center.
Together, those features allow for encrypted voice and video calls and text messages, the ability to control the phone's data from anywhere in the world, and access to files saved in a private encrypted cloud service.
"In a world where devices and apps increasingly offer features only in return for users' personal or sensitive information, the pent-up demand for Blackphone shows there is strong, international demand for our brand's devices and services that stand apart by placing privacy before all else," Weir-Jones said.
Powered by a 2GHz Tegra 4i quad-core CPU, the 16GB Blackphone sports a 4.7-inch capacitive multi-touch HD display with 1,280-by-720 resolution, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 5-megapixel front shooter, as well as Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and GPS.
But the $629 phone's real value lies in the services bundled with the purchase, including two years of Silent Circle ($240 value), three one-year "Friends and Family" subscriptions, two years of the Disconnect VPN service ($120), and two years of Spideroak online storage ($120).
Throw in an international power adapter kit, and total value of the Blackphone tops $1,500.
For more, see PCMag's Blackphone first-look video below. Also check out The NSA and the End of Privacy, as well as 7 Chilling Ways the NSA Can Spy On You.