Thoughts after a Month with Blackphone (2014) | Hacker News Reader

Thoughts after a Month with Blackphone (2014)

droidsec.org

17 pointsiamjeff21 comments

I think Blackphone is taking a fundamentally wrong approach to security. If it is a #1 concern, then it shouldn't be a phone at all. It should be more of an iPod Touch type device. It's pretty disingenuous to promise security when you don't even know how the baseband works.

I've actually been wondering, why isn't there a iPod touch style Android device? I'd much rather have something like that and have a standalone wireless hotspot for the rare case I'm off wifi.

I've been wondering that myself. Maybe there just isn't a big enough market for it? Or maybe the licensing for it doesn't allow for non-tablets and non-phones.

My first android device was one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Archos-32-3-2-Inch-Internet-Tablet-w... must have been 6ish years ago, and came with only wifi.

Hm, I guess I kind of understand now. Maybe they got discontinued because Android was terrible back then? Maybe they don't realize the market changed.

Maybe they found there wasn't a mass market for that sized tablet because virtually everyone in the market for a portable computing device in that form factor was filling the need with a smartphone, so there was a lot more money to be made make phones or tablets bigger than phone size?

I don't buy that reason. Apple is still selling the iPod Touch, after all.

Perhaps, but how much of that use is driven by use as an iPod (in the original sense -- a music player for iTunes content) to people already invested in the Apple ecosystem? I'd guess its not insignificant (most of the people I encounter who still use iPod touches use them primarily in that role, specifically so that they have something that can be used that way, often plugged into a sound system) while still having their phone available as a phone. But then, most of them are also ballroom dance instructors...)

Android/Google can do these things as well, can't it?

> Android/Google can do these things as well, can't it?

Have legacy iTunes users? No, not really.

No, Google Play.

> I've actually been wondering, why isn't there a iPod touch style Android device?

You mean a WiFi-only tablet with a ~4" screen size? There have been a number of them over the years, but I don't think demand has been there to keep many people making them.

Of course, go up a little bit in size and there are plenty.

I have a Samsung Galaxy 3.6", which is an iPod touch style android device. Samsung made several different sizes, but I believe they have all been discontinued.

Why? You can just buy an unlocked phone and not put a SIM card in, right? A Moto E is $40 on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XQVDW6Y

That phone is not unlocked. It says it works exclusively with US Celluar.

The important part is no-contract, not unlocked. If you're not getting service for it the carrier doesn't matter.

Because having a cellular baseband in the phone forces the OEM to make sacrifices with form factor and for internal components. Look at how nice and thin the iPod Touch 4 is compared to the iPhone 4.

See also PHK's Blackphone reviews (December 2015):

· https://www.version2.dk/blog/blackphone2-review-1-508188

· https://www.version2.dk/blog/blackphone2-review-2-545078

Seems to me copperheadOS seems to be better on all fronts compared to blackphone- open, more functions, and some of it's fixes have been accepted into ASOP.

First step is to obtain root? I understand choosing not to use root for day-to-day activity but how in the world can a device be considered secure if the user is not allowed full control of the OS when they want it?

Edit: Oh, it's also not open source. This device is pointless.

This should get labelled 2014. Interesting nonetheless.

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