In short: Sikur has announced that its SikurOS is now compatible with all Android smartphones, and it is also launching two highly secure smartphones that are based off of Sony’s more popular devices – the Xperia XZ1 and XA2. In fact these smartphones, even share those names as well. With the SikurPhone XZ1 and SikurPhone XA2. The hardware is the same as when Sony debuted these smartphones back in 2017, the only difference is the fact that it runs on Sikur’s highly secure Android software. Both of these devices have “several layers” of security, and it also has a pretty locked down app store. You cannot install third-party apps using the Unknown Sources feature that you would find on other smartphones. There are very few apps that are compatible with Sikur’s software. Sikur also has a cryptocurrency wallet, so if you are the type that owns some cryptocurrency, the SikurPhone is going to keep it nice and safe and away from hackers.
Background: Sikur announced the SikurPhone back at Mobile World Congress in February. It’s not a fancy looking phone, but it does have a purpose. It’s pretty locked down, as you might expect, and it is also running on an older version of Android. This is because it is very heavily customized. This operating system is not meant for those that would ordinarily buy a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or even an LG smartphone, but it’s for those that want a secure smartphone, those that want to store their cryptocurrency on their phone. So it’s a pretty niche market here, but Sikur is doing a good job at offering a few different options for those that do want a secure smartphone.
Impact: In its press release, Sikur hinted at other devices coming in the future running its operating system, but did not mention which devices might be coming in the future. Sikur also did not mention pricing, but at this point there’s no word on pricing just yet. It’s definitely not going to be cheap to pick up the SikurPhone XZ1 or XA2, seeing as these are Sony smartphones and they aren’t inexpensive in the first place. But these should be available soon along with the original SikurPhone.
