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BlackBerry Says Its New Android Smartphone DTEK 50 Is the 'World's Most Secure' (theverge.com)

Posted by msmash on from the new-phones,-old-company dept.

BlackBerry, which once assumed the tentpole position in the mobile market, announced on Tuesday the BlackBerry DTEK 50, its second smartphone powered by Google's Android operating system. The Canadean company is marketing the DTEK as the 'world's most secure' phone. It is priced at $300, and will go on sale in select markets on August 8. The Verge adds:The DTEK50 has a 5.2-inch, 1080p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB RAM, 13-megapixel camera, and 2,610mAh battery. The 8-megapixel front camera also includes a flash for taking selfies. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow with BlackBerry's software features, such as the Hub. The software is similar to the software on the Priv released last year. The security features are highlighted right in the device's name, as it has BlackBerry's DTEK software that protects users from malware and other security problems often seen on Android smartphones. The DTEK app lets users quickly get an overview of their device's security and take action on any potential issues. BlackBerry says that it has modified Android with its own technology originally developed for the BB10 platform to make it more secure. The company is also committing to rapid updates to deliver security patches shortly after they are released.

12 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Try again. by wkwilley2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The "world's most secure" comes with free backdoor access for anyone who comes knocking.

    No thanks BB, you're no longer relevant.

    --
    Have you ever fallen asleep at the keybhanusdiog?
    1. Re:Try again. by msauve · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yep. Link right here, describing their "security."

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    2. Re:Try again. by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 5, Insightful

      how do you KNOW apple is more secure?

      have you seen all the files in the source build chain, along with auditing the silicon used in all data paths?

      of course not.

      we have apples' WORD that its secure.

      maybe its true, maybe its all a PR stunt and they cooperate with LEOs just as much as BB does.

      you and I and 99.9% of the world have zero insight into this. lets be honest, shall we?

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    3. Re:Try again. by jellomizer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      However with Apple Popularity, You would expect to hear about hacking exploits all the time and some open to the world problems that will demand that you upgrade. and Hear about people with old phones who can't upgrade getting hacked and all this other nasty stuff.

      Honestly I hear more about android hacks (inside malware available on the Google Store) then from Apple.

      I am not saying Apple is golden. However current history shows it is rather good.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:Try again. by saloomy · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well, for starters at the very least, they STATE that their end-goal is to be secure. So thats a good starting point. Now lets look at the biggest tell-tale sign: no evidence to the contrary. We have discussed on ./ and have come to the consensus (yeah, right!) that no secret can be kept for very long since it would involve a large number of people. The Snowden's of the organization would leak it, if for nothing else, to be seduced by Anna Chapman , or it would be common knowledge among LEO investigators. It is not currently.

      There have been many people, including FBI Director James Comey whom have sworn before Congress that they can not crack iOS 9 on modern iPhones. Not in a round-a-bout testimony either. Doing so while having knowledge of the contrary is flat-out illegal, and Comey doesn't have the political clout of Hillary to lie to Congress and keep his freedom. He would not lie so willfully, he would bob and weave to avoid answering the questions related to it.

      But even IF he lied, and even IF the govt was able to keep it a secret, and even IF Apple believes one thing and does another. So?

      It's obviously too important a secret to blow open for the likes of whatever information you have to hide, and so in a court of law, you would simply use the fruit-of-a-poisoned-tree defense to get whatever was being held against you thrown out, effectively disarming the threat against you. iPhones are pretty secure.

  2. "most secure" by celeb8 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The world's most secure smartphone, if you trust every government in the world and BlackBerry employees given the authority to choose which government requests they assist with by ignoring your privacy...

    1. Re:"most secure" by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Most secure if you also ignore Chen's frequent attacks on Apple for not just handing data over to the US government... which, when you think about it, rather suggests that Blackberry's products are not really all that secure at all.

      I'd get worked up, but the reality is that no one really gives a flying fuck anymore about Blackberry.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  3. Its secure enogh that you wont notice by future+assassin · · Score: 3, Informative

    the RCMP snooping through your phone https://news.vice.com/article/...

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    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
  4. Doesn't the CEO's recent comments counter this? by UnknowingFool · · Score: 3, Informative

    BlackBerry CEO Chen recently said he was "disturbed" by Apple's stance on security. Namely Apple refused to work with the FBI to create special OS to allow an iPhone to be brute force cracked. "If the world is in danger, we should be able to help out," he said. How does this resolve with this BlackBerry being "the most secure". I read that statement as BlackBerry would have cooperated with the FBI to hack a customer's phone. What is to stop BlackBerry from planting backdoors in their OS to allow this?

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  5. Dear Blackberry... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Informative

    Does it report when I am on a government spying cellphone tower?
    Does it report when the connection is untrusted or detects a MITM?
    Does it do encryption without using ANY of your services?
    Does it not allow any software to be installed without rebooting to an admin mode and then only allows offline apk installs?
    Does it wipe all user storage before reboot?

    No?

    Then it is not secure.... in fact it's insecure as hell.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  6. The "Canadean" company by Krazy+Kanuck · · Score: 3, Informative

    I didn't realize Blackberry was owned by a softdrink research company. www.canadean.com

  7. Rebranded Alcatel Idol 4 by kosmosik · · Score: 4, Informative

    This phone is basically rebranded Alcatel Idol 4 (which Alcatel itself rebrands from chinese TCL corporation) with custom Blackberry ROM and software.

    I would rather buy Blackphone for security.