AnoPhone (A2X)
The Cryptophone with Complete Secure Design
Screenshots
Hunter's comment
The AnoPhone is the first truly anonymous phone, complete with integrated open-source Bitcoin and DASH payment options.
Especially interesting for citizen journalists, journalists in oppressive nations, security researchers, rights advocates and activists, and whoever values true privacy, the AnoPhone is a securely encrypted smartphone complete with safe VPN.
Based on android any potential Google tracking, and bloatware, is removed. The phone, additionally, has encrypted messaging apps and even a DarkNet Onion browser installed.
Its hardware is also protected from IP leakage, GPS and GMS, and other tracking. The WiFi modem is secured against the KRACK vulnerability too.
If Edward Snowden designed a mobile phone, the AnoPhone could be the result.
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While I like the security it offers, I am not ready to give up my iPhone. Would be useful to have as a second phone for sensitive communications, but seems expensive though. Definitely great for journalists.
Cool find @fknmayhem.
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I think at heart the iPhone is secure. Combined with an open source firewall like the new[ish] Lockdown app it cuts out a lot day-to-day tracking already. It has proven itself not to leak and Tim Cook’s Apple does take privacy at heart.
The rest of the [mostly hardware] features, are indeed rather expensive, but I’m guessing whether the targeted demographic values them or it will become a phone provided by the company/NGO they work for.
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I have seen several attempts at making a secure phone like this. All of them unfortunately failed as a business (or at least didn't do very well) I love to see this type of bold ventures even if they fail.
The best part is the price. Solarin had a $16,000 price tag leaving most people who would appreciate it unable to purchase it. AnoPhone is within the price range of many of the phones available today. Let's just hope at least AnoPhone would bring the secure phone niche a good name as an investment opportunity.
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Second biggest problem for reasonably priced phones like this is to sell enough to be able to order the next batch at cheap component cost.
Which leads to the biggest problem: marketing prowess. Getting a device to Ars Tecnica [and hopefully not be hacked by them] may be achievable with some perseverance and/or attending the right events. Same with CCC in Germany, and thus Heise and Golem.
That will help convincing companies but how many devices can you subsequently send to NGOs, rights organizations and the like to incite orders until Reuters orders a batch for its correspondents in oppressive nations.
As you said, the sector has a poor biz track record so VC is highly unlikely before any larger sized org places a batch order.
The smarter roadmap may be to hire somebody with solid contacts at say Lenovo in a (semi) oppressive nation and target the “Secure Lenovo” as a merger & acquisition strategy.
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Great Hunt
Hello, I really appreciate your effort & Here is my opinion-
Well, This is really an awesome Phone for Privacy conscious people that will help them to maintain anonymous communication but I don't understand how Bitcoin Transaction can be Anonymous with this phone.
Thank You & Happy Hunting :-)
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i like the security feature of this. having a secure crypto data make this phone too usable for the people are involved in crypto.
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You think that’s what the security aspects of this phone are about? There’s only BTC and DASH on this phone btw. It’s not a hardware wallet phone either.
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Epic!
I am not fully aware of privacy breaches telecom companies conduct but can mobile sim operators actually prevent the sim from functioning in such a secure device? I am sure they probably can track what i browse and sim settings for an operator may not be compatible wit this phone?
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The SIM relies on a mobile modem. The modem can have secure components which purposely send other identifiers to towers, still allowing phone and SMS operation but not allowing geo-location [or A-GPS locating] anymore.
The SIM is merely embedded software so to say. Anything a SIM does could be entered in a NFC chip if telcos wanted to switch MO.
Can they prevent the SIM functioning in such devices? I doubt it unless they know in what devices you operate it and they can reverse engineer the capabilities of the modems. SIMs are pretty dumb devices and do not carry nor transmit that much data. They mostly only provide compatibility for the little data (your number, base address book, few stored SMS, and maybe some mobile wallet protocol) with the common transmission protocols.
For example in the USA Trump allowed telcos to sell browsing history to companies/advertisers. I assume that also happens in many countries with less strict privacy laws than the EU. Who knows if in those countries location is sold to advertisers as well.
Not necessarily a “breach” but it does make the user the product, more often than not unknowingly even. Definitely not an example of privacy.
I am 99.999...8% confident that in many authoritarian nations law agencies have real-time access to SMS. We know from the NSA files that anything not encrypted they track. Even that they can turn on camera/mic remotely.
Facebook even applied for a patent for turning on mic remotely, some years after Snowden revealed everything. Zuckerberg himself has long covered his laptop’s mic/camera with duct tape. Pictures of that go back to last decade.
With device based encryption, only encrypted apps, hardware selected to be secure against specific man-in-the-middle attacks, black doors, and leakages the AnoPhone may be one of the most secure options available.
Of course, biggest threat to security is still the user. Don’t renew the VPN after first year and install an email client which works with gmail... good luck if you relied on the security of the AnoPhone.
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thanks for a detailed response. definitely helps me better understand the hunt.
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Currently for rights activists and journalist in dangerous nations (I think yours belongs to that group too) it's usually this:
VPN plus Wickr/Signal/WhatsApp combined with burner numbers linked to anonymous prepaid debit cards [connected to prepaid SIMs]. Depending on how on the ball agencies are that may also require to ditch phones every xx days, or at least take them out of rotation for few years until definitely not targeted anymore.
News organizations will also have SecureDrop setups (has anybody already hunted that?)
WhatsApp is Signal-based but closed source. Security agencies have publicly discussed the need to be able to listen in, as additional user and that would require the
x joined conversationnotification to be removed or not shown for backdoor entries. Obviously that's also a security risk, backdoors can be discovered by criminals too.Will FB succomb long-term to such requests? Nobody knows because closed source. Will Google if they have an end-to-end encrypted messenger? Nobody knows...
Currently IT departments for say Reuters must order phones on which they can install a hardened android fork but also have processors which allow device based encryption, implement device based encryption. Nextdeactivate location as admin for all apps, except for the secure messenger which allows them to send distress signals. Then they must hope none of the hardware components leak any potentially dangerous data. And they need a SecureDrop admin as well.
Eventually the resource cost runs up and, of course specialized software licenses also cost. Queue maintenance cost of remotely operated updates, all of which need to be checked for security breaches again.
A local rights activists group can not even afford all of that.
AnoPhone makes it all a lot easier and that at a reasonable cost assuming they will provide updates too.
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looks interesting, would be good if it aded PoS based DASH forks ie EXCL
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This is great and innovative phone for crypto users having multiple safety features and offering safe VPN etc.
integrated payment option is great and I hope users can make transactions hassle-free.
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If the price is reasonable, I can see these becoming very popular. Prices have heretofore been way to high for regular people to purchase. Great Hunt!
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I really like this one and I really hope big companies go on this way and creating stuff like this . Great hunt
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Don't expect a HuaweiAno P. 😂
But agreed, and with a solid sales department with reach in corporate I would definitely look at Lenovo to be a potential brand to look into potential of such devices.
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Great hunt
This phone provides more privacy and security which is the demand in this digital world. This phone is having crypto wallet, so the crypto lovers will love it and their assests will be more secure.
Thanks for sharing with us.
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It's a good idea but the market for something like this is small. Most people care more about the branding of their phone and it's fashionableness rather than it's security.
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LOL
Activists and journalists are being targeted on a daily level around the world.
Not my fault most people are clueless. I add this comment to that category.
Welcome to the real world.
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Great phone for crypto lovers and people who gives privacy extreme importance. It is furnished with cool features like encrypted messaging, ip leakeges etc. The only concern is it can be used for illegal activities which is a big threat for our surroundings.
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Because people already don’t use Wickr, Signal, WhatsApp combined with burner numbers linked to anonymous prepaid debit cards [connected to prepaid SIMs] for that, right?
What do you think is most important here?
That some idiots can not live with rules or that rights activists and journalists can operate securely in authoritarian regimes without needing to fear that reporting on human rights atrocies in the Philippines or Saudi Arabia results in them getting arrested, possibly executed, because their mobile device can be tracked via GSM towers?
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Agreed. I am not against the usage for right activities like journalist or human rights activists who sacrifice their due to poor security offered by their mobile. My only concern was it usage in terrorist activities.
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They are known to dump devices every few days. Additionally, many terrorist groups are solidly funded so they can always resort to roaming from countries where prepaid SIMs don't require ID registration.
No system will ever be bullet proof and that shouldn't be the focus either. Minimizing risk matters most and sometimes need to compromise and decide which is the more important element.
Terrorist activities yearly cause less casualties than cars, alcohol, and tobacco do on their own. They are not even a statistical blip on the radar when totalling those three and also throwing Big Pharma in the mix.
I think we should continue to fight terrorists but gotta maintain a healthy perspective. After all, terrorism thrives on causing fear.
Which is exactly what is displayed here.
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AnoPhone seem to be a great innovation for cryptocurrency lovers and I never heard any phone like this before. Features like ip leakage protection, encryption and safe VPN are great. Impressive hunt
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Hi @fknmayhem!
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Congratulations!
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This new phone looks awesome! Wish it had more than just a BTC wallet though!
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