10 Cutting-Edge Blackphone 2 Features That Enterprises Will Love

Mobile Security On Steroids

As businesses grapple with the security threats that Bring Your Own Device policies can mean for the workplace, Silent Circle has unveiled its own solution -- Blackphone 2.

Silent Circle, an encrypted communications firm, is known for manufacturing the Blackphone, engineered from the ground up to be private by design.

Now the Geneva-based company claims that Blackphone 2 will be a bigger, better and more secure version. The 5.5-inch Blackphone 2, which costs $799, is available for purchase on Monday and contains several new features for companies hoping to strengthen their mobile device management and mobile security platforms.

Following are 10 reasons why Silent Circle's new smartphone will have enterprises cheering.

1. Android For Work

The Blackphone 2, which runs on the Android operating system, now integrates with Google's Android for Work platform.

This platform allows companies to manage and secure employee Android devices, as well as separate business apps from personal apps and set up a dedicated work profile for business content that does not mix with personal content.

By integrating Blackphone 2 with Android for Work, Silent Circle allows customers to seamlessly manage business devices.

2. Spaces

One new feature of the Blackphone 2 is Spaces, which allows enterprise customers to create multiple, separate virtual phones on one device with no data shared between these two virtual spaces.

According to Silent Circle, Spaces allows customers to create up to four separate virtual customizable spaces, as well as keep apps and data secure. Spaces enables customers to compartmentalize their work life and personal life.

3. Silent OS

Blackphone 2 contains Blackphone's rigidly secure operating system, Silent OS. Silent OS is a modified version of Android 5.1 and was created by Silent Circle to provide tighter control over security and privacy settings.

This operating system most importantly enables businesses to control employee applications' unique permission, so that employees with apps are at a decreased risk of breaches.

4. Encryption By Default

On top of other security measures, Blackphone 2 comes preinstalled with Silent Circle's private communication app, Silent Phone.

The smartphone gets encryption by default to ensure extra security precautions for customers. This feature, which is enabled during the initial Blackphone setup, means that Silent Circle encrypts everything from calls, videoconferencing, messages and file transfer services, as well as firmware updates. It also includes a remote wipe setting in case the Blackphone 2 is lost.

5. Google Play

One criticism that Blackphone faced was the fact that Silent circle did not offer access to Google Play and instead launched its own apps store with privacy-customized apps.

Silent Circle has worked to change this, bringing support for Google Play to Blackphone 2. While before Google Play wasn't available for Blackphone users, they now have increased access to the entirety of the Android app ecosystem.

6. Specs

Silent Circle's new Blackphone contains a 5.5-inch HD display as well as a 3060 mAh battery with Quick Charge 2.0, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor.

Silent Circle amped up the external look of the Blackphone with a high-end, sleek design measuring 7.9mm-by-76.4mm-by-152.4mm.

Internally, Blackphone 2 contains 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage, as well as a microSD card slot. The phone also contains a 13-megapixel camera on the back and a 5-megapixel camera on the front.

7. Mobile Device Management Systems

In addition to Android for Work, Blackphone 2 also offers support for other third-party mobile device management platforms to help enterprise customers easily strengthen their mobile security policies in the workplace.

For instance, Blackphone 2 offers support for Citrix, Good Technology and Soti platforms.

8. App Encryption

Blackphone 2 includes app and audio encryption features that enable seamless private communications. For example, Silent Circle took steps to strengthen its "Silent Phone" platform, which allows for peer-to-peer encrypted audio and secure messaging.

In addition, the phone contains smarter Wi-Fi, which helps customers avoid risks from insecure Wi-Fi networks.

9. Security Center

Security Center, which is part of Blackphone 2's Silent OS, allows users to control their privacy settings on the phone.

Security Center enables customers to configure settings for individual Space settings, manage the apps that are in each virtual Space and fine-tune individual app permissions. This feature enables the user to decide the level of data access that each app receives, and further strengthens the enterprise mobile security platform.

10. Price And Availability

Blackphone 2 comes with a hefty price tag of $799, and is available for purchase on Monday.

The Blackphone 2 is fairly costly in comparison to other high-end phones. A 16-GB iPhone 6 starts at $538 for a space-gray model. However, the Blackphone's strengths lie in its enterprise-targeted security and device management platform.