Blackphone has released a major update for PrivatOS and promised the creation of a new app store dedicated to protecting user privacy and security.
The smartphone maker announced on Tuesday that its custom Android operating system, PrivatOS, is getting its biggest update since its launch. PrivatOS 1.1 will include a new feature called Spaces, which is similar to Samsung Knox and offers the creation of separate, independent “spaces” for apps, data, and user accounts on a device.
Spaces is the result of a collaboration between Blackphone and Graphite Software . While the “ Silent Space ” feature comes pre-installed on Blackphone devices and includes the Silent Suite for encrypted communication, Spaces can also be used to separate work and play, as the user can create dedicated spaces for parents and children, or create spaces on their phone related to any topic – such as travel or relaxation.
Speaking to The Inquirer, Blackphone CEO Toby Weir-Jones said he hopes the app store will encourage developers to contribute new solutions.
“We don’t want to be an untrustworthy, third-party app store – there are plenty of those already,” Weir-Jones. “We want to provide a selective and curated collection of privacy-focused apps that includes not just password managers and email encryption apps, but apps that handle user data appropriately.”
Initially, the app store will only offer free apps, but paid apps — including those with in-app purchases — will be available at a later date, according to the report. However, these apps will have to go through a review process by Blackphone, which will check an app’s permissions. For example, if an email app requires access to a phone’s microphone and camera, it may not be considered suitable for inclusion on Blackphone.
The Blackphone app store will be available to existing Blackphone users until January 2015, before opening its doors to users of other Android devices .
