There have been a slew of business-focused smartphones being released over the past few months, including the likes of the new BlackBerry Priv and the Silent Circle Blackphone 2.

There's one new device that is security- and privacy-focused but takes a slightly different approach to achieve that. The device is called the GranitePhone, and it's made by Archos.

Many security-focused smartphones create silos, or protected compartments for different data and smartphone activities. This works well for those who use their phone for both business and their personal life, ensuring that the two don't mix. If, for example, the data on the personal side is compromised, the user's business files and activities should remain protected.

Rather than doing this, however, the GranitePhone makes use of a platform by a company called Sikur, which is cloud-based and uses multiple layers of authentication to implement a high level of security. Instead of creating silos for data, the phone itself is the single silo, ensuring that the user's data remains under lock and key. Of course, this might be problematic for those who want to have a number of different secure compartments, but for others, this might be a great solution.

Sikur itself isn't unique to the GranitePhone or even Android, instead being a multi-platform solution that can span a number of different devices.

While the GranitePhone is ultra-secure, it's unfortunately not ultra-high powered, instead opting for more modest specifications. It makes use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of onboard storage. The rear-facing camera offers a pretty nice 16 MP sensor, and the front-facing camera is 5 MP. The device is also fairly pricey and is clearly targeted toward the enterprise rather than the individual, coming in at a cool $849.

While the device isn't bad, the idea of it will hopefully spur other highly secure devices for both personal and business use. Until then, if you or your company can afford it, the GranitePhone is a great solution. You can head to the GranitePhone website for more information or to buy the device.

Via: Slashgear