The $20,000 mobile: Sirin's 'Rolls-Royce of smartphones' to come with military-grade security

Smartphone users worried by the constant threat from hackers can protect their privacy with a new mobile packed with military-grade security but it won't come cheap after manufacturer Sirin announced the handset it calls 'the Rolls-Royce of smartphones' will cost $20,000 (£13.804, €17.742).

The British-Israeli start-up has made some bold claims for its smartphone, which is being dubbed 'Solarin' and says it will be more private than any other phone on the market and utilise technology two to three years ahead of rivals. A statement from Sirin Labs stated they want to "create the most advanced mobile device that combined the highest privacy settings, operated faster than any other phone, built with the best materials from around the world".

It is aimed at the high-end business user who wants to bolster the security of the data on their mobile phone but are unable to find a solution combining the latest smartphone features with maximum levels of protection, all wrapped up in an ultra-premium package. Little information has been released or is available on its website about the handset, except it will run a version of Android OS and is set for release in May.

The Solarin's high-level security is lightly hinted at in the firm's press release: "Led by Fredrik Oijer, former product director of Sony Mobile, SIRIN LABS has research and development teams working from its bespoke facility in Tel Aviv, a high-tech epicentre built around internet security, anti-virus software and cyber-defence technologies."

The phone's concept came after one of its backers had his own mobile phone hacked in 2013 and when looking for the most secure smartphone around all that was on offer were military handsets, which lacked apps and many features of modern phones. Since then Sirin Labs has managed to raise $72 million (£49.6 million, €63.8) in private funding in order to kick start the launch of the device as well as its first physical store in Mayfair, London.

The project is being backed by some heavyweight players including former head of brand for McLaren and Roll-Royce, former Sony Mobile CTO, former head of Israeli National Cyber Bureau and former Barcelona FC President Joan Laporta.

The $20,000 price tag might make most people choke with disbelief but Sirin's co-founder Moshe Hogeg claims high-power executives and corporate CEOs would find it a small price to pay in comparison to the price of the fallout from a hack.

IBTimes UK has contacted Sirin Labs for more information on the Solarin smartphone but at the moment its full details remain a mystery, including what it will look like, how it will work and what materials it will be made from to warrant its expensive price tag.