vectroTEL X8 - Secure GSM Phone
Status
unknown 25th May 2006
The vectroTEL X8 is a tri-band GSM phone
with an added encryption module to make communications
much more secure than on a standard GSM phone. This
is done using a combination of AES and Diffie-Hellman
encryption. This combination of encryption techniques
is highly effective at providing a communications channel
which is virtually uncrackable, but only when a call
is made between compatible vectroTel handsets.
Produced by Vectronix
AG of Switzerland, the vectroTEL X8 is the sort
of thing that would give many governments nightmares,
but it's worth bearing in mind that even with the sophisticated
encryption that the vecroTEL X8 offers, it's still possible
to work out who is calling who and the physical location
of the parties involved. And any call to a non-vectroTEL
handset would be protected by the weaker level of security
that GSM uses.
A recent bugging scandal in Greece
demonstrates that potentially anybody with valuable
information could be at risk from eavesdropping, and
that the people listening in might not necessarily be
entitled to do so. You could argue that this sort of
device is ideal for terrorists and drug dealers.. on
the other hand, you could argue that it effectively
protects the rights of individuals from snooping.
It's
a pretty conventional mobile phone in technical terms.
In fact, it's a modified Sagem
myX-8 device - the encryption module is installed
on the miniSD card in the myX-8, turning it into the
vectroTEL X8. It has a QVGA screen, 1.3 megapixel camera
and Bluetooth and all the other usual features you'd
expect. The previous vectroTEL model was the S3, a handset
based on the Sagem MW 3026, a monochrome handset from
2001. Even though the myX-8 is a somewhat uncommon handset,
it does at least draw less attention than the five-year-old
clunker that the previous model was. The X8 and S3 models
can make secure calls to each other, so on the offchance
that you have the vectroTEL S3, you shouldn't have any
difficulties if you buy some X8 handsets too.
We understand that the vectroTEL X8
will be available during Q3 2006, priced in the €500-600
range.
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vectroTEL
X8 at a glnace
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Available:
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Q3
2006
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Network:
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Tri-band
GSM
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Data:
|
GPRS
|
Screen:
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240x320
pixels, 256k colours
|
Camera:
|
1.3
megapixels
|
Size:
|
Medium-large
candy bar 115x47x21mm
/ 125 grams
|
Bluetooth:
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Yes
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Infra-red:
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Yes
|
Polyphonic:
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Yes
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Java:
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Yes
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Battery
life:
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5 hours talk / 12 days standby
approx
|
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