You’ve probably never heard of Macate before but they have been making GATCA and “Cyberphone” smartphones for a while now right out of Silicon Valley. They specialize in secure mobile communication and media devices as well as secured financial transaction equipment, which should tip you off at what they believe sets them apart from the pack: security.
Today at CES Macate introduced their newest Android phone, the GATCA Elite Cyberphone. It’s not a bad looking phone but based on the specs, it seems to be a wholly unmiraculous phone:
- SoC: MT6735 1. 3GHz Octa Core
- Memory: 2GB RAM
- 32GB internal storage & up to 32GB (MicroSD)
- Camera: Rear 13MP + Front 5MP
- SIM: Dual Sim
- Display: 5.5″ (1280*720} IPS
- Dimensions: 152.8*77.9*7.0mm
- OS: Android v5.1
- Battery: 3000 mAh
- Connectivity: 2G Quad-Band; 3G Band 12 4 5; 4G Band 2 4 5 12 17
- WiFi: IEEE 802.11b/g/n
The value, according to Macate, comes when you examine the highly customized version of Android that lives inside of the phone. Macate touts the below security features as the selling points for the GATCA Elite:
- GeoLock—location-based security settings to unlock/lock the phone and/or specific files at designated locations.
- COIN SL—device lockdown feature to protect users from personal information theft when their phone is lost or stolen, the SIM card is removed or an unfamiliar one is reinserted.
- TrueFace—facial recognition software with liveliness detection capabilities to guarantee the phone and files are safe from intruders attempting access with a 2D image.
- Duo AES—Advanced encryption software to support 256-bit encryption for optimal data security as well as 512-bit military-grade encryption for working with highly classified information.
The phone also comes with an email encryption app, end-to-end message encryption, and more. It would seem that if you’re a security junkie that this type of device would appeal to you but based on what we know at this point, it’s going to be a tough sell especially when they’re selling it for $850. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, though, it comes in black or white variants  and is available now through Macate’s website by sending them a request.
