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NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

nitrokey.com

21–30 of 71 posts

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#21
post #7

Why do you need to insert a man in the middle vector? I mean GrapheneOS even provides it's users a web based installer. I really hate these marketing schemes based on privacy buzzwords.

Right? How do I know this isn't a CIA front shipping bugged phones to the users with something to hide? [0] NitroPhone's target demographic is very paranoid^B^B^B security conscious types, they should at least have a FAQ convincing me they're not the feds :)

[0] https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/national-...

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#22
post #10

€250 to solder off components seems steep. It takes me less than 30min, i can imagine it takes a lot less to disassemble+desolder+reassemble if you do it all day. Can't see this taking up more than 1 manhour. If they added a switch instead of desolder the price would have been more reasonable (but still steep, it can buy a usable phone on its own)

It takes some skill, entails some risk (can fuck it up or the customer could be a tool), takes some time. Between skilled labor and risk, sounds about fair to me.

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#23
post #20

If you're in the market for such a phone may I ask, without judgement, why? I'm very interested in whether this is aimed particularly at certain professions, if more and more people fear violation of personal privacy, etc. Again, no judgement or preconception - I'm asking in good faith.

I'm probably vaguely close to the market for this. My reasons would be privacy and security concerns. Phones are creepy, they have access to _everything_, are carried everywhere, and we have little knowledge or control of what they're doing.

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#24

Does anybody knows this company or use any of its products? Because this looks like a scam or another company providing security service for criminals (or will be mostly used by them).

I am using their FIDO 2 USB-Keys for 2FA. First I was sceptical too, but they are on the market for quite a while and I like their fully FOSS approach which Yubikey does not provide. Some of their products seem a bit overpriced, because you can do everything by yourself, but if I count all the hours and days spent with unlocking Bootloaders, searching ROMs and debugging them, this offer seems worth the price.

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#25
post #7

Why do you need to insert a man in the middle vector? I mean GrapheneOS even provides it's users a web based installer. I really hate these marketing schemes based on privacy buzzwords.

Right? How do I know this isn't a CIA front shipping bugged phones to the users with something to hide? [0] NitroPhone's target demographic is very paranoid^B^B^B security conscious types, they should at least have a FAQ convincing me they're not the feds :) [0] https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/national-...

> NitroPhone's target demographic is very paranoid^B^B^B security conscious types

Let's not add anymore stigmatization in an area where it would serve us all to be a little more paranoid about the amount of spying and corporate+government intrusion that is now the norm in our lives. So many things I would have thought were conspiracy theories a mere 10 years ago are now true. The slippery slope is not a fallacy anymore.

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#27
post #7

Why do you need to insert a man in the middle vector? I mean GrapheneOS even provides it's users a web based installer. I really hate these marketing schemes based on privacy buzzwords.

Right? How do I know this isn't a CIA front shipping bugged phones to the users with something to hide? [0] NitroPhone's target demographic is very paranoid^B^B^B security conscious types, they should at least have a FAQ convincing me they're not the feds :) [0] https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/national-...

Just found their "About the company" page: https://www.nitrokey.com/about They say that they are totally self-financed and produce their Nitrokeys only in Germany to prevent supply chain attacks.

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#28
post #20

If you're in the market for such a phone may I ask, without judgement, why? I'm very interested in whether this is aimed particularly at certain professions, if more and more people fear violation of personal privacy, etc. Again, no judgement or preconception - I'm asking in good faith.

People say they have nothing to hide. Yet would you hand your unlocked cell phone over to a stranger? People give away all kind of personal data for free to adtech.

If you have serious privacy concerns phones like this makes sense.

Re: NitroPhone 2/Pro with 4.5 years of software updates

#29

How is this any better than just buying a brand name android phone and putting calyxOS or some custom ROM like lineage on it?

They do the work for you. You could just buy a Pixel 6 and throw GrapheneOS on it, but this is not financially viable if you count the hours needed, especially if you want to recommend a secure phone to non technical friends and not configure it for them.
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