Boeing to produce super-secure Android phone later in 2012

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Boeing? Certainly smartphones would not be near the top of the list, but that is about to change. According to National Defense Magazine, the Seattle based aerospace firm is working on a super-secure Android handset which it expects to launch sometime before the end of the year. Boeing president Roger Krone did not reveal the specs of the device or a specific release date, but he did say that the Boeing Phone (for lack of a better name for now) is almost finished with its development cycle.

Obviously this is not going to be a model that you will be able to buy from your local carrier with a 2-year contract. Super-secure communication equipment often runs into the five-figure price range, but by using a open source OS, Boeing will be able to enter this market with a much lower cost to buyers. And just who purchases such a device? Consider the Defense Department and multi-national corporations as among interested parties.

Cost wasn't the only reason why Boeing choose to go with the Android OS. Krone said that by going with Google's open source OS, users of the Boeing Phone will be seeing the same platform on the handset they use for business as the one on their personal phone. The discontinued Dell Streak 5 was the first Android model approved for use by the Department of Defense. Boeing has a much tighter relationship with the military than Dell ever did so it should be interesting to see what features Boeing has built into an Android phone designed for secrecy.

source: NationalDefenseMagazine via TechCrunch