DarkMatter Group announced the launch of their rugged smartphone, KATIM R01, a new smartphone in its KATIM secure phone range designed for extreme field conditions. The new smartphone has been designed, vetted and tested by DarkMatter’s engineers in the UAE, Finland and Canada. 
The rugged device is the latest in the company’s end-to-end secure communications solutions ranging from devices to back end services, and a secure suite of applications based on custom and quantum-resistance cryptographic protocols.
“We combined our expertise in secure communications with everything the mobile market expects in a handset, including a great user experience. Then we challenged the brightest minds in the industry to create a rugged design to withstand extreme field conditions experienced by defence, emergency services, and the construction, mining, transport, energy, oil and gas industries,” said Karim Sabbagh, CEO of DarkMatter Group.
The KATIM R01 has the strength and rigidity delivered by five layers of hardened case, designed to meet two military standards for harsh field conditions. Equally at home on a construction site or an oil field, and it can handle being dropped, run over and immersed in water for 30 minutes.
Smart technology like the in-built barometer, temperature and humidity sensors optimise endurance and durability for vibration, water, dust, altitude and extreme temperatures. Faced with an emergency situation when fast decision-making is critical, KATIM R01 delivers messages sent with GPS coordinates, with a dedicated SOS button and touch screen that is accurate with gloved and wet hand operation.
The device is powered by security features that can separate communications and data from the outside world. Alert to attackers trying to physically break into the phone, it uses active physical and real-time monitoring to instantly detect intrusions and wipes the phone to protect the user’s data. For highly confidential discussions, SHIELD MODE securely cuts off microphones and cameras while still powered on and online.
