Most Secure Phone: 5 Options for 2024

It is more important than ever to ensure we keep our data safe. One of the best first steps toward data protection is purchasing hardware that prioritizes your security.

Many phones on the market have beefy security features for your personal data, offering you some extra peace of mind. Here is an overview of some of the most secure phones you can purchase as of 2024.

What Phones Offer the Best Data Protection in 2024?

Purism Librem 5

The Librem 5 by Purism has security at the forefront of its design. It has three kill switches for the WiFi, mobile network, and camera, with easy access to disabling the GPS. The phone also employs tracking blockers on your browsers to make surfing the internet as safe as possible, which even some computers lack.

However, the phone is technologically unimpressive, and it is relatively slow compared to other modern smartphones. The CPU, RAM, and storage are below the current industry standard, making privacy the only strong selling point for the Librem 5.

Sirin Labs Finney U1

What sets the Finney U1 apart is its unique distinction as a “blockchain phone.” This means that a crypto wallet is integrated directly into the phone’s native software. If you prioritize being able to easily access a safe and secure crypto wallet from your phone, the Finney U1 is exactly the device you are looking for.

Beyond that, however, the U1 does not really have any special privacy features worth noting. The crypto capabilities are an interesting feature, but you have to be in the market for that niche to make full use of it.

Sirin Labs Solarin

Another Sirin Labs product, the Solarin, has been touted as the “most secure phone.” It has military chip-to-chip encryption with 24/7 security support. Sirin Labs claim that the phone is unhackable.

Here is the flip side: it costs $17,000. This is a luxury phone for the rich and powerful, and it was never meant for the general population. This is not a product the average consumer would take seriously.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone 15 Pro Max (and the rest of the iPhone 15 series) has taken its commitment to privacy to a new level. Importantly, they have added app tracking transparency to iOS to make it easier than ever to stay in control of where your data is going and who can access it. It also sports privacy protecting the A15 bionic chip.

If you really value your privacy, you might want to turn off iCloud, as Apple has many apps that are connected to the Cloud, which has a history of security issues. It is the most powerful phone on this list, but it is also not particularly impressive when it comes to security.

Google Pixel 8

The Google Pixel 8 and its operating system, Android 14, have made a number of privacy-based upgrades since the last generation. It has a privacy dashboard that feeds you information on your location data, camera, and microphone. This gives you a clear idea of what your phone is tracking and recording.

It also has a Titan M2 chip, which is explicitly designed with data privacy in mind. The Pixel 6 has taken many strides, along with Android phones in general, to increase your privacy and data transparency.

What Is Data Protection?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) lays out seven key data protection principles:

• Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency
• Purpose limitation
• Data minimization
• Accuracy
• Storage limitation
• Integrity and confidentiality (security)
• Accountability

It is up to data controllers to ensure that these protections are in place for consumers. It is required that data be kept as safe as possible and that any distribution is transparent and done with consent.

Why Is Data Protection Important for Smartphones?

Our lives, both at work and home, revolve around our smartphones in this day and age. In this world of mobile work, we are constantly connecting our phones to unknown websites and internet connection points.

We keep our passwords and bank account information on our smartphones. We need to be able to trust our phones if we want to be able to function at all in this modern era.

With data protection, you can have peace of mind when connecting to a WiFi network, knowing that your phone is safe or when browsing the web on a non-home network.

Data protection can keep your identity and your personal information safe from hackers and other unwanted eyes.

How Is Data Security Governed?

While the European Union has the GDPR, the United States has a huge amalgamation of many different laws pertaining to data protection. At a general level, the FTC protects consumers against deception from companies that can access their data. Different states also have different enforceable laws when it comes to breaching data protection standards.

Financial services and healthcare have their own laws and safeguards surrounding data privacy and maintenance. Because of how complicated these many laws are, it is important to stay educated on the rules and regulations in your region of the country.

The Bottom Line

What’s the best phone to protect my data? If you have $17,000 to burn, then the most secure phone is the Sirin Labs Solarin, hands down. If you're just a mere mortal like the rest of us without that kind of money to spend on a mobile phone, then the Google Pixel 8 is the winner.

The Google Pixel 8 is the best phone for avoiding a data breach. It is a solid smartphone with cutting-edge features and a comfortable user interface, but it is also a very strong option for people who want data privacy.

It has better security initiatives than the iPhone 15 Pro Max while being more practically useful than the Purism or Solarin phones. It is a great all-around option that anybody in the world could use with a sense of comfort, knowing that their data is safe.

Luckily, you don't need to break the bank to get a secure mobile phone. Try our free, unbiased Phone Deal Finder to get a quick head-to-head comparison of carrier phone deals based on your budget, desired perks, and phone needs in just a few clicks. We narrow down thousands of iPhone deals into a few most suitable to your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most secure phone?

The Librem 5 by Purism is the most secure phone available. Ithas security at the forefront of its design. It has three kill switches for the WiFi, mobile network, and camera, with easy access to disabling the GPS. The phone also employs tracking blockers on your browsers to make surfing the internet as safe as possible, which even some computers lack.

What is the most hacked phone?

Android phones are generally more frequently hacked than iPhones due to their open-source nature and the larger variety of devices and manufacturers, which can lead to inconsistent software updates and security vulnerabilities. More specifically, Samsung phones tend to be the most hacked devices in the world.

Are Androids or iPhones more secure?

Apple iPhones are generally considered more secure than Android phones due to Apple's controlled ecosystem, consistent software updates, and strict app store policies. Android, being open-source and fragmented across many devices, can be more vulnerable, especially on models with delayed or no security updates.