Finding the Most Secure Cell Phone Right Now: Tips + 6 Reviews

As phone manufacturers aim to outdo each other with powerful chipsets, AI features, and other advanced technologies, most don’t seem to pay enough attention to privacy and security.

Granted, we’ve seen some notable leaps like Apple’s Secure Enclave technology and Pixel’s dedicated Titan M2 secure chip, but they haven’t stopped cybercriminals from launching around 2.8 million attacks on mobile devices each month in 2024.

In an ongoing effort to make smartphones less vulnerable, several niche manufacturers have developed high-security cell phones that go beyond mainstream security features. This guide will cover several noteworthy options to help you find the most secure cell phone that keeps your data safe and private.

What To Look For in a Secure Cell Phone

Besides conventional security features like biometric authentication, the most secure mobile phones should implement at least some of the following measures:

• Hardened OS: Security-focused operating systems like GrapheneOS or custom locked-down Android builds reduce the system’s attack surface by patching both common and hidden vulnerabilities.
• Strong encryption: While traditional encryption protocols like AES-256 offer decent security, phone manufacturers should implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) wherever possible to give users control over their data.
• Secure boot process: Your device should only run firmware and software signed by the manufacturer to prevent malware from loading at startup.
• Trusted execution environment: Biometric data and encryption keys should be isolated from the rest of the system through a dedicated secure enclave to provide an additional security layer for critical data and credentials.
• Physical kill switches: In addition to software-based protection, secure phones should have hardware kill switches built in to cut off access to the device’s camera, microphone, and other components as needed.
• Regular updates: Cyberattacks evolve continuously, so a safe phone should have at least several years of OS and patch updates to account for new tactics used by malicious actors.

Most Secure Phones on the Market: 6 Options To Check Out

Among dozens of security-focused cell phones that have surfaced in the last few years, these options stand out because of their comprehensive protection and best security and privacy features:

1. Purism Librem 5
2. Bittium Tough Mobile 2C
3. Fairphone 5
4. Google Pixel with GrapheneOS
5. Apple iPhone 15 Pro
6. Samsung Galaxy S24

Read on to learn about each device’s most notable security measures, features, and pricing.

1. Purism Librem 5

Librem 5 is Purism’s flagship device that combines security-focused hardware and software to minimize the potential attack surface and provide much more privacy than commercial manufacturers.

The phone runs PureOS (an open-source GNU/Linux OS), which removes the concerns around hidden tracking by a large platform provider. The downside is that the app ecosystem is significantly more limited than on traditional Android and iOS phones, which can be a problem if you plan to use the Librem 5 as your daily driver.

For additional protection, the device offers physical kill switches for:

• Cellular/Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• Microphone
• Camera

The cellular modem is also physically separated from the main CPU and memory, which prevents malicious parties from gaining access to the device’s data through cellular network attacks.

As for the technical specs, they’re pretty unimpressive and even below the standard of modern smartphones. You get:

• 5.7″ 720×1440 IPS display
• 3 GB RAM
• 32 GB eMMC storage (expandable via microSD)
• 4,500 mAh user-replaceable battery
• puri.sm
• 13MP rear and 8MP front camera

If you don’t mind the modest specs and need a security-focused device, Librem 5 can still be a solid option. It starts at $799, which is reasonable considering the variety of security features.

2. Bittium Tough Mobile 2C

Bittium is a Finnish company that provides secure hardware and software to various sectors, from engineering to defense. On the commercial end, it offers the Tough Mobile series, with the 2C model being the latest one as of this writing.

The device takes a unique approach to privacy and security through a dual-boot architecture. It runs on two operating systems for complete data separation:

1. Hardened Android 11, which makes it one of the safest cell phones for everyday use
2. Proprietary Bittium Secure OS for classified data

Tough Mobile 2C also offers advanced AES encryption managed by a secure element chip that comes with a YubiKey 5 NFC token for two-factor authentication.

All communications can be end-to-end encrypted using the built-in Bittium Secure Suite, making it a safe phone for calls and texts. Of course, the receiving device must also use the Secure Suite, so E2EE only works within Bittium’s ecosystem.

The build quality is another strong suit of this highly encrypted phone; it meets IP67 and MIL-STD-810G standards for water and shock resistance. This toughness comes at the cost of design, though, so the Tough Mobile 2C isn’t the best-looking phone given its bulky footprint.

As for the specs, they include some unimpressive figures:

• 5.5″ 1080p display
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 chipset
• Dual SIM
• Embedded 3000mAh battery
• 12MP rear-facing and 5MP front-facing cameras

Tough Mobile 2C is sold through partners, so it’s not as readily available as some competitors. It’s also a bit costly at $1,500–$2,000+, though the advanced security features somewhat justify the price point.

3. Fairphone 5

If you need a more commercial phone that balances decent security features with solid specs, the Fairphone 5 is worth checking out, especially if you care about sustainability. It’s a socially responsible Android phone with a unique promise of five generations of OS updates.

This contributes to the device’s overall security by ensuring you get all the necessary patches for years.

For additional security and privacy, you can choose a specific version of Fairphone 5 that runs /e/OS—a “deGoogled” Android version that minimizes tracking while still being compatible with all the necessary apps.

Fairphone 5 also comes with the App Lounge feature, which rates each app's privacy and flags trackers so you can remove those that collect excessive data.

Other security features are pretty standard and include:

• Hardware encryption
• Verified boot
• Fingerprint sensor

While you shouldn’t expect best-in-class security, the Fairphone 5 is still one of the most private phones when compared to most commercial devices (especially the /e/OS version). Its specs also trump those of many competitors—you get:

• Qualcomm QCM 6490 Octa-Core chip
• 6.46-inch Full HD+ OLED
• 1224x2700 resolution
• 8 GB RAM
• 50MP main camera and a 50MP ultra-wide camera
• 50MP selfie camera

At €499 (€599 for the /e/OS version), the Fairphone 5 is on the affordable end, which makes it suited for wider audiences. It might not be the best choice for high-risk users, though, mainly because it lacks advanced security features.

4. Google Pixel With GrapheneOS

Google Pixels are among the safest cell phones on the market, largely due to their hardware-backed protections and compatibility with GrapheneOS.

While GrapheneOS isn’t preinstalled, it is compatible with most modern Pixels, starting with the 8th generation. At the moment, the list of GrapheneOS-supported Pixels includes:

• Pixel 10 series, including 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro Fold, and 10a (support pending)
• Pixel 9 series, including 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro Fold, and 9a
• Pixel 8 series, including 8, 8 Pro, and 8a

These devices come with at least seven years of support from launch, ensuring that newly discovered security vulnerabilities are patched throughout that period.

What differentiates GrapheneOS from standard Android is its de-Googled approach. Google Play services aren’t embedded and don't receive any special permissions by default. While you can still download Google apps, they run as regular apps within a sandboxed environment, without elevated system access.

Security-focused hardware also plays a key role. Newer devices include the Titan M2 security chip, secure boot, and hardware-backed key storage, which help protect sensitive data and verify system integrity. These features are also required for GrapheneOS support and enable its enhanced security protections.

Specs and pricing vary across models, but recent Pixel devices typically range from around $450 (Pixel 10a) to $750 (Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL), making them a relatively accessible option considering their security capabilities.

5. Apple iPhone 15 Pro

The iPhone 15 Pro is one of the most secure smartphones on the market, combining a polished user experience with built-in security features.

It runs iOS, a closed ecosystem that doesn’t allow you to replace the operating system. While this limits flexibility, it can be beneficial from a security perspective as reduced system modification lowers the risk of unauthorized tampering and malware exposure.

The key security strengths of the iPhone 15 Pro include:

• Biometric authentication via Secure Enclave: Optic ID, Face ID, and Touch ID use dedicated sensors to capture biometric data for device unlocking. This data is processed and stored within the Secure Enclave, which encrypts it and only approves access after a valid match is confirmed.
• Secure boot chain: Each time the system starts, it runs integrity checks to ensure it has not been tampered with. This process involves a chain of trusted components, including bootloaders, the kernel, and firmware.
• App sandboxing: Apps on iOS run in isolated environments with restricted access to system data and other apps.
• Automatic security updates: Security patches are automatically delivered and installed, helping address vulnerabilities quickly.

The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999. Its specifications are the key reason many users opt for this model:

• Apple A17 Pro chip
• 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
• 2556x1779 resolution at 460 ppi
• 8 GB RAM
• 48MP main camera
• 12MP front camera

6. Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 is a prime example of Android’s security efforts, combining Samsung’s Knox system with built-in hardware protections and long-term OS updates.

Android is arguably less strict than iOS in terms of software- and hardware-level protections, but Samsung addresses this gap with its proprietary security system, Knox. Samsung Knox is a hardware-based security framework that starts at the chip level and provides real-time protection against attacks.

Knox Vault further strengthens this setup by isolating highly sensitive data in a separate secure hardware environment. That helps protect against theft, cyberattacks, and data leaks by keeping critical information physically separated from the main system and continuously monitored for security threats.

Beyond Knox, the Galaxy S24 uses biometric authentication for secure unlocking and app access, as well as up to seven years of automatic security updates for timely vulnerability patching. It also supports E2EE for Samsung Cloud data, ensuring only the user can access stored information. On-device, this protection is extended through Secure Folder, which encrypts and isolates selected data from the rest of the system.

The Galaxy S24 delivers solid flagship-level specs, including:

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (Exynos 2400 for the international version)
• 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display
• 2340x1080 resolution
• 8 GB RAM
• 50 MP main camera
• 12 MP front camera

This model is priced at around $800 for the 128 GB version, whereas the 256 GB variant costs approximately $860.

Final Verdict: Are Secure Phones Worth It?

Some of the potential tradeoffs of using a secure phone that safety-conscious users may encounter with certain models include:

• Manual OS installation and a steeper learning curve
• Less focus on high-end specs in favor of stronger security and privacy
• Limited device compatibility and reduced convenience
• Manual adjustments to maintain certain privacy settings
• Missing or restricted features due to stricter security controls
• Higher phone setup cost if paid apps, VPNs, or additional tools are required

Many modern high-security cell phones aim to balance a seamless user experience with high-level security, making them an important part of the mobile security equation.

However, even the phones hardest to hack are vulnerable to network-based risks such as SIM swap attacks, so it is essential to consider broader protection at the carrier level.

Beyond Device Security: The Importance of Network-Level Protection

While choosing the best phone for privacy and security makes all the difference, so does the network it connects to. Until recently, we’ve been limited to big telcos that don’t focus anywhere near as much as they should on users’ security and privacy. This has led to plenty of data breaches, putting the data of millions of users at risk.

Unfortunately, there’s no way around this because commercial carriers face systemic issues such as weak legacy architecture and outdated security protocols like SS7 and Diameter. Your best bet is to avoid commercial providers altogether and opt for a security-first carrier.

Luckily, the secure phone service market is booming, so you have plenty of options. If you need a solution that gives you full control and ownership of your data, Cape is an excellent choice.

Cape Makes Security the Standard: Here’s How

Cape is America’s privacy-first mobile carrier, providing premium, unlimited, and nationwide call, text, and data. Unlike other providers, our service is built from the ground up with privacy and security at its core.

Mainstream carriers track you and store your data, often without your consent. Cape takes a different path—we collect the absolute minimum amount of information to provide you with service.

Any information we do collect is retained for the minimum amount of time possible. Most carriers store call data records (CDRs) for years, sometimes indefinitely. Cape stores yours for just 24 hours, and we have a commitment to never sell your data.

Cape service includes security features that no other carrier offers:

• Minimal Data Collection: During onboarding, we don’t ask for your name, Social Security number, or address. We only collect what’s necessary to provide you with service, and we retain it for the minimum amount of time possible.
• Identifier Rotation: Every SIM card has an International Mobile Subscriber ID (IMSI), a unique identifier which your device uses to register with cellular networks. Most carriers assign a fixed IMSI that stays the same for the life of your account, making it easy for your carrier, advertisers, and bad actors to identify and track your device over time. Cape breaks that pattern by allowing subscribers to automatically rotate their IMSI every 24 hours, so you appear as a different subscriber every day, making it much more difficult for anyone to follow or track your movements.
• Secondary Numbers: Your phone number is a target for data brokers and scammers. Retailers, websites, apps—everyone is routinely asking you to share your number with them, which exposes you to a variety of risks. Many turn to VoIP numbers to use as secondary lines, which can be helpful, but cost extra, don’t work with 2FA, and aren’t encrypted. Cape provides subscribers with two free additional SMS/MMS lines that are middle-to-end encrypted. With secondary numbers, you can reserve your primary number for communicating with your close friends and family, and use the other for anything from shopping and signing up for discounts, to receiving secure OTPs.
• Disappearing Call Logs: Call and text records reveal a lot about you, from who your closest relationships are to when and where communication took place. With traditional carriers, your call and text metadata doesn’t just disappear; it’s retained, analyzed, and folded into a lasting customer profile. At Cape, we’re built to forget and delete these records after just one day.
• SIM Swap Protection: A SIM swap happens when an attacker convinces your carrier to transfer your number to their device, allowing them to receive your calls and texts, trigger password resets, and gain access to your accounts. Cape protects against SIM swaps by removing humans entirely from the loop. During sign-up, you receive a 24-word phrase that generates a private key tied to your number. This phrase is the only way to move your number to a new device or carrier. No one, not even Cape, can transfer your number without your phrase, giving you full control over your number.
• Network Lock: Traditional cellular networks were designed for interoperability, not security. Outdated and legacy network protocols like SS7 have vulnerabilities that allow attackers to hack in and track your location, intercept your calls and texts, and steal sensitive information. Cape’s Network Lock uses a proprietary signaling proxy to verify that your device’s physical location matches the network it’s trying to attach to. If anything looks suspicious, like a mismatched location, we block the connection.
• Encrypted Voicemail: Voicemails can reveal more than you think, from personal messages to authentication codes, yet most voicemail systems are outdated and unencrypted. Cape encrypts your voicemails so that only you can access them.
• Secure Global Roaming: While you’re traveling abroad, your phone connects to local telecom providers to provide you with connectivity. But not all networks are secure, and not all governments treat privacy the same. Cape routes your traffic through our U.S.-based mobile core. Our Secure Global Roaming gives you the convenience of international data roaming without exposing your identity or communications. You get up to 15GB per month of international roaming included in your plan.

These features are made possible because we’re a “Heavy” Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).

Other MVNOs (such as Mint Mobile, Cricket, etc.) simply ride on top of the mobile core, SIMs, and physical infrastructure of their underlying MNO partner. At Cape, we actually own our own mobile core and provision our own SIMs.

This gives us control over how accounts are authenticated, what data we do and don’t collect, how long we retain it for, as well as the ability to build proprietary features like Identifier Rotation. No other carrier on the market has this capability.

Reclaim Your Privacy: Switch to Cape Today

Ready to ditch traditional telcos and switch to a privacy-first mobile carrier? Visit cape.co/get-cape to sign up.

Thanks to our partnership with Proton, you can also take your privacy a step further and get Proton Unlimited or Proton VPN Plus for only $1 for the first six months.