The Blackphone, unveiled last week by Spanish startup Geeksphone, enables users to make encrypted phone calls, send encrypted texts and browse the web anonymously. But will it be NSA-proof?

Age: Due to launch in June.

Appearance: Initially shiny, then covered in greasy fingerprints.

Is this the new iPhone? I've heard Apple is working on a revolutionary design that will last a whole morning without recharging. Sadly not. This is indeed a smartphone, but it comes from a Spanish startup called Geeksphone. It's aimed at users who want increased protection from eavesdroppers and hackers.

Drug dealers and terrorists, in other words? Among many others who don't want their credit-card details stolen or their sexts intercepted. According to Geeksphone's CEO, 21-year-old Javier Agüera, "Blackphone is meant for people from all walks of life who are concerned with privacy. It can be normal users from the street, or politicians or whatever."

And what will they be able to do with it? Make encrypted phone calls, send encrypted texts and browse the web anonymously, thanks to a partnership with American security company Silent Circle. The Blackphone, which was unveiled at last week's Mobile World Congress, will run a version of Android called PrivatOS, which patches a number of security holes and offers greater control over the information that can be harvested by third-party apps.

In English? It will be harder for a game you download, for example, to steal the contents of your address book.

What about government spies? Will they still be able to shove their pointy noses where they're not wanted? In theory, yes. The maker admits that the phone will not be NSA-proof. "Bad guys wanting to talk to each other probably shouldn't be using a phone at all," Blackphone's general manager told the technology blog TechCrunch. That presumably also applies to good guys who would rather keep their confidential conversations confidential.

What's the competition? The aerospace company Boeing is working on its own Android-based smartphone for government agencies, the military and their contractors. As well as offering encryption, the Boeing Black is designed to self-destruct if anyone attempts to tamper with the hardware.

Where can I get one of these? You can pre-order Geeksphone's Blackphone now for $629 (£375), for delivery in June. The Boeing Black will only be available to members of approved organisations.

Does that include the Guardian? We've had some fascinating collaborations with the security establishment. Er … Almost certainly not.

Do say: "Does it offer end-to-end encryption?"

Don't say: "Does it come in white?"