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"Over the past few months, various phone companies have unveiled \"ultra-secure\" smartphones, ostensibly in response to growing concerns about digital privacy in the wake of allegations from former NSA analyst Edward Snowden. Now, one company is making that connection plainly obvious by nicknaming its privacy device the \"Snowden Phone.\"\nFreedomPop, a company that sells free wireless service, is launching a phone \u2014 formally called the Private Phone \u2014 that will secure all voice calls and texts with 128-bit encryption. It also provides VPN for anonymous web browsing. Since it runs on FreedomPop's network, which makes use of some of Sprint's unused capacity, the company is letting users change their phone number whenever they want.\nSee also: 9 Things You Would Immediately Fail Without Your Smartphone\nAppropriately, FreedomPop is letting customers pay in Bitcoin, which it says will anonymize the purchase.\nThe actual hardware is a Samsung Galaxy S II, a phone almost three years old now, so don't expect the best performance in terms of apps and web services. It packs a dual-core 1.2GHz Samsung Exynos processor, 16GB of storage and an 8-megapixel camera. The price is $189, and remember, that includes free calls and text. Data is free, too, but it's limited to 50MB a month, and it lasts only three months. After that, it's $10 a month.\nGiven the limits in data and hardware, it's clear the so-called Snowden Phone is intended as a supplementary device for when you want a secure device, and not as a person's primary smartphone.\nFreedomPop claims the phone prevents third parties from eavesdropping on your communications (including marketers), protects from malware and bypasses \"website restrictions\" on websites. While encryption does add a layer of extra security, nothing is totally secure: If you use the Private Phone to call landlines, for example, there's no guarantee of protection. Also, it's unclear to what extent government agencies such as the NSA can defeat encryption.\nThe Private Phone is just the latest in a series of supposedly secure smartphones, which make use of encryption and customized software to build a device with extreme privacy safeguards. The Blackphone, which runs a highly modified version of Android, debuted at Mobile World Congress, and Boeing recently filed a document with the FCC describing a phone that would self-destruct when tampered with.\nBONUS: How the Blackphone Protects Your Privacy\n\n\n\nMobile World Congress 2014\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBlackphone\nThe Blackphone, seen here in Barcelona, Spain, uses some of the most advanced privacy security on the consumer smartphone market, but it's not exactly NSA-proof as has been claimed.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOpera Max Browser\nOpera unveiled a new mobile browser, which claims to reduce bandwidth usage on your android phone.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSamsung Galaxy S5\nSamsung unveiled the Galaxy S5, which sports a fingerprint scanner and water-resistant casing.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSamsung Gear Fit\nIn addition to the Gear 2 and the Gear 2 Neo, Samsung unveiled the Gear Fit. The company's third wearable of Mobile World Congress is lighter than its companions and sports a 1.84 AMOLED curved touchscreen with a 432x128 pixel resolution.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMark Zuckerberg Keynote\nMark Zuckerberg spoke on the future of WhatsApp and Facebook's plans for Internet.org at the Mobile World Congress Keynote.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMark Zuckerberg Keynote\nAsked about future plans to pursue Snapchat, Zuckerberg joked that he was done purchasing companies for a while.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYotaPhone\nThe dual-screen YotaPhone features a rear-facing e-ink display in addition to the main LCD.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNokia Asha 230\nNokia unveiled the newest addition to its Asha line, the 230. This tiny budget Windows phone updates both the Asha line's hardware and software.\n\nImage:  Mashable\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNymi\nNymi is a wearable bracelet that reads the user's heart rate to authenticate identity.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Adario Strange\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSamsung Gear 2\nSamsung's new smartwatch drops the \"Galaxy\" moniker in favor of some added features: a heart-rate sensor and an IR blaster to control your TV among others.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSony SmartBand SWR10\nOriginally unveiled at CES 2014, Sony's SmartBand SWR10 features Lifelog, a 24 hour comprehensive tracking system.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nZTE Open C\nZTE introduced a line of Firefox smartphones, including the Open C. \n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nZTE Grand Memo II\nZTE introduced a flagship smartphone, the Grand Memo II.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlcatel Idol 2\nAlcatel introduced the One Touch Idol 2, an Android 4.3 (Kit Kat) smartphone with a 5-inch display. \n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlcatel Idol 2\nAlcatel introduced the Idol 2 mini in a range of bright colors. \n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLG G Pro 2\nLG introduced the G Pro 2 on Sunday, a device designed to give phablet lovers a significant performance upgrade. Complete with a 5.9-inch HD IPS display and a 13-megapixel camera with OIS+ (Optical Image Stabilizer Plus) it is powered by a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor and comes in Silver, White and Titan. \n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLG G2 Mini\nLG also introduced the G2 mini, a device the company is calling its first \"compact smartphone.\" The screen measures just 4.7 inches and comes with either a 1.7GHz or 1.2GHz quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel or 8-megapixel camera capable of shooting 4K video. \n\nImage:  Mashable, Nina Frazier-Hansen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNokia X\nNokia unveiled the Nokia X, a budget-model Android phone priced at 89 euros (roughly $120). \n\nImage:  Mashable, Adario Strange\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSONY Xperia Z2\nSony unveiled the Xperia Z2, the company's new flagship smartphone, a mere four months after introducing Xperia Z1 and one year after launching the first phone in the series, the Xperia Z.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSONY Xperia M2\nSony also decided to upgrade its mid-range smartphone offering with the Xperia M2.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSONY Xperia Z2 Tablet\nSony introduced the 10.1-inch Xperia Z2 Tablet with an ultra-thin, waterproof case.\n\nImage:  Mashable, Stan Schroeder\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHave something to add to this story? 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