Quasar IV: Supersecure Android ninja phone (pictures)

A self-funded Indiegogo project with lofty goals vows to do the following: create the most secure Android smartphone on the planet. It's calling this wonder device the Quasar IV.

With a heavy emphasis on layers of software-based and local encryption, the prototype's physical design reinforces the message of strength with hard edges and a thick, blocky form.

Ports take up an unusual position on the phone's base.

QSAlpha marks the top of its prototype phone and stylizes the 13-megapixel dual-lens camera openings.

Brushed aluminum and a snappy motif signify the bottom of this new phone.

Screws near the volume rocker reinforce the device's waterproof rating.

From the front, the Quasar IV is an innocent-looking phone. Little do you know, it also contains an unheard-of 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

Hardware chips locally store encrypted data, like calls, texts, and e-mail.

A look at the Quasar IV, all broken down.

Fortifying its security stance, the Quasar IV and QuaOS present a new password grid built on top of Android 4.3.

A buttoned-up look characterizes the phone's app grid.

QSAlpha seems to show off different 3D widgets for customizing home pages.

There are both dark and light themes.

Customization includes wallpaper.

You'll be able to place various widgets where you'd like.

Sketches demonstrate the evolution of the Quasar IV.

This set of sketches offers a rare glimpse at the birth of a new smartphone, from the inside out.