Donald Trump gives up his Android phone for a CIA-approved device

President-elect Donald Trump has finally given up his Android phone. As the soon-to-be-president of the United States, security protocol requires that he use a more secure handset for communication purposes.

Before Obama, presidents weren’t really allowed to carry a modern smartphone as we know it. They had to pick from a list of approved, secure devices that would look more at home in a 1970s sci-fi movie than in the hands of a modern US president.

As ArsTechnica points out, the choices aren’t very good ones. The options include devices running Windows CE. Yes, that Windows CE, the one that existed before the iPhone.

Barack Obama had kicked up a fuss when he was forced to dump his phone and the secret service eventually obliged him with a BlackBerry device that was later upgraded to an iPhone, says the Associated Press (AP).

Obama’s smartphone was dumbed down in the name of security, however. Apparently, it could only send and receive emails from select addresses, couldn’t install apps, make calls or even take photos.

Trump will take office later today and has already been given his new, secure phone. Nobody knows what phone it is yet, but AP thinks it’s an iPhone. AP also points out that Trump claims to not use email and that he prefers to tweet. He does love answering phone calls though and reportedly answers every call he can.

As POTUS, Trump will never make calls from a personal cell phone again. All his calls will be routed through the White House’s switchboards. The White House does have a Twitter handle, one that Trump will be allowed to use.

Trump does intend to maintain his existing Twitter account, allegedly to “combat media bias”, reports The Washington Examiner .

“It’s my only way that I can counteract when people make misstatements about me, I’m able to say it and call them out,” Trump is quoted as saying.

As to the fate of Trump’s existing Android phone, the curators of the Newseum are hoping to get their hands on it and have put in a request for the device.

The Newseum is a museum dedicated to “the evolution of electronic communication.”