Ledger has been accused of failing to “read the room” after the company unveiled its new $849 Atom wallet device just days after falling victim to an $86 million draining hack which led to it suspending multiple resellers.

Users on X have called Ledger’s Atom announcement the “worst timing ever,” with others suggesting that the announcement should have been delayed. 

Whoever thought it's a good idea announcing a new product right after everything that took place recently needs to be fired asap

The Atom, which Ledger says is “not designed to replace your phone,” is a security-focused Android device that looks like a phone but without the ability to make calls and send texts. 

According to The Verge, it will use an eSIM that will be restricted to data capabilities only. Users can still download apps, so in practice, data can still be used for internet-based messages and calls. 

The relatively small size of previous Ledger wallets meant users could at least keep them in a pocket without much trouble. However, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be willing to carry around what is essentially a second phone.

It runs on Android OS and Ledger-OS, its own system that can handle “transactions, logins, and sensitive data.” The device will also come with a so-called “privacy switch” that claims to cut “the camera and mic at the circuit level.”

Last week, Ledger users suffered a more-than-$86 million draining attack that used spyware implanted in devices sold by official Malaysian reseller CryptoBilis.

Source link