Liquid metal Turing Phone delayed to Q1 2016

The so-called Turing Phone, whose alleged tight security and all-liquid metal enclosure have earned it considerable buzz, has been delayed beyond its scheduled December 18 shipping deadline.

According to an explanatory letter (via Android Police), penned to customers who preordered the handset, Turing Robotic Industries (TRI) CEO Steve Y.L. Chao said the phone is now scheduled to ship before the end of 2016’s first quarter.

Chao stated that while the hardware is completely ready, the company needs more time to integrate its proprietary encryption with stock Android so that, among other things, the Google Play Store is securely supported. In an interview with VentureBeat, Chao claimed that each handset’s embedded Turing encryption key makes its communications “virtually uncrackable by hackers.”

By liquid metal, the company means that its shell is fabricated completely from Liquidmorphium, a highly durable material for which TRI reportedly invented a unique manufacturing process to enable mass production.

In addition to the enclosure, the device’s other signature hardware quality is a nanoparticle coating on both the exterior and interior components that is said to make it completely waterproof, even when delicate internal electronics are completely submerged in water.

As a way to encourage customers to continue waiting instead of cancelling their orders upon learning of the delay, the company is offering a free memory upgrade for all preorders: 16GB models get bumped to 64GB, 64GB to 128GB, and 128GB to the phone’s “limited edition” SKU.