Solana’s (SOL) new blockchain-powered smartphone could be ready for consumers as soon as early 2023. This comes at a moment in which Solana (SOL) has been affected by governance issues that pushed the price of this virtual currency lower. The new device is called Saga and it is closely integrated with the Solana blockchain. The goal is to offer users a unique experience to get access to Web3 and NFTs.
In the past, blockchain smartphones were sold as the next evolution of cryptocurrencies. However, established smartphone companies have developed new solutions that made these devices almost unnecessary. That being said, Solana is working on this device from a different approach.
Understanding Solana Labs Smartphone
In a recent press release published by Solana, the new smartphone is called Saga and has been built by Solana Mobile, a subsidiary of Solana Labs.
Made of stainless steel, titanium, ceramic, and Victus, this smartphone wants to become the next blockchain-based flagship smartphone. The goal is to offer unique solutions to individuals in the crypto market and compete with other brands such as Apple, Google and Samsung, which have an already established presence in the smartphone industry.
Anatoly Yakovenko, the co-founder of Solana said:
“Almost 7 billion people use smartphones around the world and more than 100 million people hold digital assets – and both of those numbers will continue to grow. Saga sets a new standard for the Web3 experience on mobile.”
The new smartphone has been designed and manufactured by OSOM, a leading Android development company.
Saga Main Features
As per the report, Saga will have a 6.67 inches OLED display with 12 GB of RAM. The storage option will be 512 GB with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile platform. It is also worth taking into consideration that the device will have an additional Secure Element that is integrated into the phone.
This makes it simpler and easier for users to keep their keys and seed phrases secure from attackers or hackers. Let’s not forget that the cryptocurrency industry has been marked by attacks on individuals that held their digital currencies stored on their smartphones.
The price of this smartphone is $1,000 but the pre-orders for Saga require buyers to deposit $100 which will be fully refundable. The goal is to offer the opportunity to developers to test the smartphone and its capabilities before it reaches the general public.
Let’s not forget that other smartphones such as the iPhone Pro start at $1,000 in the United States. In Europe, the price is slightly higher and can be found for at least €1,300.
Essential’s Phone Future
The Saga smartphone can be considered the evolution of the Essential phone. Why? Because it has been created by the same team of engineers and designers that created the Essential smartphone.
After being released to the market in 2017, this smartphone (the Essential Phone) was then discontinued. One of the main criticisms received by this smartphone was related to the camera performance. Therefore, the team behind OSOM has been working in order to improve the experience of the camera that is currently present on the Saga smartphone.
The main camera has a resolution of 50 megapixels and a 12-megapixel sensor. Instead, the front camera will come with a 16-megapixel Sony IMX481 matrix. Therefore, the goal is to offer better solutions than in the past and make the whole camera experience unique.
A Different Approach to Accessories
Smartphone producers have been focusing on the product rather than on the whole experience offered to the user when it comes to accessories. In the past, those users that purchased an iPhone received a charger and headphones. The goal was to offer a unique iPhone experience combined with high-quality headphones to customers.
However, over the last few years, we have seen how smartphones are now sold without chargers and headphones. However, OSOM preferred doing things a little different from competitors when they presented Saga. Despite the fact that there will be no headphones included in the box, there will be a USB-C to C cable that users would be able to use to charge their one.
At the same time, there is an additional feature to this cable. There is going to be a switch that could disconnect the data pins, protecting users’ privacy. For example, if you are in a public place and you want to connect your phone with the USB-C cable, then you can easily switch the data pins and avoid sharing data with third parties.
Web3 Expansion
Over the last few years, we have seen the expansion of Web3 solutions and protocols. The Decentralized Finance (DeFi) market has been one of the main beneficiaries of how this market evolved. We have seen new protocols being released to the market and attracting users from all over the world.
Despite this expansion, there have been some issues that are important to address. These issues include the fact that it is very difficult for users to get access to these services if they don’t have basic knowledge of blockchain technology.
Indeed, the Solana blockchain network has been working in order to offer better and more user-friendly solutions to users from all over the world. With the creation of the Saga smartphone, it might become easier and faster for users to get access to the market and engage with different Web3 and DeFi protocols.
The future of Solana could be highly dependent on how this smartphone behaves and whether it is able to attract a larger number of individuals in the market. Making it easier to access different NFTs and blockchain-based solutions is definitely important to the success of this new Saga smartphone that has been recently released.
If you are interested in Solana (SOL) and you want to get exposure to it, you can always buy this token using Binance. Check our full Binance review to learn more about it.
