Solana Saga Loses Security Updates and Support Following Seeker Phone Rollout

Solana Cell is discontinuing help for the Solana Saga smartphone and can now not supply software program updates for the first-generation crypto handset, the agency introduced on Monday. 

In consequence, new software program updates and safety patches won’t be supplied for the 20,000 Saga gadgets that have been produced, with help solely dealing with “basic inquiries” shifting ahead. 

“Software program updates and safety patches are now not supplied for Saga gadgets,” a group supervisor within the Solana Cell Discord group mentioned on Monday. “Due to all our Saga customers for being a part of the journey.”

The agency additionally thanked Saga holders on its web site, including that their suggestions was “invaluable in shaping the following chapter of Solana Cell.”

The Saga was final upgraded to Android 14, first launched in 2023, and its closing safety replace is from November 2024.

Solana first launched the Saga—an Android cellphone with baked-in crypto options like a safe seed vault and a decentralized app retailer—in April 2023 to restricted fanfare. However the cellphone earned a rush of demand later that 12 months after airdrops tied to the cellphone surged in worth, offering holders with doubtlessly 1000’s of {dollars} in rewards.

Now it is primarily out of date in simply over two years—far much less time than the marker utilized by Apple to characterize its cellular gadgets as “classic” or out of date, which solely occurs after greater than seven years from launch. Google equally provides seven years of software program help for its Pixel telephones, whereas Samsung has matched that window for some gadgets.

Granted, the tip of software program help doesn’t imply that the gadgets cease working—they continue to be operational for homeowners, and naturally, the crypto options are nonetheless working as regular. A Solana Cell AI help agent instructed Decrypt that Saga wallets can be restored on different gadgets attributable to following the “similar seed customary.”

With Saga help ending, Solana Cell is now solely centered on its second cellphone, the Seeker, a less expensive, equally crypto-focused cellular machine. Introduced shortly after the airdrop rush and sellout of the Saga, the Seeker earned greater than 150,000 pre-sale orders and started delivery to customers this August. 

The second-generation Solana cellphone comes with a few of the similar options as its predecessor, just like the built-in Seed Vault—nevertheless it has upgraded {hardware} and newer options just like the SeekerID and an improved decentralized app retailer. 

Moreover, it comes with plans for a local ecosystem token, SKR, an incentive for builders and customers that aligns the ecosystem and its outcomes. Particulars in regards to the token haven’t been revealed, however the Solana Cell web site signifies it’ll go “on to builders and customers.”

Decrypt reviewed the Solana Seeker in August and located it to be a succesful mid-range Android cellphone that supplied a “extra measured” providing than the Saga, arriving at half the launch worth with some user-friendly upgrades in tow.