Solana Mobile, a subsidiary of Solana Labs, entered the smartphone market with its crypto cellphone, the “Saga,” in April 2023.
A crypto cellphone is a specialised smartphone designed with enhanced security measures to facilitate safe communications and transactions on the planet of cryptocurrencies and blockchain expertise. Initially priced at $1,000, the Saga’s worth was diminished in August 2023 to “carry extra individuals into the ecosystem.”
Developed in collaboration with OSOM, an organization skilled in Android growth for tech giants like Google, Apple, and Intel, the Saga goals to simplify and safe Web3 transactions and digital asset administration, together with cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
The system includes a 6.67-inch OLED show, 12 GB RAM, 512 GB storage, and runs on the flagship Snapdragon® 8+ Gen 1 Cell Platform. Distinctive to Saga is the Solana Cell Stack (SMS), a set of customized add-ons that combine crypto performance into the cellphone’s {hardware} and software program. The cellphone’s safe component, often known as the “seed vault,” shops non-public keys individually from different knowledge, enhancing safety.
Moreover, Saga affords a customized “dapp” retailer with a curated checklist of crypto purposes. Solana has dedicated to not imposing “extractive charges” on dapp retailer apps, contrasting the 30% payment charged by Apple and Google.
When first introducing the cellphone, Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana Labs, acknowledged that Saga goals to set a brand new commonplace for the Web3 expertise on cellular gadgets.
MKBHD’s Evaluate
Historic Context and Construct High quality
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Marques Brownlee, broadly often known as MKBHD, begins his evaluation by tracing the Saga’s lineage again to the Important Cellphone, a promising however finally unsuccessful enterprise launched in 2017. The Important Cellphone’s group later shaped OSOM, which collaborated with Solana to create the Saga. Brownlee lauds the cellphone’s construct high quality, mentioning its matte stainless-steel body, coloured titanium buttons, and ceramic again. Nonetheless, he additionally notes that the system is heavy, weighing round 250 grams.
Specs and Efficiency
MKBHD identified that regardless of its premium construct the Saga’s specs are common. He stated that it includes a 6.67-inch flat 1080p 120Hz show, a 4,100 milliamp-hour battery, and mediocre cameras. The system runs on final yr’s Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. Brownlee means that these specs don’t justify the cellphone’s preliminary $1,000 price ticket, which possible contributed to its worth discount.
Crypto Options
MKBHD then centered on the Saga’s crypto-centric options, highlighting three principal features: the Solana Cell Stack (SMS), the Seed Vault, and the Dapp retailer. In keeping with MKBHD, the SMS serves as an SDK that enables apps to attach completely to the Solana blockchain. This function limits the cellphone’s utility for customers thinking about different blockchains like Bitcoin or Ethereum. He additionally talked about the Seed Vault, which offers a safe surroundings separate from the Android OS for storing a 24-phrase seed. Lastly, MKBHD identified that whereas the Dapp retailer is exclusive, it isn’t unique to the Saga and might be out there on different gadgets.
Brownlee concluded by questioning the Saga’s worth proposition, particularly given its worth drop and area of interest crypto options. He argued that even on the diminished worth, there are higher choices out there out there. Brownlee’s last verdict resonated along with his video title, advising most individuals to keep away from the Saga, because it affords restricted attraction past its area of interest crypto functionalities.
Corporations like HTC with their Exodus cellphone, Sirin Labs with the Finney, and Samsung with blockchain options in a few of their Galaxy fashions, have ventured into creating crypto telephones.
These telephones intention to offer a safe and handy means for customers to handle their digital property and interact with blockchain expertise. Nonetheless, they usually come at a premium worth in comparison with common smartphones.
