Solana, one of the fast-rising blockchain networks, is set to launch its Android phone called “Saga.” This device is set to be an upgrade on the existing OSOM phones. Saga will have crypto wallet functions alongside Solana Mobile Stack – SMS, a software development kit for web3 programs. The Solana Mobile Stack (SMS) provides a new set of libraries for wallets and apps which allows developers to create rich mobile experiences on Solana.
While announcing this in New York on the 23rd of June 2022, Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana’s CEO stated that a unit of Saga will cost about $1000 and is set to be available for delivery and public consumption in 2023.
In solidifying this vision, Solana Labs is set to work with other companies to power the ecosystem to build the phone. Some of these companies include one of the top NFT (non-fungible token) marketplace Magic Eden, the biggest wallet provider Phantom, , and Orca, a decentralized finance (Defi) platform. Top-ranked executives from these three firms were all on board to deliberate the upcoming mobile experience.
The launch of this smartphone is also set to bring the concept of web3 closer to the people along with its features. In the words of Yakovenko, “We live our lives on our mobile devices – except for Web3 because there hasn’t been a mobile-centric approach to private key management…The Solana Mobile Stack shows a new path forward on Solana that is open source, secure, optimized for Web3 and easy to use.”
In the same vein, decentralized Ethereum scaling platform Polygon is also set to launch its Android-based Nothing Phone (1). This launch is slated to be held on the 12th of July 2022 in London. This emanated from the partnership between Polygon and a London-based firm, Nothing Tech. this initiative is birthed by the need to provide an Android-based smartphone with swift access to Polygon-platform apps and games, and Polygon ID, a user identity solution that utilizes zero-knowledge proofs.
The vice president of Polygon, Arjun Kalsy made it known in an interview with decrypt that the incursion of Nothing phone (1) will check the dominance of the existing centralized systems. In his words, he said “look at any Android or Apple phone, or log in with either a Google ID or an Apple ID, and to an extent, Apple or Google owns the customer… In a decentralized world, we need to help the user take back control.”
This launch is also expected to take the Nothing brand beyond its normal tech usage and bridge it with the fast-growing Web3 space. Further speaking on this, Kalsy said “In the future, the goal is to make all of Nothing’s phone products and other ecosystem devices future-ready by supporting sustainable and secure access to Web3 applications.”
Furthermore, Nothing Phone (1) users will be opportune to access the network’s payments and future features, such as a proof-based identification solution, Polygon ID, etc.
The main aim of all these initiatives is to make all of Nothing’s phone products and other ecosystem devices ready to blend in with future trends by backing sustainable and secure access to Web 3 apps.
Expected Effect
It is no news that the web3 epoch is fast approaching with some of its features already being implemented. Even with this, the foundation of the web3 technology, cryptocurrency is still unknown to a lot of people. The emergence of both Saga and Nothing phone (1) will further boost activities in the blockchain space. This is because almost everyone uses smartphones and they also love to try out new tech products. With these, both crypto enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts will purchase these products and become active in the blockchain space directly or indirectly. With this, crypto adoption is boosted alongside the adaptation of users into the web3 space.
Saga and Nothing Phone (1) is not the first attempt made by crypto-developers to bring crypto-friendly phones to market. Sirin Labs made plans in 2018 to create a blockchain-native phone. Unfortunately, this experienced setbacks via layoffs and litigation as the product was unable to gain traction. While speaking on this, Yakovenko is confident that Saga will not end up like Sirin labs’. He allayed fears and worries as he made it known that Saga’s team comprises more developers with a wide range of experience. Yakovenko believed this was missing in Sirin labs’ project. Similarly, Nothing phone (1) is an end product of Polygon’s partnership with an existing known brand. This will make foot gaining in the crypto-verse easier and faster since the existing brand has already made a niche for itself.
