Saga Solana Mobile

We have already told you about various devices that support blockchain technologies. Today we are going to discuss the newly produced crypto smartphone.

In the summer of 2022, Solana announced their cell, Solana’s Saga Mobile, created for crypto enthusiasts. It deserved its description for providing numerous cryptocurrency-related features. The name “Saga” was chosen for a reason. As we all know the Crypto World is in an active development stage, and it has a long way ahead, it is quite similar to a real saga. So it was explained by Raj Gokal, co-founder of Solana (SOL). 

This month customers who pre-ordered Solana Saga Mobile started to receive their devices. We would like to tell you more about this novelty. So let’s take a closer look at what makes it an interesting device.

Software

Operating system of the new device is Android 13 with integrated Google Play services as well as its own decentralized applications store. The tight integration of the Android cell phone and Solana is going to make Web3 transactions secure and simple. This statement has a strong basis, since a year ago Solana Lab’s team started their work on the solution for Web3 implementation for smartphones. This resulted in the appearance of the Solana Mobile Stack (SMS), a set of libraries for wallets and applications, which allows the use of Web3 apps on Android OS, running on the Solana network.

Saga is supposed to be users’ special access to the Solana ecosystem, which will provide:

1. an improved user experience across dApps without additional extensions,
2. access to crypto-related resources,
3. easy transactions signing with fingerprints, 
4. and encrypted protection for private keys. 

Hardware

Hardware of the “Saga” is built by OSOM, a tech company, which is known for developing products for Google, Apple, and Intel. One of the main focuses of the company is privacy. This team launched its own phone Essential PH-1 in 2017. That device received a lot of great reviews for its advanced technologies. The next one was meant to be called OSOM OV1, however, later it was renamed to Solana Saga Mobile.

Full hardware specifications are published on the official website. Here are some of them.

Prices

The announced price for the smartphone is $1,000. There is still a chance to pre-order Saga for $100. This deposit keeps you on a waiting list and will notify you when it is available. You will have to add the rest of the price later. It is good to know that the deposit is fully refundable in case you change your mind.

Reactions of the first Saga owners

Twitter is slowly filling up with comments from the first owners of the miraculous smartphone. It is too early to talk about real reviews, but with the help of the pictures online we are able to evaluate the real size of the device and also read tons of jealous comments from people who are still waiting for their Saga Mobiles or who are living in countries where there is no shipping. The official list of possible destinations is published on the Solana Saga website and looks like this: “US, CA, EU, UK, CH, AU and NZ”. The team promises to extend the number of locations later.

Also Solana is open to cooperation with developers, it may be a good chance to participate in this activity and receive additional bonuses.

Future prospects

Even though Solana Saga was not meant to compete with the titans of the industry, there is an opinion that it is a worthy rival to smartphones produced by Google, Samsung, and Apple. According to the specs from the official website, the Solana smartphone is equipped with the features of current Android flagships, including storage space, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, screen and camera characteristics.

The only parameter that seems to raise questions about the operability of the new device is the battery capacity. It seems to be quite small for the announced abilities of the device.

Conclusion

With the help of Saga, blockchain technologies become conveniently built into personal smartphones, which makes it possible to widen the horizons of using them in everyday life. It may absolutely change the way we manage wallets, NFTs, and apps.

And if you are not a crypto enthusiast, you also have a chance to enjoy the new smartphone. All unnecessary functions can be deactivated.