Solana Saga, the Web3 cell phone

Solana launched its Web3 cell phone in April 2023, the primary of its variety. The cellphone presents all the same old functionalities that customers have come to anticipate from a smartphone and provides a Web3 expertise to it. It contains decentralized utility storage (DApp) and seamless integration between crypto wallets and DApps. Saga has been dubbed the cellphone “that at all times offers”.

The cellphone has been obtainable for pre-order for a number of months and those that pre-ordered it have been in a position to take pleasure in airdrops such because the “Saga Go”. Saga Go holders additionally acquired a number of artwork airdrops within the type of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) forward of the April launch. On April 13, 2023, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko took the stage to announce the launch of the cellphone and its options.

First reactions

Attributable to provide chain points, the cellphone arrived just a few weeks late for European customers. Even when American customers began getting their telephones in April, it took Could for these throughout the Atlantic to get theirs.

The cellphone has an excellent kind issue that is not too completely different from an iPhone. The inexperienced buttons, ceramic again, and chrome steel body make it really feel like a mainstream cellphone. The cellphone runs on the Android working system and is manufactured by OSOM, which introduced it along with the Solana co-founder on the launch occasion.

The cellphone comprises quite a few {hardware} parts. It incorporates a 6.67-inch AMOLED display screen with a decision of 1080p and a 120Hz show. The processor used is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 with 12 gigabytes of RAM. The cellphone additionally comes with 512GB of storage, which isn’t quite common in smartphones. The cellphone lasts longer than a typical iPhone 14 Professional with a 4,110mAh battery.

There’s additionally a fingerprint sensor on the again of the cellphone, which feels ergonomically intuitive for customers. The digicam takes good footage, however an goal evaluation of the comparability with an iPhone or Samsung digicam is past the scope of this text. The sound high quality of the built-in audio system could possibly be higher.

setup and software program

Establishing the cellphone is fairly fast. The setup course of entails making a Solana pockets and a seed vault the place the seed phrase can be saved. Customers can then depend on their fingerprints (biometrics) to unlock their wallets and signal transactions. The Seed Vault is a elementary function that prepares it for the Web3 expertise.

The cellphone works like every other Android cellphone and subsequently the fundamental setup isn’t any completely different than a daily Android cellphone.

Nevertheless it additionally has a DApp retailer powered by Solana. The App Retailer offers us entry to a spread of DApps on the Solana community throughout gaming, NFTs, decentralized finance (DeFi) and social classes. When the cellphone launched, there have been not more than a dozen apps. However extra apps have been shipped via April and Could 2023, and the App Retailer now has over 25 apps.

The setup of the phantom pockets generally used on the Solana community is sort of seamless and simple. Nevertheless, some customers had issues downloading different functions on the cellphone. By April and Could 2023 there have been some updates within the DApp Retailer that appear to have mounted these points.

Some saga experiences

The Saga brings the Solana person expertise to life by offering unique entry to a number of DApps. First, Saga customers will obtain a Genesis token that can assist the Solana DApps ecosystem determine loyal customers and reward them over time.

Conveniently, transactions with the phantom pockets to trade USD Coin (USDC) for Solana (SOL) utilizing the fingerprint sensor went fairly easily. For as soon as, a crypto transaction seems like a contactless fintech fee – ​​mechanical and pointless.

Different key functions value mentioning are Dialect, a Web3 messaging app that makes use of NFT stickers. Solana’s compressed NFT expertise makes creating an NFT extraordinarily cost-effective. The Dialect app additionally playfully shows collections of NFT stickers which might then be utilized in messages.

The Mintify app connects to the person’s images and permits them to be simply minted. The app connects to the phantom pockets to cost a charge in SOL (about 0.01 SOL per coin). As soon as the person approves the minting, that is performed immediately by importing pictures to the chain and offering an handle instantly.

Among the DApps that have been principally web-based for all customers have popped up on the Saga App Retailer. An instance is Squads, a multisig pockets on Solana. They might have held again their cellular launch for Saga’s launch.

This could possibly be an indication of issues to come back as Web3 apps present constancy to their father or mother chain’s ecosystem infrastructure. Nevertheless, this may additionally restrict their distribution alternatives and restrict them to a restricted person base.

Along with these built-in and unique person experiences, the Solana Cellular staff has additionally introduced significant airdrops. For instance, Claynosaurz, one of many high NFT communities by market cap on Solana, is airdropping customers who’ve pre-ordered the cellphone.

Different Web3 apps additionally work easily. Saga depends on the Android ecosystem to energy different Web3 functions. Nevertheless, they do not provide the identical built-in expertise as Saga DApps.

Can Solana Saga be improved?

The saga prices $1,000 a bit, and that is a hefty demand from a cash-strapped Web3 person on the peak of a bear market. Normally, it’s Solana loyalists, money wealthy and Solana curious who usually select this innovation.

Whereas the fingerprint sensor is beneficial and intuitive, it is nonetheless not the identical as face recognition, which could provide a extra intuitive and instant expertise. Saga additionally doesn’t assist e-sims. For customers who journey regularly and may have to make use of two or three cellphone numbers on one cellphone, e-sims are very useful.

The DApp Retailer expertise has acquired combined suggestions on account of technical points. One of many key sectors anticipated to convey 1 billion customers to Web3 is gaming. There are solely three video games within the DApp Retailer as of Could 26, 2023. Regardless of all these glitches, it is a promising begin for a much-needed growth within the business.

What’s subsequent for the Solana saga?

Will Saga quickly beat iPhone or Android? Impossible. That is an experiment to offer the transformed (native Web3/Solana customers) a selected person expertise and advantages. For others, it is only a glimpse into the long run.

Whereas some name it pure coincidence, Apple’s approval of Uniswap, Axie Infinity, and in-app gross sales on StepN are all indicators that the saga is influencing a few of the macro developments within the business.

Apple’s 30% tax nonetheless weighs on creators’ income; Nevertheless, this could possibly be a future tweak that would come if Apple is pressured to take action. Till then, Saga customers might be the guinea pigs for a maybe underrated Web3 experiment.