Solana Unveils Its Next-Gen Crypto Phone ‘Seeker’, Aiming Beyond Just Memecoins

Solana has officially unveiled its second smartphone, Seeker, at the Token 2049 conference on Thursday. The new phone has already locked in an impressive $70 million in pre-orders, far surpassing the rocky start of its predecessor, the Saga.

With Seeker, Solana aims to take its Web3 mobile experience to new heights. It isn’t Solana’s first venture into Web3 mobile, but a follow-up to the Saga, the company’s debut phone launched on May 8, 2023. 

Initially the Saga struggled in the market but in December last year the price of BONK, a Solana-based memecoin included in the phone’s airdrop spiked by over 1,000%. This surge meant the 30 million BONK tokens included with each phone were suddenly worth over $700, significantly more than the device’s $599 retail price. 

As a result, the value of the airdrop far outweighed the phone itself, driving a surge in demand and quickly selling out the limited inventory of 20,000 units. Seeker is now poised to capitalize on that earlier momentum.

The Ultimate Web3 Device, Packed with Advanced Features

According to data from Solana mobile airdrop checker TwoLoot, the airdrop value for Seeker currently sits at $322.70 significantly lower than the $1,488.12 tied to Saga. 

While Saga’s airdrops were a major selling point, Seeker aims to deliver more than just financial incentives. Solana’s Seeker is set to ship in early 2025 and is a crypto-friendly phone focused on building a comprehensive mobile platform for Web3 users and more. 

“We founded Solana Mobile with the mission of taking crypto mobile. To achieve that, we needed to make Seeker more accessible, more affordable, and for its hardware and software to be even more deeply integrated for Web3,” said Solana Co-Founder and Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko. “The support from across the Solana community so far has been incredible, and with features like the new Seed Vault Wallet and the updated Solana dApp Store, we think Seeker will be the definitive Web3 mobile device when it comes out next year.”

Saga, Solana’s first-generation smartphone, failed to make an impact in terms of hardware and camera quality. Marques Brownlee, a highly respected voice in tech reviews, in his Smartphone Awards 2023 video, dubbed the Saga as the “Bust of the Year,” citing the mediocre camera performance and hardware that didn’t justify the price. 

But Seeker, Solana’s latest mobile, aims to directly address these shortcomings. The new device features a brighter AMOLED display, a 108 MP camera, and a lighter, more portable design – key improvements over Saga. 

Solana’s Seeker smartphone with enhanced screen, camera, and battery aims to deliver a market-beating Web3 experience

“Seeker will have a higher-quality screen, better cameras, and an upgraded battery, making it lighter, brighter, and better than its predecessor,” says Emmett Hollyer, general manager at Solana Mobile. “These upgrades make Seeker a practical, powerful device for Web3 users, especially those active in decentralized apps (DApps).”

Seeker is also offering the Seed Vault Wallet, providing users self-custody of their digital assets, with features like double-tap transactions and a burner mode for added security. 

Solana’s All-in-One Web3 Powerhouse

Speaking at Token2049 in Singapore, Emmett Hollyer, general manager at Solana Labs, stressed that they aim to create an all-encompassing platform for Web3 users by integrating DeFi, payments, and gaming, all in one place.

“Seeker, just like Saga, will be a rewards magnet, but it’s not just a memecoin phone.” Hollyer said, “We’ve built a device that empowers users to access DeFi, payments, and games, all within the network.”

One of the Saga’s standout features as a crypto-centric smartphone was its introduction of an independent app store, the DApp Store, which allowed developers to launch specialized crypto apps without paying the hefty 30% fees imposed by Apple and Google. With the Seeker, the DApp Store has been further enhanced, offering better app discoverability and attracting significantly more interest from developers. 

“We want to keep an open app store and make it as easy as possible for developers to bring new use cases to users.” said Hollyer, “With zero fees, Seeker offers a level of innovation that can’t get through on Apple and Google.” 

Solana Mobile has also expanded Seeker’s capabilities by integrating with Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) like Helium Mobile, offering four months of free coverage. This allows Seeker to share valuable sensor data, such as GPS and cellular information, enabling users to contribute to decentralized networks while earning rewards. 

Moreover, Seeker users can also benefit from cost-effective airdrops via the Airship tool, which dramatically reduces the cost of token distributions from $40,000 to as little as $100, making token rewards and loyalty programs more accessible for businesses.

According to Hollyer, this shift is part of Solana’s mission to create tools that go beyond personal use. Seeker is designed to empower businesses, offering them practical ways to engage customers through airdrops and token rewards, making it an essential tool for companies in the Web3 space looking to leverage decentralized technologies.

Launched quietly as “Chapter Two” earlier this year, Seeker has already surpassed 140,000 pre-orders across 57 countries.