Solana Mobile Launches an Android Phone for Web3

Solana Mobile has just released an Android phone that lets potentially billions of users get connected on Web3.

Solana Mobile is a subsidiary of Solana Labs, a creator of open-source software, and a contributor to Solana software and the Solana protocol. Solana is a decentralized blockchain. The new Web3 phone is called ‘Saga.’ Buyers can pre-order starting today. However, delivery is not until early 2023.

Pre-orders need a $100 deposit, which will be taken off the final cost of $1,000. Developers will be prioritized so they can test the Solana Mobile Stack and Saga.

Solana Mobile say, “Those who pre-order may be eligible to receive a Saga Pass, an NFT accompanying the first wave of Saga devices and the first ticket to influencing the direction of the SMS platform.”

Solana Mobile blockchain intergration

The Android mobile phone is tightly integrated with the Solana blockchain. This, the protocol promises, makes it easy and secure to transact in Web3. You can also use it to manage digital assets like tokens and NFTs.

Anatoly Yakovenko is the co-founder of Solana. “Almost 7 billion people use smartphones around the world and more than 100 million people hold digital assets – and both of those numbers will continue to grow. Saga sets a new standard for the web3 experience on mobile.”

Mass adoption near

In a recent opinion piece, Yakovenko said that during the past two years, Solana has seen rapid growth to millions of active addresses. “It’s now the largest platform for NFTs, the most user-friendly onramp to crypto. Through a global community of developers launching thousands of diverse applications across DeFi, collectibles, gaming, payments and more, millions of people are already using private keys to authenticate transactions.

“But every day, I hear stories of people leaving dinners, conferences, and vacations to get back to their computers and sign important transactions. The mints, trades, listings, and transfers critical to the daily life of crypto-lovers are dragging us away from our lives with others. The only companies with the resources to materialize the self-custody mobile future we’re all dreaming of, Apple and Google, have had no updates to give on their roadmaps for crypto.

“It’s time for Web3 devs to start building for mobile usage instead of around mobile usage. The blockers to achieving this goal are clear: The app store policies of Google and Apple haven’t evolved for Web3. The custody solutions on phones haven’t materialized. The software and hardware haven’t been natively integrated. It is time for crypto to go mobile.

“It’s time for the secure, biometric-integrated custody solutions we’ve been dreaming of, that have somehow failed to materialize on the roadmaps of the mobile giants. It is time for an app store governed by users and developers, with no restrictions on tokens or NFTs, allowing for web3-native distribution models that could never be possible in the App Store and Google Play. These features have been technically possible for a while, so there’s no reason to keep waiting.”

Solana Mobile Stack

Saga’s launch also included the Solana Mobile Stack. “This a framework for Android allowing developers to create rich mobile experiences for wallets and apps on Solana and create a ‘Secure Element’ for private key management.”

The Solana Mobile Stack SDK is now available to developers.

Raj Gokal is the other co-founder of Solana. “We chose the Saga name because the story of crypto is still being written. This is the next chapter of this narrative and we believe opening up crypto to mobile will lead to greater adoption, better understanding, and more opportunities.”

OSOM

Saga is designed and manufactured by Android development company OSOM. OSOM has also built hardware for Google, Apple, and Intel, among others.

Jason Keats is the co-founder of OSOM. “Saga starts from first principles to create a mobile experience for individuals, developers, and ecosystem participants that opens a new era of mobility. The world needs novel hardware to embrace the future that is Web3, and building out an ecosystem that looks to the future without being burdened by past legacy ecosystems is hugely exciting for us.”

Saga has security features of which will enable the Solana Mobile Stack’s Seed Vault. “With the addition of a Secure Element built into the device, the Seed Vault keeps private keys, seed phrases, and secrets separated from the application layer yet still capable of interacting with apps running on the device or in a mobile browser.”

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