Solana has announced that it will launch the Solana Saga, a brand new Solana mobile phone, as it seeks to expand Solana's roadmap and efforts beyond blockchain and Solana's NFTs. In an announcement made earlier in New York on June 23, Solana revealed plans to introduce a flagship cell phone that comes with its own set of features and features. The smartphone also comes with a built-in Solana blockchain integration.
In this article, we will discuss:
What is Solana Saga?
Solana Saga is a new mobile phone created by Solana in collaboration with Osom, an Android development company that has developed hardware for companies such as Google, Apple and Intel. Solana described her Android phone as a "premium hardware experience" and a "top quality Android device built specifically for encryption".
Explaining the Saga, Jason Keats, CEO of Osom, said:
Saga builds on first principles to create a mobile experience for individuals, developers and ecosystem participants that opens a new era of mobility. The world needs innovative hardware to embrace the future that is web3, and building an ecosystem that looks to the future without being burdened by legacy ecosystems from the past is extremely exciting for us.
Together with Solana Mobile, blockchain also announced the launch of the Solana Mobile Stack software ecosystem for Android.
Solana Saga specs
Solana Saga's already announced specs are as follows:
- Screen: 6,67″ OLED
- RAM: 12 GB RAM
- Storage: 512 GB
- Processor: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Surprisingly, this crypto mobile will arrive with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1, the best SoC currently, capable of reaching records above one million points on AnTuTu. And if that wasn't enough, this chip will be accompanied by 12 GB of RAM in LPDDR5 format and up to 512 GB of internal storage. The choice of its rear cameras is also not bad, as it occupies two of the best photographic sensors of the moment: as the main one, the Sony IMX766 of 50 MP with f/1.8; as ultra wide angle, a 373 MP Sony IMX12 with f/2.2 and 120º view. We don't know anything about its front camera.
The display is one of the parts we have the least information about, but we know it will be a 6,67-inch OLED panel. Regarding the battery, we know that the capacity will be 4100mAh, a value that certainly seems low to us, although a good charging system and software optimization will suffice.
And speaking of software, Solana Saga will hit the market with Android 12. We don't know if it will be pure Android or will include its own layer of customization. However, we know that this mobile will pay special attention to the security and privacy of your data. How will you do? Integrating pre-installed apps that focus only on this:
- Signal as a messaging platform
- Brave as a web browser
- Your own private vault
- Non-Custodial Crypto Wallet and more.
Solana Saga Features: Solana Mobile Stack (SMS)
Many of Solana Saga's features come from the Solana Mobile Stack software, dubbed SMS. This SDK will include a Seed Vault for private keys, Solana Pay for Android and the Solana dApp Store. According to Solana, SMS and the Solana dApp Store will allow developers to create entirely new experiences in Saga. This includes: minting NFTs on the go and on a mobile, playing Web3 games on mobile, enhanced trading and much more. More details:
- Seed Vault: An app that stores all the private keys, seeds, and passphrases of your blockchain-based apps and wallets in a secure space. Seed Vault does not work on the Android application layer, making it more secure, but it does allow you to interact with other installed applications that require its services.
- Mobile Wallet Adapter: A protocol that allows you to connect your cryptocurrency wallets with web apps and native Android apps that are not directly compatible.
- Solana Pay : a decentralized payment gateway that works on the Solana network and allows the capture of payment addresses through QR codes, messages, web apps, with the NFC chip and much more.
- Solana dApp Store : An app store where developers can distribute their own dApps for users to enjoy.
- Solana Mobile Stack SDK: A software development kit with libraries to develop native Android apps that run on the Solana and Web3 blockchain network.
Solana Saga release date?
Solana Saga has a release date set for early 2023, based on Solana Labs' statement. However, Solana has not released the official, firm date of this release beyond early 2023. As such, it could be released anytime from January 2023 to June 2023, we speculate. Solana Saga will also be available initially in the US, Canada, EU and UK. However, the Solana Mobile Stack is now available for developers to use via GitHub.
Solana Saga price
The Solana Saga phone will cost $1.000 at launch. This includes a $100,00 refundable initial deposit when pre-ordered. As for coins, it looks like Solana will first only accept USDC stablecoin as payment. Perhaps later, we may see more cryptocurrencies accepted – like Solana, but for now USDC is the only option.
Solana Saga pre-sale
Solana Saga pre-orders are now live, with potential buyers required to pay a pre-order deposit of $100 USDC first. However, rather than being a pre-order, this is a waitlist for the Solana Saga. Those who pre-order can also qualify for the Saga Pass, an NFT exclusive to the first set of Saga phones.
Participate in Pre-Sale: solana saga
Conclusion
Solana isn't making anything up with her crypto phone. In 2018, the manufacturer HTC introduced the Exodus 1. It was the first smartphone to integrate a full Bitcoin node. It then repeated its attempt in 2019 with the Exodus 1s phone. Unsurprisingly, its success was extremely limited and the company did not renew the experience. For its part, the giant Samsung has already tried to integrate features related to cryptocurrencies such as wallets, without this having been the origin of a revolution in the environment.
So the real revolution started by Solana may well be in the Solana Mobile SDK. In fact, this set of tools could make it possible to democratize the use of cryptos through smartphones, facilitating the development of dedicated applications. For its part, the Solana Saga will likely be a respectable high-end smartphone.
