Solana unveils new phone: Why it could revolutionize web3?

Solana Mobile has announced the release of a new smartphone — Solana Seeker. What’s interesting about the model, which is intended to become part of the web3 ecosystem?

Solana Mobile has announced the release of a new smartphone — Solana Seeker. The developers claim that this model will become a key part of the web3 ecosystem.

What’s special about Solana Seeker

Solana Seeker promises users improved specifications compared to previous models. It has less weight, a brighter screen, an improved camera and a longer battery life.

The device is fully integrated with the Solana blockchain. The smartphone is aimed at users who actively interact with crypto and decentralized applications (dapps). The developers have updated the dApp Store, adding features for tracking rewards and improving navigation through applications.

Solana’s new mobile | Source: Seeker | Solana Mobile

Each Seeker device will be accompanied by a unique Seeker Genesis Token, which will give users access to additional features in the Solana ecosystem, including exclusive rewards and content.

All digital assets and encryption keys will be stored in the secure Seed Vault. However, in the new model, the vault has received an additional update developed in conjunction with the Solflare crypto wallet. Users will be able to conduct transactions with one click and manage assets inside the smartphone.

However, Solana’s main technological innovation is the integration of artificial intelligence into the device. Seeker users will be able to create tokenized AI agents that will interact with Solana-based programs.

Solana Mobile has already earned $70 million

Pre-orders for Solana Seeker are now open for $450. However, the smartphone will be shipped only in 2025.

The announcement of the new device has already generated great interest. In just a few days since pre-orders opened, Solana Mobile has already earned $70 million. This exceeds the revenue from the sale of the previous Saga model by almost five times.

It is noteworthy that more than half of the orders came from the Asia-Pacific region, where Solana smartphones had previously sold poorly.

How SOL reacts

The price of the ecosystem’s native token, Solana (SOL), rose by 8.34% after the news of the Solana Seeker device’s release. At the time of writing, the cryptocurrency was trading at $140.67.

SOL price chart | Source: crypto.news

The decision of the U.S. Federal Reserve to lower the key rate by 50 basis points, from 5.25-5.5% to 4.75-5%, could also contribute to the positive dynamics. A reduction in the key rate, as a rule, stimulates demand for risky assets, including digital currencies.

The first excitement around Solana Mobile

In June 2022, Solana Mobile presented Saga — an Android mobile phone that allowed users to connect to web3 space.

Initially, pre-orders required a $100 deposit, which would be deducted from the final price of the phone. The device also received support for digital asset management, such as tokens and NFTs.

The real excitement around the Saga did not unfold until late 2023. The hype around the Bonk (BONK) token led to a sell-out of the Saga, a web3 smartphone from Solana. The new product hit the market in May 2023, but by December everyone had forgotten about it. However, the meme coin turned this dynamic around.

Since its launch, all Saga owners were able to claim 30 million BONK. Free tokens were available to those who downloaded the BONK app from a special store on Saga. Solana co-founder Raj Gokal wrote on X that Saga sales increased 10x in 48 hours:

“Lol. just so everyone is aware, @solanamobile saga sales have >10x’d in the past 48 hours, and are now on track to sell out before the new year.”

The surge was so huge that his colleague, Anatoly Yakovenko, later announced a price increase for the mobile phone. On the secondary market, prices for Saga reached $5,000.

What does the crypto community say?

Solana users were enthusiastic about the news of the phone’s release. Many supported the initiative, saying that the development will help stimulate the onboarding of crypto to the masses.

However, time will tell whether the smartphone will really stimulate the adoption of cryptocurrencies — now, the gadget is only available for pre-order.