Solana To Launch Web3-focused ‘Saga’ Smartphone On May 8

Anatoly Yakovenko, CEO and co-founder of Solana revealed the launch of Saga, a web3-oriented Android smartphone about 10 months ago. Recently, Solana Labs, the firm behind the blockchain development, announced Thursday that Saga will go on public sale on May 8. 

The announcement was made at a live event hosted by Solana Mobile, a subsidiary of Solana Labs. In addition, the company said that pre-ordered devices are now shipping.

The mobile era of Web3 begins now.

Saga, the flagship, security-conscious, crypto-first Android device from Solana Mobile is now available!

A gateway to new experiences not just on mobile, but for mobile 🧵 pic.twitter.com/RT08R9292M

— Solana Mobile 2️⃣ (@solanamobile) April 13, 2023

Solana said Saga was introduced to make crypto services and products easily accessible to consumers. Additionally, they can dive into the crypto space via mobile rather than the traditional way of accessing crypto applications and platforms, which is through a computer. However, the growing popularity of mobile technology has made the development of crypto-focused smartphones an interesting idea.

Solana Mobile’s lead software engineer, Steven Laver, said in the Saga launch event live stream:

“I can’t remember the last time I went to anything but a phone…everything I do, I start with my phone, except for Web3.”

Meanwhile, the company said the Saga was designed to compete with its competitors’ flagship products.

App Store Apple and Google set strict rules regarding their payment systems. Also, many Web3 applications have to compromise just to list their apps in these app stores. So Solana’s Saga comes out. It is designed with two main technical elements in mind: making Web3 accessible to users and keeping them safe.

A look At Saga Phone

Solana Mobile’s new device costs $1,000 and comes in a black box. It is built on technology from the Bay Area smartphone company OSOM. Additionally, Saga sports 512 GB of storage, two interchangeable rear camera lenses, a fingerprint scanner, and a 6.67-inch OLED display. The phone will come with the latest Android operating system installed.

What sets Saga apart is the “Solana Mobile Stack (SMS)”. It is a lineup of custom add-ons that incorporate crypto functionality into the phone’s software and hardware. SMS has ingrained security features that allow it to receive, transmit, store, and trade digital assets on the device.

Unlike typical Android devices, Saga contains web3 functionality and a “Solana dApp Store.”

A few applications are available in the store:

• Four Wallets: Ledger, Solflare Phantom, and Squads
• Three NFT Apps: TIEXO, Minty Fresh and Nokiamon 
• Three DeFi Apps: Mango, Jupiter, and Marinade.finance
• Three Social Apps: urFeed, Audius Music, and Dialect
• Also, the dApp workspace

Additionally, customers can claim Saga NFT tokens (non-fungible tokens) immediately after setting up their smartphone. The first few users will receive a Solana mobile welcome kit that includes sticker packs and cryptocurrencies.