Well, that didn’t take long! Solana Mobile has swiftly unveiled its latest smartphone, Chapter 2, the successor to the Saga phone that recently caught everyone’s attention just a few weeks ago. Although the specs for Chapter 2 are yet to be revealed, it is expected to offer a cost-effective alternative to the original Saga, which initially hit the market at a price of $600.
Catch-up on Chapter one
The Saga smartphone marked yet another pivotal moment at the intersection of Web3 and Web2 tech. Lucky owners of the Solana smartphone were rewarded instantly with financial incentives through airdrops, particularly associated with the BONK token. More recently, owners received SagaMonkes, currently valued at an 11 SOL floor. The success of these airdrops have resulted in a surge in demand, with Saga phones fetching up to $5,000 on secondary markets like eBay.
The history of the Saga phone was one filled with struggles, and that journey was detailed in our previous article, which you can read here.
Flight From ETh
In recent months, there’s been a noticeable shift of attention towards Solana as users look for alternatives to the higher fees and scalability issues faced on Ethereum. Consequently, the overall sentiment towards ETH has taken a hit, evidenced by a drop in attention and stagnant price action. Meanwhile, chains like SOL, AVAX, and SEI, to name a few, have seen a surge in attention and liquidity, drawing users who were once heavily invested in ETH. Notably, cases like the Solana phone have further fuelled the momentum against ETH in favor of SOL.
Chapter 2
To capitalize on this momentum, Solana Mobile is set to release Chapter 2, priced at a lower $450 during the current “early adopter” phase. However, there’s a catch: Solana Mobile plans to launch Chapter 2 in the first half of 2025, so there’s quite a wait if you decide to dive in. Forecasts suggest at least 100,000 units should be sold during this period.
Solana Mobile 2 now has more preorders than the Apple Vision Pro.
— Paul Bohm — e/acc ⏩ (@paulbohm) January 19, 2024
Despite many pre-ordering on the premise that owners of the first phone received a nice payday upfront, Solana Mobile has expressed the desire to explore alternative ways to engage users away from airdrops of free money. This has led some to believe that Chapter 2 won’t receive the same treatment as it’s ancestor. What is known though, is that the Chapter 2 phone is poised to include a built-in crypto wallet, custom Android software, and access to a decentralized app store tailored for crypto applications.
While some skeptics question the long lead time for Chapter 2’s delivery in 2025, citing potential delays and manufacturing risks, others point to the profitability Saga phone holders have historically experienced as a solid enough reason to take a punt on the $50 pre-order.
Final Thoughts
The intersection of phones and crypto technology has the potential to usher in a new era where crypto-centric features become the norm in smartphones. As devices like Solana Mobile’s Chapter 2 integrate Web3 technology as standard features, a precedent is set for more manufacturers to follow suit. This trend may transform the current novelty into an expected standard, gradually making crypto technology an integral and normalized aspect of everyday mobile devices.
That said, the device’s potential to drive mass adoption remains uncertain, but the amalgamation of airdrops and exclusive perks showcases the potential advantages of owning a smartphone tailored to a specific ecosystem – something that non-crypto-native people can easily understand and want to be a part of.
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