Final yr’s launch of the Solana Saga smartphone was an enormous guess by Solana Labs that didn’t initially seem to repay. However a year-end surge in demand across the then-discounted cellphone, thanks partially to the surging worth of token airdrops tied to it, cleared out the remaining inventory and prompted questions on what’s subsequent.
Enter “Chapter 2.” Revealed in January, simply weeks after the airdrop craze that revitalized the Saga’s fortunes, the following Solana cellphone is ready to launch in mid-2025 because the Solana Seeker after already attracting 140,000 pre-orders.
Solana Cell, the Labs division behind the {hardware}, revealed the official branding and a primary have a look at the following Android handset onstage at Token 2049 in Singapore Friday.
And it’s totally different. The beforehand introduced $450 pre-order value—lower than half that of the Saga—may need already recommended that, however Solana Cell Common Supervisor Emmett Hollyer instructed Decrypt that we shouldn’t choose the Seeker by its a lot cheaper price level.
“We have priced it very aggressively as a result of we wish it to be accessible for progress,” he mentioned, “not essentially as a result of we see this in any method of a step down.
Full {hardware} specs haven’t been launched but, however Hollyer mentioned that the Solana Seeker can have a brighter “flagship show” and a longer-lasting battery than the Saga, plus “higher cameras”—together with a brand new third sensor packed onto the again.
And when it comes to efficiency, he recommended that it will likely be a “significant step up from Saga,” partially as a result of it’s been so lengthy because the Saga’s specs have been set in early 2022. The Seeker {hardware} can be “lighter and smaller” than the Saga was, partially as a result of they consider that many customers plan to make use of it as a secondary machine relatively than changing their main cellphone.
That’s a shift in type in addition to a pivot in messaging, which Hollyer mentioned was based mostly partially on suggestions to Saga and rising use circumstances, such operating node software program and mining tokens for decentralized bodily infrastructure networks (DePINs). The Seeker identify, he defined, was impressed by the thought of customers attempting to “discover new alternatives,” whether or not that’s rewards, experiences, or connection.
“Persons are continuously searching for these issues out,” he mentioned, “and so it simply got here to us very, in a short time.”
He admitted that messaging across the Saga might have been complicated when it comes to its crypto focus. However with 140,000 folks already plunking down deposits for the Seeker, they’re assured that there’s a rising group of potential customers—and that this cellphone can be centered on new and entrenched crypto customers, relatively than most of the people.
“I do not count on this to be a tool that we’re simply pitching to the plenty, like, ‘Hey, use an Android cellphone and possibly strive a few of the crypto options,’” Hollyer mentioned. “I would like to be there, however I feel we have to actually, actually get this proper, and actually study from our customers earlier than we are able to begin to pull within the plenty.”
Solana Telephone 2.0
Amid all of the adjustments, nonetheless, some parts of the Seeker are very very similar to the Saga. The crypto integration is once more pushed by the Seed Vault, a customized custody answer constructed inside a safe atmosphere on the cellphone. It’s known as out visually within the cellphone’s design this time, as seen within the product photographs, in a shiny cutout wrapped round the proper facet of the body.
Along with the Seed Vault itself, Solana Cell has designed a customized software program pockets for the Seeker in collaboration with Solflare, promising what Hollyer described as a “higher consumer expertise” in comparison with the wallets at the moment out there on the Saga.
They’ve additionally seen considerably extra curiosity from Solana builders and builders in launching cellular decentralized apps (dapps) alongside the Seeker. Simply 20,000 items of the Saga have been produced, however with Seeker pre-orders already hitting a 7x a number of of that, he mentioned that builders have extra incentive to dedicate time and sources to cellular.
“We’ve got been frankly inundated by ecosystem outreach,” he mentioned.
Lastly, just like the Saga, every Seeker cellphone will ship with a Genesis NFT—a soulbound token endlessly tied to the proprietor’s pockets. The Saga pioneered this mannequin, and it rapidly proved to be a “rewards magnet” for homeowners, as Hollyer framed it, because of the BONK meme coin airdrop surging in worth late final yr and different tasks rewarding homeowners as properly.
All of these incentives have been community-driven, he mentioned, and there’s been an enormous wave of curiosity from Solana builders in tapping into the Seeker viewers too. Whereas there’ll little doubt be rewards, he additionally expects tasks to supply unique entry and experiences to homeowners.
“After all, it will likely be a rewards magnet,” mentioned Hollyer, “however it additionally goes to open some one-of-a-kind expertise doorways that I feel can be new to Seeker versus Saga.”
Edited by Guillermo Jimenez
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