Solana Mobile, the firm behind the first-ever smartphone with an integrated crypto wallet, is preparing to unveil its second crypto-ready smartphone following Saga’s unexpected success. The latest reports say the new phone will have features similar to the original phone but will be cheaper and have different hardware specifications.
Solana Saga 2.0: A More Affordable Crypto Phone
Solana is reportedly preparing to release yet another crypto-forward smartphone.
This ambitious project follows the skyrocketing sales for the Solana Saga, which was unveiled in 2023. The phone first went on sale in May last year, and four months later in August, its price was reduced to $599 from $1000. Today, an unopened Saga device fetches a whopping $3,200 on marketplaces such as eBay. Solana expects the new high-end Android smartphone to help offset the high demand for Saga.
Sales of the Solana Saga phone were initially underwhelming, but the device quickly sold out after crypto traders realized that they came with a free airdrop of BONK meme coins valued at more than the cost of the phone itself.
The Saga is SOLD OUT!
Words cannot describe how much we appreciate your support. We are nothing without this amazing community
While these past few days will be cemented in our history, we’re excited for the future
Stay tuned
— Solana Mobile
(@solanamobile) Like the original Saga phone, the successor comes with the same crypto-friendly features, including a built-in crypto wallet, decentralized application (dapp) store, and customized Android software. However, the new crypto phone will be much cheaper. This strategic move seeks to attract a wider audience beyond early adopters and ardent Solana fans.
Besides coming at a cheaper price point, the soon-to-launch smartphone is also expected to have different hardware compared to its predecessor Saga.
Another Phenomenal Rally Underway?
The news of a more affordable follow-up to the Saga smartphone comes as the price of the SOL token cools off following a parabolic rally last year. At the time, the massive gains in the SOL price were accompanied by an increase in trading activity on the Solana network, which momentarily saw trading volumes on SOL-based decentralized exchanges (DEXs) flip that of Ethereum for the first time in history.
SOL is now trading at $96.36 per coin after topping $122.90 last December. Moreover, Solana DEX volume has slipped to $615 million in the past 24 hours, just a little over half that of Ethereum’s $1 billion, according to data provided by DefiLlama.
While the performance of the wider crypto market undoubtedly plays a key role, sky-high interest in Solana smartphones could once again light a fire under SOL bulls. There is a possibility that the new phone will spark mass adoption and propel SOL to new heights.