Solana’s crypto-first ‘Saga’ android phone is now only weeks away

Saga will be available for customers to purchase from May 8th.
The android smartphone serves as a crypto hardware wallet.
Saga comes with a custom store for crypto-specific apps.

On Thursday, Solana Labs said “Saga” – its crypto-first smartphone will be available for customers to purchase from May 8th.

Saga also serves as a hardware wallet

This device equipped with the latest Android operating system features a “seed vault” that turns it into a crypto hardware wallet.

Saga was originally unveiled in June of 2022 as a bet on how pivotal a cellphone is to the future of crypto. For $1,000, the smartphone offers 512 GB of storage, a 6.67-inch OLED display, a dual-camera setup, and 12 GB of RAM.

Solana differentiates its handset with the “Solana Mobile Stack” that has embedded security features for crypto transactions and trading.

Saga comes with a custom ‘dapp’ store

A dedicated “dapp” store on the Saga currently has more than a dozen crypto-specific applications and that number is expected to increase over time.

Unlike Apple or Google, Solana also doesn’t plan on charging “extractive fees” on the apps listed on its custom store. For regular apps, users will turn to Google Play as they would on any other android smartphone, the company confirmed.

Shipping has already started for customers who pre-ordered Saga, which aims to integrate the Web3 experience into a cellphone. Remember that the likes of Sirin Labs and even HTC have previously failed to launch a crypto-focused smartphone.