Solana Mobile, the phone-making division of blockchain company Solana Labs, has announced its second cryptocurrency smartphone, called “Solana Seeker“.
The company introduced the new phone at the TOKEN2049 event in Singapore and said it will be available in 2025.
The Seeker is set to bring big improvements compared to Solana’s first crypto phone, the Solana Saga.
According to the head of Solana’s mobile phone project, Emmet Hollyer, Seeker will have a better battery, a stronger camera, and a more lightweight design.
But it’s not just the hardware that’s getting better – the phone will also come with special features for cryptocurrency users.
Hardware and crypto features
Solana Seeker will be much more advanced than the Saga in several ways. For one, it will offer a much better user experience with its new design.
Hollyer said the Seeker will be more durable and lightweight while offering an upgraded camera and battery.
These improvements make it a more powerful and easier-to-use phone for all users, whether they’re into crypto or not.
The Seeker will also make it simpler for users to handle cryptocurrency transactions. It will come with a built-in crypto wallet, specially designed for the device, which will be linked to a security feature called the Seed Vault.
This technology helps protect the user’s crypto keys by keeping them secure on the phone. Hollyer explained that this will allow users to carry out transactions more smoothly than they could on the Saga.
Seeker is Solana’s second attempt at pushing crypto into the mobile space. The company faced challenges with the Saga, as it struggled to sell enough units at first.
However, sales picked up after crypto traders found out they could get valuable token airdrops by purchasing the phone. This success led Solana to double down on making phones for the crypto community.
Independent app store and dev excitement
One of the most exciting features of Solana’s crypto phones is their independent app store, called the dApp store.
Unlike Apple’s App Store or Google Play, which take a cut from every sale, the dApp store allows developers to build and launch crypto apps without paying high fees.
This was first introduced with the Saga, but the Seeker will make it even easier for users to find different apps.
According to Hollyer, there has been a lot of interest from developers who want to build apps for the Seeker.
“Tons of teams are reaching out” to work on the new device, he said. The dApp store will also track token rewards more efficiently, so users can see how much they’ve earned directly from their phones.
Many developers are planning to offer token rewards specifically for Seeker owners, which is likely to attract even more interest from crypto enthusiasts.
Another unique feature of Seeker is its openness to sharing “digital exhaust.” This refers to data such as location, mobile network usage, and the phone’s processing power, which is often kept private by phone manufacturers.
While sharing this data comes with risks, it’s seen as a big opportunity for developers, particularly those working on decentralised physical infrastructure networks (DePIN).
For example, Hollyer mentioned that Solana Mobile worked with Helium, a decentralised wireless network, to explore how Seeker’s data could help track and improve their network.
Hollyer is confident that users will see the benefits of these features. “We think that those are going to be unbelievable opportunities for our users to earn and engage and interact”, he said.
Global demand
The response to Seeker has been overwhelmingly positive. Even before the phone has officially launched, Solana Mobile has already sold more than 140,000 units in 57 countries.
This strong demand is a big boost for Solana Mobile, which had a much slower start with the Saga. Hollyer explained that the pre-sales were part of the company’s plan to build excitement around the new phone.
“The reaction to the launch of Chapter 2 — with over 140,000 presales and excitement from across the ecosystem — was remarkable”, he said.
To celebrate the announcement of Seeker, Solana Mobile is also offering an “Early Founder” price of $450 for pre-orders during the TOKEN2049 event. After the event ends on 21 September, the price will rise to $500.
