Solana Labs will launch its own smartphone in early 2023. In addition, Solana Mobile Stack will enable more mobile Web3 apps.
SMS Developer Kit
Solana Labs has announced its next big idea for Web3: mobile apps and a smartphone to match. Today, Solana Labs announced the launch of the Solana Mobile Stack software ecosystem for Android, along with an upcoming Android smartphone called Saga.
Solana Mobile Stack (SMS) is an open-source software kit designed to enable the development of native Android apps around the Solana blockchain. The kit includes the Mobile Wallet Adapter, a protocol for connecting Solana mobile wallets. According to the company, this feature works on all mobile devices, not just Android devices.
Another new feature called Seed Vault is a software safekeeping solution that keeps private keys and seed phrases (essentially the passwords that unlock cryptocurrency) and other sensitive information safe on an Android device. Finally, SMS includes Solana Pay for Android, which allows mobile payments through the platform.
Solana Labs is also launching a new Solana dapp Store. Designed for mobile devices, it provides free access to web3 applications and wallets built on Solana. The SMS Developer Kit is available for download today.
According to the company, the Solana Mobile Stack will enable new functionality such as creating and distributing NFT assets from anywhere, easier mobile transactions on Solana, wider access to Solana’s DeFi protocols and more ways to play Solana Web3 video games.
Saga phone
To facilitate the distribution of Solana applications on mobile devices, Solana Labs will release its own Android smartphone called Saga. The device will be released in early 2023 and will be equipped with all top specifications, including a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 6.67-inch OLED screen, 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage.
Saga will have a hardware module with a “secure element” to enhance the Seed Vault function and protect users’ personal information from misuse and attacks. The phone is expected to retail for around $1,000.
‘Solana can cause a revolution’
As part of the launch of the Solana Mobile Stack, the Solana Foundation will establish a $10 million developer ecosystem fund to provide grants to mobile makers.
“Developers can now bring the power of Solana to the computers in our pockets, not just our backpacks,” Solana co-founder Raj Gokal said in a release. “Solana could revolutionize so much of what we do every day, but we need to open up the possibilities for decentralized apps on our mobile devices to make this opportunity a reality.”
