Smartphone Manufacturers Like Samsung and HTC are Upping Their Game With Blockchain

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, that started on the 25th of February, showed some new developments in smartphone manufacturers implementing blockchain features into their devices. While this might seem like a logical step, it actually says a lot about the interest in cryptocurrency. Implementing cryptocurrency wallets and blockchain features give the idea it is something people expect when buying a new device. Smartphone 2.0 devices are preparing the blockchain generation for the future. A world where cash payments are out and cryptocurrencies are widely accepted.

In this article, I want to highlight companies that introduce smartphones with implemented blockchain features. So let’s start off with one of the leading global smartphone manufacturers.

Samsung Galaxy S10

After weeks of rumors, Korean-based smartphone manufacturer, Samsung finally confirmed the implementation of a cryptocurrency wallet on its new flagship smartphone called the Samsung Galaxy S10. With previous flagship models in the Galaxy S-series selling between 30 and 50 million devices, the integration of blockchain features will provide cryptocurrency access to a new range of customers.

During the MWC in Barcelona, a Samsung representative gave a speech in which he stated that Samsung will support blockchain based payment options and dApps on the Galaxy S10 range, through Samsung Knox. On the big screen, during the event, the support for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Enjin (ENJ) and COSMEE (COSM) was shared. After the presentation, the project behind COSMEE, CosmoChain, officially announced their partnership with Samsung.

Fun fact, another South-Korean blockchain project, Icon, already has a partnership with Samsung, in which they co-created Chain ID, that was implemented in Samsung Pass, and they have also developed the blockchain for CosmoChain.

The relationship between Enjin and Samsung is not quite clear yet, but it is expected to be supported as a payment option during the launch.

Galaxy S10 specifications:

Android 9.0 OS, 6.1-inch QHD screen, Samsung Exynos 9820 Octa chipset, 3400 mAh battery, 12MP rear camera and 10MP front camera.

The release date is set at the 8th of March 2019 and the initial retail price will be around 799GBP, 899EUR or 779USD.

HTC Exodus 1

Another smartphone that saw a great promotion during MWC Barcelona is the HTC Exodus 1, which is a blockchain enabled smartphone, with an integrated Opera crypto browser. The Exodus 1 offers an all-in-one private vault to securely store your cryptocurrency (BTC, ETH, LTC, ERC20 and ERC721). Cryptotracker Blockfolio is integrated into the smartphone as well as IoT connectivity provider Nodle and Taiwanese activity tracker dApp Numbers.

During the MWC, HTC announced support for both Decentraland and Ethereum-blockchain game Etheremon. Decentraland is working with HTC to provide a Decentraland marketplace on the Exodus 1.

HTC Exodus 1 specifications:

QUALCOMM Snapdragon 845 CPU, 6-inch screen, 3500 mAh battery, Android 9.0 OS, 12MP+16MP rear camera and 8MP+8MP front camera.

The HTC Exodus 1 can be purchased for 750EUR or 699USD.

Electroneum M1

The Electroneum M1 smartphone is introduced at the MWC Barcelona as a Google Mobile Services (GMS) certified smartphone. With the M1, the Electroneum team is focused on selling the device in developing countries. The smartphone can be used to mine Electroneum and is expected to produce $3 worth of ETN every month. Users can then use ETN to pay for mobile top-ups, services or online shopping.

Specifications:

Android 8.1 Go Edition OS, Quad Core 1.3 GHz CPU, 4.5-inch screen, 5MP rear camera and 2MP front camera, 1600 mAh battery and a 1-year warranty.

The M1 will be priced at $80. An estimated launch date has not been made available yet.

PundiX XPhone

PundiX announced its decentralized blockchain smartphone called XPhone last October. During the CES 2019 in January in Las Vegas PundiX showcased the device to the public. XPhone has an ‘X’ button that leads you straight to the blockchain OS of the phone, clicking the X again, leads back to the ‘regular’ OS. Function X, the blockchain OS, allows you to run phone calls, messages and dApps on a decentralized network. This way your data is not controlled by the centralized carrier.

Specifications:

The phone has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, Android 9.0 OS, 5.65-Inch Full HD display, 3500 mAh battery, fingerprint sensor, 48MP rear camera and 16MP front camera. Users can toggle between tradition OS and blockchain-based system.

The XPhone will cost $599 retail.

The XPhone is projected to be available in late 2019, according to recent sources, which is a 6-month delay based on the roadmap on the PundiX website.

Sirin Labs The FINNEY ™

Named after renowned computer scientist and early Bitcoin adopter, Hal Finney, Sirin Labs introduced the FINNEY ™, a blockchain-based, cyber-secure smartphone. The FINNEY ™ was introduced by international soccer star, Lionel Messi, back in 2017. According to the official website, SIRIN OS™ includes an outstanding Security Suite Layer, Embedded Cold Storage Wallet, Token Conversion Center and the best of DApp nation featured on Sirin’s dCENTER.

Specifications:

Built-in ‘cold storage’ crypto wallet, 12MP rear camera and 8MP front camera, 6-inch screen, QUALCOMM Snapdragon 845, Android 8.1 OS.

The FINNEY ™ has a price tag of $999.

Concluding remarks

As I see it, the adoption of people using smartphones continues to grow year after year. This implementation of blockchain features on new devices, to me, is a sign that the world is starting to get ready for large scale blockchain adoption. I am looking forward to start testing the features after I purchased one of the phones in this article.

What is your opinion? Do you think this is a good move from smartphone manufacturers?

Disclaimer: This article is not intended as investment advice. I am not being rewarded to write this article. You should always do your own research. I am not being rewarded for writing this article. All the information provided in this article is based on my own personal opinion.

If you like my content about blockchain and cryptocurrencies, you can give me a follow. I also have an account on Steemit and Twitter. You are welcome to follow me there as well. On my LinkedIn page you will find a bit more personal information. You can ask me questions on Telegram: @LindaCrypto.

I hope you have enjoyed this article, and please comment in the allocated section below if you have any further questions.

Thank you!

Linda Willemse