APhone has partnered with Solana Mobile to offer owners of the Saga a year-long subscription to the company’s Web3 mobile cloud services. The subscription will come in the form of an NFT, called an Access Pass. All told, 20,000 of these tokens will be airdropped to Saga owners, with another wave to follow for those who have pre-ordered the Saga 2 device.
In a press release shared with Rarity Sniper, APhone said that the initiative will benefit Saga owners in several ways. The company operates its own app store, with over 500 games, DeFi protocols, and other applications available for users to peruse. Its decentralized cloud technology will allow owners to take advantage of Qualcomm 865 and RK3588 CPUs. Because APhone’s servers are scattered throughout the world, there is no single point of failure.
“Our goal is to make advanced web3 functionalities accessible to everyone, anytime, without being limited by hardware constraints,” said William Peckham, Chief Business Officer at APhone. “Currently, major app stores are acting as bottlenecks to widespread Web3 adoption. We’re committed to bringing worldwide access to blockchain technology for users of all backgrounds and walks of life.”
As of June 14, APhone has 46,000 users. Because it is holding an airdrop season soon, that number could rise. Aethir, a GPU computer infrastructure company based in Singapore, powers APhone with its decentralized technology. It has partnerships with Seedify and MetaGravity, and was recently in the news for a node sale.
The Saga 2 device is scheduled to ship in 2025. The lag time between now and the Saga 2’s launch was cited as another reason for the APhone/Solana Mobile initiative, with users able to enjoy a Web3 mobile experience before the actual hardware shipped.
Saga Phone Creates Buzz in Web3
Saga, a Solana device that debuted in May 2023, initially failed to meet expectations. Even though it was a first mover in the space and featured tantalizing Web3 integrations like a Seed Vault and decentralized applications store, only 2,500 units were sold during the initial launch period. It was struggling to gain its footing in a competitive phone marketplace.
Around December 2023, that would change. The cause was simple: financial incentive. Each phone that Solana Mobile shipped came loaded with cryptocurrency and NFTs, including some of Solana’s most popular memecoins. At one point, buying a Saga paid for itself. The value of all the loaded digital assets was higher than the reduced $599 price tag. There was a rush on the phones, with some degens buying more than one.
It appears like Web3 denizens aren’t sleeping anymore on the Saga phone and the possibility of future earnings. There are already over 100,000 Saga 2 pre-orders during this Early Adopter window, far surpassing the 20,000 Solana Saga 1 purchases. This, although Solana Mobile hasn’t released many details about what this new device will be, or what crypto (if any) will be loaded onto it.
Therefore, APhone’s initiative may come at a good time, as it will give those who pre-ordered a Web3 experience while they wait for the Saga 2 to ship. Rarity Sniper will keep an eye on this partnership and report back if needed.
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