Solana plans to launch a new smartphone line after Saga
According to CoinDesk sources, Solana is gearing up to launch a new generation of crypto-friendly smartphones, following the success of the previous Saga model.
The upcoming product will retain Saga’s crypto-supporting features, such as integrated cryptocurrency wallets and Solana ecosystem dApps, but will come at a lower price point and with upgraded hardware.
Saga, released in mid-2023 at a price of $1,000, featured a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, a 6.67-inch OLED display, 12GB RAM, 512GB storage, and ran on the default Android operating system.
However, its release during a market downtrend significantly impacted its sales. Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko revealed that only 2,200 out of 20,000 manufactured Sagas were sold by early December 2023, even with a 50% discount on the initial retail price.
Claimed $700 dollars worth of $BONK on my Solana Saga
I also got this Saga for free. We’re big chillin. pic.twitter.com/YWq4RgEYde
— Sharky 👑 💎 | X (@SOL_KingShark) December 15, 2023
Despite the initial challenges, Solana’s ecosystem experienced a strong recovery in the last two months of 2023, driven by meme coins like BONK, leading to a substantial growth in SOL prices. The announcement of a BONK token airdrop for Saga buyers turned the smartphone into a hot commodity, selling out within a week.
Related: Solana’s Saga Phone Suddenly Became a “Hot Item” Because of a Memecoin
Following Bonk’s model, many projects on Solana subsequently announced airdrops for Saga owners to attract community attention. Due to this trend, people are still actively seeking to purchase the Saga smartphone. Currently, a factory-sealed Saga is listed on eBay for up to $3,200, three times the original retail price.
