“Step-by-Step Guide to Buying and Selling Crypto Using Solana Saga”

Solana Saga, the Web3 mobile phone

In April 2023, Solana released its Web3 mobile phone, the first of its kind. This phone has all the features users expect from a smartphone, in addition to a Web3 experience. It has a decentralized application (DApp) store and is able to integrate with crypto wallets and DApps without difficulty. Saga has been described as the phone “that keeps on giving.”

The pre-order period for the phone had been going on for several months, and those who pre-ordered benefited from airdrops such as the “Saga Pass.” Furthermore, those with the Saga Pass also obtained multiple art airdrops as nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in the lead up to the April launch. Finally, on April 13, 2023, Anatoly Yakovenko, Solana’s co-founder, took to the stage to announce the phone’s release and its features.

First reactions

European users were behind the curve when it came to receiving their phones, due to supply chain issues causing a delay of a few weeks. Even when those in America began to get their phones in April, those in Europe had to wait until May.

The phone has a shape that is quite similar to an iPhone. Its green buttons, ceramic backing, and stainless steel frame make it seem like a mainstream device. It runs on the Android OS and was unveiled by OSOM at the launch event with the Solana co-founder present.

This phone is equipped with a variety of hardware components. It is equipped with a 6.67-inch, 1080p resolution AMOLED screen and a 120Hz display. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 with 12 gigabytes of RAM. Additionally, the phone has an impressive 512GB of storage, which is not common among smartphones. It also offers longer battery life than an iPhone 14 Pro with its 4,110-mAh battery.

A fingerprint sensor is located on the back of the phone, providing an ergonomic experience for users. The camera produces good images, though a comprehensive comparison to those of an iPhone or Samsung is not within the parameters of this article. The sound quality of the built-in speakers could be improved.

Setting up and software

The setup for the phone is relatively speedy. This process involves generating a Solana wallet and a seed vault to store the seed phrase. People can access their wallets and approve transactions using their fingerprints (biometrics). The seed vault is a key component that makes the Web3 experience possible.

The phone functions just like any other Android phone, thus the initial configuration is no different from that of a regular Android phone.

At the time of its launch, the Solana-powered DApp store accompanying the phone only had a dozen apps. However, by April and May 2023, the app store had grown to include more than 25 apps, providing access to a range of DApps on the Solana network, including games, NFTs, DeFi, and social applications.

The installation of the Phantom wallet, which is regularly employed on the Solana network, is quite effortless and straightforward. Nevertheless, some users have experienced difficulty installing other programs onto the device. Over the months of April and May 2023, the DApp store had a few updates, which appear to have remedied these problems.

Some Saga experiences

The Saga facilitates the Solana user experience by granting access to a variety of DApps. To begin, Saga users are given a genesis token, which helps the Solana DApps ecosystem recognize committed users and reward them in the long run.

Transactions using the Phantom wallet to exchange USD Coin (USDC) for Solana (SOL) were remarkably smooth when utilizing the fingerprint sensor. For once, carrying out a cryptocurrency transaction felt like a contactless financial technology payment – effortless and automatic.

Other noteworthy applications include Dialect, a Web3 messaging app that utilizes Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) with stickers. Solana’s compressed NFT technology makes creating an NFT incredibly cost-effective. The Dialect app also encourages collecting NFT stickers that can then be incorporated into messages.

The Mintify app links to the user’s images and makes it easy to mint them. It connects with the Phantom wallet so a fee of approximately 0.01 SOL is charged for each mint. When the user gives the green light, the minting is done immediately, with the pictures uploaded to the blockchain and an address provided right away.

Some DApps which were previously available to all users on the web have now been featured on the Saga app store. As an example, Squads, a multisig wallet on Solana, may have delayed their mobile launch until the Saga release.

This could be a precursor to what is to come as Web3 applications demonstrate their loyalty to the ecosystem of their parent chain.

Apart from the unique and exclusive user experiences provided by the Solana Mobile team, they have also announced substantial airdrops. For example, Claynosaurz, one of the highest market capitalization NFT communities on Solana, is doing an airdrop for those who pre-ordered the phone.

Other Web3 applications also integrate seamlessly. Saga utilizes the Android environment to facilitate other Web3 applications, yet they do not provide the same degree of integration as Saga DApps can.

Can Solana Saga be improved?

The Saga, priced at $1,000 each, is a hefty expense for a Web3 user who is short on liquidity during a bear market. It is usually those who are devoted to Solana, have ample liquidity, or are simply interested in the technology that will usually purchase this cutting-edge product.

Although the fingerprint sensor is practical and user-friendly, it is not as convenient as facial recognition, which can be used more quickly and easily. Additionally, Saga does not offer e-Sims, which are advantageous for those who often travel and require multiple phone numbers on one device.

The feedback for the DApp store experience has been varied due to technical issues. Gaming is one area that is anticipated to bring 1 billion users to Web3 and, as of May 26, 2023, the DApp store only has three games. Despite the difficulties, this is an encouraging beginning for a much-needed advancement in the industry.

What lies ahead for the Solana Saga?

It is highly unlikely that Saga will overtake the iPhone or Android anytime soon. This experiment is designed to provide a unique user experience and its advantages to those already using Web3/Solana, while others may just get a glimpse of what the future holds.

Some may think it is just a coincidence, but Apple’s approval of Uniswap, Axie Infinity, and the in-app sales on StepN could be seen as evidence that the Saga is impacting some of the larger developments in the sector.

The Apple tax of 30% is still a burden on creators’ income; however, this could potentially be changed in the future if Apple is forced to do so. Until then, Saga users can be the test subjects for this potentially undervalued Web3 experiment.