Solana Mobile is aiming for the stars after announcing a second, more affordable web3 phone called "Chapter 2" earlier this week. While its first phone, the Saga, sold out like a rising avalanche – slow at first, then all at once in the United States and the European Union – the second device is selling out much faster from the get-go.
Demand for the Chapter 2 is apparently so high that Solana Mobile reached its 7-day sales target within the first 24 hours, Raj Gokal, co-founder of Solana and president of Solana Labs, told TechCrunch exclusively.
In the first 24 hours after the phone's announcement, Solana Mobile recorded over 25,000 pre-orders, and within 30 hours, it had 30,000 pre-orders, Gokal said. At these numbers, this new device has already surpassed a year of sales of Solana's first phone, the Saga.
The new phone will have similar features to its predecessor: it's based on Android, has an integrated encrypted wallet, a Seed Vault, and a "dApp store" for decentralized crypto applications. It's initially offered at $450, less than the Saga's $599. Chapter 2 will ship in the first half of 2025, a Solana spokesperson said.
"For developers, Solana Mobile is creating a big opportunity for crypto app teams looking to incentivize their users," Gokal said. "It provides them with a concentrated distribution channel for passionate and dedicated users. This allows them to do so without some of the prohibitive fees of the app store."
Gokal added that the device represents what's possible with cryptocurrencies, offering value in incentivizing apps to users.
Saga's Climb Solana's first smartphone didn't see much demand when it was first launched in mid-2023 at a price of $1,000. But the company soon lowered the price to $599 due to weak demand. YouTuber Marques Brownlee even dubbed the Saga the "Worst New Phone of 2023" and called it a "flop."
Initially, it seemed that poor sales were due to the phone going unnoticed in the chaotic smartphone market. But the ears of the cryptocurrency-savvy crowd perked up when meme coin-focused decentralized application (dApp) BONK announced it would provide 30 million BONK tokens for free to Saga owners. The Saga was then sold out almost overnight.
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