Cryptocurrencies are taking over the world and there’s no doubt about that. HTC is the first smartphone manufacturer who wants to get a piece of the “cryptocurrency cake” and it announced Exodus 1, the world’s first blockchain-focused smartphone. HTC also announced that its primary plan as a company is to focus on software and intellectual property and that Exodus 1 is the first step in that direction.
HTC Announces Exodus 1
Since Exodus 1 has been designed to be used by cryptocurrency investors, it should come as no surprise that the Taiwanese tech giant has made sure to equip it with a secure enclave that keeps the processor separate from the Android operating system that it uses so that the risks of getting hacked are low.
“Think of it as a micro OS that runs in parallel with Android. It basically is a wallet, but the wallet, what it does is hold your private keys,” said HTC’s decentralized chief officer Phil Chen when asked about the special technology that Exodus 1 is going to feature.
Revolutionary Idea
Phil Chen went on to say that the biggest feature that Exodus 1 has to offer is the fact that its processor runs separately from Android. This is a first in the smartphone industry and it guarantees total security and privacy to the user’s data.
“The dominant companies in our world today are Google and Facebook, and in China, Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent, because they basically own all our data. And the reason why you do a blockchain phone is…for everybody just to own their own keys. Everything starts there. When you start owning your own keys, then you can start owning your own digital identity, then you can start to own data” added Phil Chen.
This is a revolutionary idea from HTC and we think it’s safe to say that it will attract the interest of many cryptocurrency enthusiasts and other people who want to limit the amount of data that third-party companies have about them.
Powerful Specs
Even though HTC focused on blockchain technology when creating Exodus 1, the company also made sure to equip the smartphone with a bunch of high-end specs that make it capable to handle all types of tasks.
For starters, Exodus 1 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest octa-core Snapdragon 845 processor that is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage space. In addition, the smartphone also features a 16MP dual main camera setup and a smaller 8MP selfie shooter that can record videos in 4K.
The Smartphone is Available for Pre-Order
The reason why Exodus 1 is making headlines today is because HTC has started taking pre-orders for it. The catch is that the smartphone can only be bought through cryptocurrency. This is a nice touch from HTC and its surely going to give cryptocurrency enthusiasts another reason to get the brand-new Exodus 1.
Since we are talking about paying for Exodus 1, let’s check out its price. The smartphone can be pre-ordered for the price of 0.15 Bitcoins or 4.78 Ether tokens which covers to around $960. We have to mention that Exodus 1 is quite expensive and that it falls in the same price range as the likes of Apple’s latest iPhone XS and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9.
“Selling it in crypto only and being the first to do so means we are bringing this directly to the core audience and those who will want this device — the blockchain community,” said Phil Chen.
Nonetheless, people who decide to pre-order Exodus 1 will receive the smartphone in December. Therefore, cryptocurrency enthusiasts who want to be the first ones to get their hands on Exodus 1 need to set aside 0.15 Bitcoin and pre-order the smartphone starting today.
