need Solana co-founder and Solana Labs president Raj Gokal told TechCrunch exclusively that Chapter 2 sales are apparently so high that Solana Mobile hit its seven-day sales goal in the first 24 hours.
Gokal said that within the first 24 hours of the phone’s release, Solana Mobile had more than 25,000 pre-orders, and by 30 hours, it had reached 30,000 pre-orders. By those numbers, the new smartphone has already outsold Solana’s first phone, the Saga, in 12 months.
The new phone will have similar features to its predecessor: it’s based on Android, has a built-in crypto wallet, seed bank and a “dApp store” for decentralized crypto applications. It will initially sell for $450, down from the Saga’s $599 price tag. A Solana spokesperson said Chapter 2 will be released in the first half of 2025.
“For developers, Solana Mobile is creating huge opportunities for crypto app teams looking to incentivize users,” Gokal said. “This gives them a centralized distribution channel targeting die-hard, dedicated users. It allows them to do that without having to pay any exorbitant app store fees.”
Gokal added that the device represents the possibilities of cryptocurrency, providing value to apps that incentivize users.
Saga’s climb
Solana’s first smartphone didn’t create much demand when it debuted in mid-2023 for $1,000. But given weak demand, the company quickly lowered the price to $599. YouTuber Marques Brownlee even called the Saga “the worst new phone of 2023” and said it was a “bust.”
Initially, the sales slump seemed to be due to the phone not getting noticed in the crowded smartphone market. But when the decentralized application (dApp) for dog-centric memecoin BONK announced that it would make 30 million BONK tokens available for free to Saga owners, the crypto-savvy crowd perked up their ears. “Saga” sold out almost overnight.
At the time, 30 million BONK tokens were worth more than the cost of the phone, so users essentially got the device (or tokens, depending on how you look at it) for free. Prior to this, Saga owners had received other cryptocurrency rewards, such as mints from the Claynosaurz NFT series, but these promotions did not attract much attention. However, with the hype around BONK, other dApps started offering similar rewards, which led to more people wanting to buy the phone to get the value it offered.
“As the market rebounded in the fourth quarter of last year, Saga was sold out, with most of the sales done in just two days in December,” Gokal said. “Since then, we’ve been receiving thousands more requests every day.”
Now, Solana hopes to recreate that same magic with Chapter 2. The Saga Genesis Token is a non-transferable NFT that comes with every Saga and helps owners redeem rewards, but owners of new devices won’t be able to use the token, but the company plans to “use it with Chapter 2,” according to its FAQ. based on experience.”
“Giving back to the community has a snowball effect: as more developers start releasing crypto-incentivized apps to Solana Mobile users, we will see more adoption,” Gokal said. He added that Chapter 2 sponsors include Backpack, Tensor, Phantom, Solflare, Magic Eden and Drip, which have programs that reward owners.
“Chapter 2 is focused on wider distribution, greater accessibility, and leveraging the lessons learned over the past two years to provide greater flexibility for developers and users,” Gokal said.
Gokal said the new device has been “in development” for more than a year as the company hopes to provide “complete access to cryptocurrency developers and users by not having any restrictions on tokens or NFTs and not charging exorbitant fees.” free”.
