At the recent New York Magical Crypto Conference, Taiwanese smart phone maker HTC introduced a cheaper variant of its first blockchain phone.
The new smartphone named HTC Exodus 1S is a variant of the earlier Exodus 1, and will be released in Quarter 3 (Q3) of 2019. Exodus 1S comes with a special feature software to run complete Bitcoin node functionality. According to HTC, the Exodus 1S will include Bitcoin node capabilities with an additional SD card slot to assist its blockchain functionalities.
This latest device offers a cheaper alternative and much more sophisticated than the previous Exodus 1 first released by HTC in 2018. HTC’s Decentralized Chief Officer, Phil Chen states that the new Smartphone will help preserve the Bitcoin network credibility as more complete nodes imply a stronger network.
Additional crypto features of the Exodus 1S include: Pre-installed Blockfolio app, users can securely store their private keys on the device, Etherscan (Ethereum (ETH) blockchain explorer), European search engine Qwant and Ethereum-based ERC-721 tokens will also be supported.
HTC is yet to disclose a particular global release date but the Smartphone will sell for around $250 to $300. Payment options for its purchase remain cryptocurrencies as in the case of the Exodus 1; however it is yet to be revealed if fiat payment will be included this time.
What are your thoughts on this? Would mobile phone enabled wallet or blockchain devices replace cryptocurrency hardware wallets?
