Only a few years ago, tech industry giants like Samsung and HTC, as well as startups like Sirin Labs, strove to create crypto-ready smartphones a reality. However, it did not seem to resonate with a large number of people, and the movement faded for a while.

But the notion is back, with the designers of major blockchain networks Solana and Polygon looking to the mobile market to deliver Web3 and crypto to hundreds of millions of additional users worldwide. And, sure, HTC is still working on its own “metaverse phone.”

What’s new this time, and how is each firm addressing its new mobile Web3 initiative? Here’s what Solana, Polygon, and HTC are up to in the space.

Solana Saga

Solana Labs unveiled Saga, a premium Android smartphone with unique features and functions that are firmly connected with the Solana blockchain, enabling it simple and safe to deal in web3 and manage digital assets like tokens and NFTs on the NFT Marketplace.

Saga was created and produced by OSOM, a reputable Android development company whose personnel has extensive experience creating computer hardware for Google, Apple, and Intel.

Saga boasts a 6.67″ OLED display, 12 GB RAM, 512 GB storage, and the newest flagship Snapdragon® 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform, the security characteristics of which will allow the Seed Vault of the Solana Mobile Stack. In order to keep private keys, seed phrases, and secrets separate from the application layer while still enabling interaction with applications running on the device or in a mobile browser, the Seed Vault—which comprises a Secure Element implanted into the device—includes a Secure Element.

Solana Mobile Stack is software that makes Web3 capabilities more accessible through a mobile phone, allowing for better access to wallet applications, enhanced Solana Pay on the move, and access to games, apps, and NFT markets.

As a top-tier Android phone with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a $1,000 smartphone, the Solana Saga is meant to be the ultimate presentation of that technology. That is anticipated to be the price when it is released early next year.

SMS isn’t intended to be unique to the Saga. Still, Android phone manufacturers like Samsung and Google will need to actively change the software to allow the same level of capability on their own handsets. Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko said that such positive activities are crucial to exposing Web3 and self-custody of crypto assets to the rest of the globe.

“It’s simply a question of them thinking that crypto is significant enough,” he said. “From my perspective, we might be quite effective in allowing a billion users to self-custody just by altering those people’s thinking.”

Nothing + Polygon

Polygon, a decentralized Ethereum scaling platform, is collaborating with phone maker Nothing to incorporate Web3 technology. Polygon announced its collaboration with Nothing, disclosing that it would include its technology in the Nothing Phone (1).

Nothing, Carl Pei’s firm, plans to unveil its first handset, Nothing Phone (1), on July 12th. The business will unveil the translucent and boxy-looking mobile phone in a virtual event. Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, iPod co-creator Tony Fadell, and Reddit CEO Steve Huffman have all shown interest in the unusual phone startup.

Polygon and Nothing have already been developing their cooperation and discussing the project’s progress for months.

Full specifics have yet to be published before the phone’s debut event. However, Polygon reports that it would allow for quicker access to dapps and games through the platform and simpler payments, and cryptographically-secured identity capabilities.

“When you log in to any Android or Apple phone, you use a Google ID or an Apple ID, and to some sense, Apple or Google controls the customer, right? The value is produced there,” according to Arjun Kalsy., Vice President of Growth at Polygon. “In a decentralized environment, we must assist users in regaining control.”

Because it uses a mid-range chipset rather than a flagship chip, the Nothing Phone (1) is anticipated to cost much less than the Solana Saga. Carl Pei, who previously co-founded the smartphone firm OnePlus, started Nothing. OnePlus is recognized for phones with flagship attraction but savvy skimps and adjustments to give more competitive costs.

HTC Desire 22 Pro

Unlike earlier phone initiatives, the HTC Desire 22 Pro is not being led by the designers of a single blockchain network. Instead, the tech company’s so-called metaverse smartphone will support Ethereum and Polygon and is intended to provide access to metaverse platforms and VR experiences through a linked headset.

What’s odd about that strategy is that the HTC Desire 22 Pro isn’t a top-tier flagship phone. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G CPU included is a low mid-range chip, even less capable than the Snapdragon 778G+ announced for the Nothing Phone (1). The phone, on the other hand, costs just £399 (about $475).

In other words, although this phone may not be perfect for luxurious 3D experiences, it is intended to be used to purchase and hold NFT assets on Ethereum and Polygon. We’ll see whether this smartphone is more popular than HTC’s prior crypto phones. It will be released in Taiwan and the United Kingdom, but it is unknown if a worldwide release will follow.