According to CoinDesk, Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko expressed concerns about the future of the company's Saga Phone during a recent appearance on Laura Shin's Unchained podcast. Yakovenko cited disappointing sales and changing market dynamics as reasons for the uncertainty. He mentioned the possibility of creating a smart wallet or a cheaper version of the phone for iPhone users as a secondary device, but noted that they have not seen enough demand to justify producing 50,000 units, which he considers the threshold for success.
The Saga Phone was initially released earlier this year, with its price being reduced from $1,000 to $599 in August. Yakovenko acknowledged that advancements in mobile interfaces, such as Progressive Web Apps and pass keys, have significantly narrowed the gap between specialized and regular smartphones. He also mentioned that crypto phones have been attempted by other companies, including HTC and Sirin Labs, but have seen limited success outside of their niche following.
Interestingly, Yakovenko admitted that he does not use the Solana Saga Phone as his primary device, instead switching between it and his iPhone due to the numerous business apps and connections he relies on. He referred to the Saga Phone as his 'NFT phone.' Despite the uncertainty surrounding the phone, Solana's SOL token has seen a year-to-date increase of over 500%, according to on-chain data.
