If a second blockchain phone
didn't make things clear, HTC is still as serious as ever about its
crypto-phones On Monday, the company announced a new partnership with
Bitcoin.com that will see all new Exodus 1
phones come with the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) wallet app pre-installed. On
existing devices, meanwhile, HTC will push an update that adds the app
to the phone. As part of the partnership, the Bitcoin.com online store
has also started selling Exodus 1 devices. In the future, if you don't
plan on hoarding on your Bitcoin Cash, you'll be able to get a discount
on select HTC smartphones when you pay for a device with Bitcoin Cash.
While this new partnership makes a lot of sense from HTC's
perspective, the Exodus 1 was supposed to be more than "just" a Bitcoin
phone. When Phil Chen, HTC's chief decentralized officer, spoke to Engadget's Nick Summers
about the device, he described it as "Trojan Horse" for
"re-architecting the internet." Chen envisioned the phone as a way for
people to secure and control their own personal data. By partnering with
Bitcoin.com, HTC is leaning into the least interesting aspect of the
Exodus 1. Of course, the partnership likely comes out of the fact that
HTC is struggling to survive. The company needs to find a way to sell
more devices, and this help put the Exodus 1 in front of the people who
would be most interested in it.
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