After first teasing the device earlier this year, HTC has detailed its new, more affordable Exodus 1s blockchain smartphone.
The highlight feature of the device is that it can function as a full
node. This means the phone is able to validate and transmit Bitcoin
transactions independent of a centralized third-party. In this way, you
don't need to go through an exchange to buy and sell Bitcoin. Likewise,
the phone can also be used to trade, lend and borrow the cryptocurrency.
The way HTC puts it, what separates the 1s from other smartphones is
that you can operate your own decentralized bank out of your pocket.
At least that's the idea. While it's not as intensive as mining
Bitcoin, running a full node still requires a lot of computing power. In
fact, HTC recommends only using the feature while the phone is
connected to WiFi and plugged into its power adapter. The company also
plans to roll out full node support to the original Exodus 1, as well.
The
1s can also store the entire Bitcoin ledger. To take advantage of this
aspect of the phone, you'll need a microSD card with at least 400GB of
storage (sold separately). At the moment, the ledger takes up
approximately 260GB, and it's currently growing at a rate of 60GB per
year. You need the entire ledger to verify and relay transactions
without a third-party.
Like its predecessor, the 1s supports HTC's Zion wallet. The software
allows the 1s to store, send and receive a variety of cryptocurrencies,
including Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin and Steller, as well as
Etherum-based ERC-20 and ERC-721 tokens.
Besides its crypto-related capabilities, not much stands out about
the Exodus 1s from a hardware perspective. Internally, the phone
features a Snapdragon 435 processor, a chip that's now more than three years old.
Complementing the processor is 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in internal
storage. The display measures in at 5.7 inches and features an 18:9
aspect ratio with 720p resolution. There's also a 3.5mm headphone jack, a
(shudders) MicroUSB port for charging and a rear-facing fingerprint
sensor. For taking pictures, the 1s includes a single main 13-megapixel
camera and a 13-megapixel selfie camera. The phone will ship with
Android Oreo 8.1, software that is about two years old now.
In
Europe, the Exodus 1s will cost €219 (approximately $244). The company
also plans to sell the device in Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates, with more countries to come at a later date. Naturally,
you can also pay for the phone using cryptocurrency, with HTC accepting
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Binance or Bitcoin Cash.
As a daily
driver, the Exodus 1s won't make sense for most people, even for
die-hard crypto-enthusiasts. But it might find some runway as a
secondary phone for those that want to dip their toes in the ecosystem.
It's just hard to imagine how that's enough to move the needle for HTC.
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