Inside Solana Mobile’s Seeker: a web3 smartphone that’s more than just a wallet
Diving into how Seeker looks create a flywheel effect for the ecosystem's users and developers, as well as mobile app store innovations
Each month, we’re diving into one founder’s journey building on Solana, as well as noteworthy network updates to help readers get up to speed.
The latest Solana Sessions podcast
For this month’s Solana Sessions episode, we interviewed Emmett Hollyer, general manager of Solana Mobile.
Solana Mobile, an initiative by Solana Labs, aims to integrate crypto-native features directly into smartphones. It includes the newly launched Seeker phone, an Android device with a built-in Seed Vault for secure private key storage and native support for decentralized apps (dApps) via the Solana dApp Store.
We discuss how Solana Mobile is creating a device that feels as smooth as web2 devices, while also incorporating web3 elements. We also dive into its goal to make web3 more mobile-friendly by improving usability, security and performance for crypto users and developers alike.
This is a part of the Solana Sessions campaign that Token Relations and the Talking Tokens podcast are doing, diving into founders’ journeys and startups building on Solana. The episode is available on Talking Tokens on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Seeking a New Era For Web3 Smartphones
The average person is glued to their smartphone, while the average crypto-native person is glued to their monitors. Yet, the common problem in web3 is that many apps are not mobile friendly.
Solana Mobile is aiming to take a swing at fixing that with their latest device, Seeker, designed to make crypto more accessible to people on the go. This new product comes a little over two years after the flagship Solana Saga phone, but is ushering in new elements, General Manager of Solana Mobile Emmet Hollyer said on Talking Tokens.
The device introduces its new Seed Vault technology to secure digital assets, letting users sign transactions with a double-tap and fingerprint scan, similar to how Apple Pay works.
“We wanted to make it as simple and seamless as possible,” Hollyer said. “It shouldn't feel like when you're doing web2 stuff, it's really easy, but the moment you start doing crypto stuff, it all falls apart.”
The Solana Seeker also looks to make the developer experience just as easy and cost effective. The Solana dApp store, which is home to over 100 mobile apps, doesn’t charge fees to deploy. Unlike web2 app stores that may have restrictions, Solana Mobile slashes that so developers can flourish and feel decentralized, Hollyer said.
“We’re very crypto friendly - you don't have to water down your marketing material or try to hide your crypto feature and we don’t charge any fees,” Hollyer added. “It’s really all about a team building a great app and submitting it.”
The Seeker device also removes the fee structure that other mobile app stores may have in place. “A lot of crypto innovation is built on the idea that you don't need rent seeking people sitting between users and businesses,” Hollyer said. “Placing an exorbitant fee of 30% doesn't make sense for our ecosystem - it's not something that we think is necessary to keep our vision alive.”
All in, Solana Mobile looks to make Seeker more than just another crypto-powered device, but rather a tool to access financial railways. There will be more dApps launching during “Seeker Season” starting in September, Hollyner noted. Whether it be for new users or developers, Solana Mobile sees the Seeker as a financial railway that removes barriers for developers, enabling more apps that facilitate financial access.
“If we can get to a place where there are a bunch of really compelling, really new apps that get more users using their phones, spending more money, then spending more money brings more devs in because they see an economic opportunity,” Hollyer noted. This flywheel effect can foster a self-sustainable financial ecosystem for users and developers alike, he added.
Solana Mobile by the numbers
150K pre-orders
80% of sales outside of US
100 dApps across 10+ categories
Cost: $500
The Seeker Hardware Specs:
Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Processor
8GB RAM
128GB Storage
6.36” AMOLED Display, 460 PPI, 120 Hz
The biggest updates on Solana
Play Solana released its Pudgy Penguins limited edition gameboy with more than 8K total pre-orders across all PSG1 devices
Pipe Network announced Pipe Firestarter Storage, a full-stack content delivery network designed for Solana to compete against web2 protocols
Drift, a perpetual futures trading DEX on Solana, recorded an all-time high of $1.01B in daily perp volume on July 18, DefiLlama data shows
Monthly transfer volume for Solana xStocks rose 73% on the month to $324.27M, according to RWAxyz data
Moonit deployed an AI protocol that automatically tokenizes internet culture and memes using Jupiter and Meteora technology
Exceed launched its Solana staking protocol that provides blockchain security rewards and market-based rewards for its users
One Piece Labs announced its accelerator program designed to empower early-stage founders building dApps on Solana
Meet up with the Solana community for Breakpoint from Dec 11-13 in Abu Dhabi, UAE
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This product was built by Token Relations.
This information is for entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial advice, nor should it be used to make investment decisions. Cryptocurrencies are high risk and you should consult a financial professional before making any financial decisions. Make sure you do your own research.