Solana’s new crypto-integrated smartphone, the Chapter 2, has rapidly amassed an impressive 100,000 pre-orders, dwarfing the initial sales figures of its predecessor. This significant achievement, reached in just over a month, cements Solana’s place in the market for blockchain-enabled technology.
The robust demand for the Chapter 2 illustrates the burgeoning interest in incorporating cryptocurrency functionality into everyday tech. With the $45 million generated from pre-orders, Solana is gearing up to begin production of the eagerly awaited smartphone, with an anticipated release in early 2025.
Solana’s co-founder, Anatoly Yakovenko, underscored the commercial viability of the Chapter 2, which stands in stark contrast to the harsh financial reality of their inaugural device. Priced at a more consumer-friendly $450, the new phone offers an affordable entry point to cryptocurrency technology and is aimed at broadening its user base.
Despite initial skepticism toward Solana’s first venture, the Solana Saga smartphone, the decision to include a BONK token airdrop with each purchase triggered an unexpected surge in demand. The smartphone quickly gained cult status among crypto followers, selling for up to five times the cost of Apple’s newest iPhone on secondary markets. The BONK airdrop strategy significantly boosted sales, demonstrating the value and appeal of Solana’s crypto-integrated smartphones.
As anticipation builds for Solana’s second act, the company remains focused on the core integration of cryptocurrency functionality into the device, admitting the challenges of contending with tech behemoths like Apple and Google on traditional features. The success of the Chapter 2 pre-orders begs the question – is the attraction attributed to the allure of crypto-integration, or is it fuelled by the prospect of another potential airdrop?