The pre-sale of an Ethereum (ETH) -based smartphone turned out to be a great success. Within 24 hours, the first 50 mobile devices with an operating system based on a network of smart contracts were sold out.
The Ethereum Smartphone
The “Ethereum Phone” is based on the Google Pixel 7a and comes with a unique open-source operating system: ethOS. It’s short for the Ethereum operating system but also means “character” in Greek.
ethOS phone. Source: X (Twitter)
The devices are distinguished from other Web3 smartphones by the built-in Ethereum light client. This feature allows the ethOS operating system to independently validate blocks, making the device a “light node” on the Ethereum network.
Click here for everything you need to know about Ethereum Name Service (ENS)
The Ethereum smartphone has several built-in tools for handling payments and receiving and sending messages. Additionally, the mobile device includes integration for Ethereum Name Services (ENS), allowing users to make payments in an easier way. In addition, it supports Ethereum Virtual Machines (EVM) and Layer 2 scaling networks.
Ethereum Smartphones Only Available Via NFT
Only 50 mobile devices were available during the pre-order. To qualify for the purchase of these Ethereum smartphones, interested buyers had to purchase an ethOS non-fungible token (NFT). They could burn it or destroy it to reserve their phone.
ethOS NFT. Source: OpenSea
A post on X (Twitter) alerted users about fake NFTs on OpenSea, the largest NFT trading platform.
Some ethOS NFTs are being sold on OpenSea for three Ethereum (ETH), or nearly $5,000. Compared to the regular Google Pixel 7a, which sells for $499 in the US, that’s a difference of 10x.
Competition in Mobile Web3 Space
While the pre-sale of Ethereum smartphones has been a great success, the Solana (SOL) smartphone has had a less successful start. Only just over 2,000 units have been sold since release, according to Flipside records.
Click here to learn more about the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)
To boost the user-friendly Solana crypto phone sales, Solana Labs recently dropped the price from $1,000 to $599. The price reduction occurred after the announcement of the premiere of the Ethereum smartphone, which will take place in fall 2023.
