While many things can be said about the tech company HTC, it is definitely a company willing to take some fascinating moves in the industry. Yves Maitre, the company’s new CEO, admits that the company’s previous dominance in the smartphone sector has waned in recent times. The company’s new Exodus project is intended to serve as a window into a new future of the smartphone.
This weekend will mark the launch of Exodus 1s during the Lightning conference in Berlin, Germany. HTC intends to clarify that the Exodus 1s is more than just a one-shot piece of tech, especially at the bargain price of nearly $244. This low price for entry may be tantalizing to those looking to play around with innovations in tech. Furthermore, the phone is available for purchase with all cryptocurrencies.
Looking at the specifics behind this new phone paints a bleak picture.
- The Snapdragon 435 runs Android 8.1.
- The HD+ screen is 5.7 inches.
- The system features 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB of storage.
- It has ports for both microUSB and headphones.
When you analyze all of these features, the end result is a pretty low-end, budget-tier phone.
The one unique, standout feature of this phone is that is comes with a hardware wallet and easy access to a Bitcoin node. HTC’s Phil Chen remarked that while users could already own a key, they can now use their phone as a full-on node for Bitcoin. According to Tech Crunch, the apparent goal is to give users everything they need to get involved with universal basic finance, serving as a “metaphorical Swiss bank” account.
Maitre confesses that the growing acceptance of blockchain on smartphones is three years away at the longest estimate. Specs aside, the Exodus 1s is intended to serve as a cheap way to access cryptocurrency technology in the here and now. Anyone with an interest in a device that serves the dual purpose of an easy-access cryptocurrency wallet and a smartphone and happens to live in Europe, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan or the United Arab Emirates, can go ahead and order the exodus 1s.
The Lightning Conference is a two-day event, occurring on October 19th and 20th, that is dedicated to anything and everything related to Bitcoin and Bitcoin’s “Lightning Network.” The Lightning network is seen as a potential solution to the scaling issues that eventually arise in a commodity like Bitcoin.
