HTC has announced that an early version of its blockchain-smartphone EXODUS 1 is already available for the pre-order. You can buy the device for bitcoin and ethereum in 34 countries. Sales start in December.
Genesis Block. Exodus Phone.
— HTC EXODUS (@htcexodus) October 23, 2018
This is official early access release to the EXODUS 1. We are inviting a community of developers and enthusiasts to work with us to keep building security. Join us in rebuilding trust together, one phone at a time. Get your early access now! pic.twitter.com/sPcNc7wnzj
The device can be purchased only for cryptocurrency - for 0.15 Bitcoin or 4.75 Ethereum, which at the current rate will be about $960.
The smartphone has a six-inch display, two dual cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, a 3500 mAh battery and the Android Oreo operating system. Exodus 1 has a Secure Enclave processor. It allows uses to hide data from the Android OS.
Project leaders said they were hoping to get feedback from the community members regarding the trial version of the smartphone in order to improve it. The main priorities for HTC are a secure wallet that can be brought to a wide market, for which it needs to be tested, said Phil Chen, the company's Decentralized Chief Officer .
According to the developers of the device, it will be equipped with TrustZone. This is a special area in the ARM processor, which is separated from the Android OS, and the user's cryptocurrency keys will be stored in it. Users will also be able to set several trusted contacts through which it will be possible to recover lost data. If the owner of Exodus 1 loses or breaks the smartphone, he or she will be able to recover the data with the help of three to five friends. To do this, they will need to pre-install a special application, after which the algorithm will distribute the recovery key between their devices. This information is not stored on the company's servers.
The blockchain smartphone HTC has its own pre-installed crypto wallet Zion. In addition, the company will soon open an API that will allow developers to create applications that are compatible with Exodus 1 hardware (for example, to protect keys or sign transactions).
Few technical specifications for interested users. The novelty has a 6-inch Quad HD + screen (2880x1440 pixels) with an aspect ratio of 18: 9, a 3500 mAh battery, a 16-megapixel main camera and a dual 8-megapixel front camera. The device is equipped with a flagship 8-core Snapdragon 845 chip with a clock frequency of up to 2.8 GHz and 6 GB of RAM. The capacity of the flash drive is 128 GB.
HTC announced the development of a blockchain smartphone in May this year. Then the company representatives said that the mission of HTC is to support the entire blockchain ecosystem. "I want to see a world where the end consumers can truly own their data—browsing history, identity, assets, wallets, emails, messaging—without the need for central authorities," said Phil Chen.
Of course, HTC is not the only company that is moving in this direction. Recall that in March it became known that HTC’s competitor, Huawei, is also considering the possibility of creating a smartphone with integrated support for blockchain applications, in particular, crypto wallets.
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