Freedom Factory — the team behind the ethOS operating system — has unveiled a new mobile device called the "dGen1" — an onchain device used to interact with Web3 applications, decentralized finance protocols, and to sign transactions on Ethereum.
The device is built on ethOS — a fork of the Android operating system — and features a built-in web browser, touch screen, audio speaker, and a separate screen that displays transaction metadata. However, dGen1 does not appear to have telecommunication capabilities.
A key feature of the dGen1 is the light node client on the device — meaning prospective users will not have to rely on third-party remote procedure call (RPC) nodes to interact with the blockchain.
A picture of the dGen1 mobile device. Source: Freedom Factory
According to Freedom Factory, the device will begin shipping in Spring 2025, making Freeom Factory the latest firm to join the growing list of Web3 developers venturing into mobile hardware. This list includes Solana with its upcoming Seeker smartphone and Mysten Labs' SuiPlay0X1 handheld gaming device.
Crypto firms explore hardware to drive blockchain adoption
On Sept. 3, Mysten Labs — the firm behind the Sui (SUI) blockchain — announced it was taking pre-orders for its SuiPlay0X1 device — a gaming handheld similar to a Steam Deck and other mobile gaming computers.
The $599 device is slated for release during the first half of 2025 and will be compatible with the Steam online game store and blockchain games built on Sui.
During the recent Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai, Mysten Labs' chief information officer, Christian Thompson, told Cointelegraph that blockchain gaming allows developers to experiment with Web3 and attract users.
During the same month, Solana announced its upcoming Seeker smartphone device. Spokespeople for Solana Labs touted the upcoming phone as a "rewards magnet" and promised that the phone would not rely heavily on memecoins.
This represents a departure from Solana's previous Saga phone — which sold out due to a memecoin airdrop. Users were guaranteed 30 million BONK (BONK) tokens if they purchased the smartphone, and following a 1,100% increase in the price of the memecoin, this made the $1,000 phone an attractive purchase.
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