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The Rise and Fall of Solana's Saga Smartphone: Unraveling the Challenges of Web3 Adoption on Mobile Devices. 📉😓📱
In June 2022, Solana Labs introduced the Saga smartphone with grand aspirations to propel Web3 into the mainstream. However, recent revelations from co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko paint a different narrative. Despite anticipating robust sales of 25,000-50,000 units, on-chain data reveals a stark reality of only 2,400 units sold.
Yakovenko openly acknowledges this significant shortfall, admitting to sticking with his iPhone for work due to challenges in supporting security certificates and business applications on the Saga. The once-heralded device now finds itself relegated to a niche as an "NFT phone" rather than a primary workhorse.
In a bid to salvage the situation, Solana slashes the Saga's price from $1,000 to $599 in August 2023. However, the response remains tepid, with only 1,200 unique orders via crypto purchases. The correlation between Saga Genesis NFT ownership and total sales volume further confirms the low demand.
Yakovenko's candid revelation raises questions about the economic feasibility of developing exclusive apps for the Saga. The absence of these applications diminishes the device's allure within the Web3 user base. Despite its Android operating system, the Saga's dismal sales figures cast shadows on the prospect of cultivating exclusive apps for the platform, throwing the device's future into uncertainty.
Solana's Saga smartphone, once poised as a trailblazer for Web3 on mobile devices, grapples with a harsh reality of sales figures falling drastically below expectations. Yakovenko's transparent admission unveils the obstacles and economic uncertainties surrounding the development and adoption of Web3 technology on mobile platforms. The Saga, once a beacon of promise, now stands at the crossroads of potential reinvention or obsolescence in the ever-evolving landscape of mobile technology.
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