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Blockchain smartphone guide

Compare blockchain smartphones, see what they can do and why you'd want one.

Andrew Munro
Andrew Munro

Updated

At the beginning of 2018 there were no blockchain smartphones on the market. Just over a year later you could choose from five different phones, each of which is quite different from every other.

But first, why would you even want one? What can blockchain smartphones do that other phones can’t?

Disclaimer: This information should not be interpreted as an endorsement of cryptocurrency or any specific provider, service or offering. It is not a recommendation to trade.

At a glance

Samsung Galaxy S10
HTC Exodus
Sirin Labs Finney
Pundi Xphone
Electroneum M1
HTC Exodus phone Image: Supplied Sirin Finney phone Image: Sirin Electroneum M1 smartphone Image: Getty
Price* US$750 US$699 US$999 US$599 US$80
Display size 6.1 inches 6 inches 6 inches 5.65 inches 4.5 inches
Processor Snapdragon 855 4x 2.8GHz Kryo 385

4x 1.8GHz Kryo 385

 Snapdragon 845 Snapdragon 660 Quad Core 1.3GHz CPU
RAM 8GB 6GB 6GB 6GB 1GB
Storage 128GB/512GB 128GB 128GB (expandable to 2TB) 128GB 8GB (expandable to 32GB)
Camera 16MP 12.19MP 12MP 12MP 5MP
Where to buy Learn more Learn more Learn more Learn more Learn more

*Prices are indicative and last updated on March 19, 2019.

What blockchain smartphones can do that other phones can’t

The exact function of a blockchain phone depends on which one you get. But in general, blockchain smartphones offer the following advantages over regular phones.

They’re more secure

Blockchain smartphones can provide additional security primarily through the built-in hardware wallet that’s common to most blockchain phones released to date.

This is essentially like a secure, offline safe for digital information on your phone. This can hold various types of data and then provide them on a case-by-case basis as needed. So far it’s mostly used to hold cryptocurrency private keys.

However, not all available blockchain wallets have this type of offline storage and different phones will have different degrees of separation between components, which can also add to security. The Sirin Labs Finney is the only one with a separated processor, secure element, display, touchscreen and keyboard.

In the long run there are many applications for this, because the secure element hardware wallet part of the phone can hold more than just cryptocurrency private keys.

For example, it could hold your personal information such as passwords to securely log in to different sites or sensitive personal information such as credit card numbers. If everyone does this, the world can move beyond the current system of assembling massive honeypots full of millions of people’s personal data and help cure the problem of endless data breaches.

Compare the best hardware wallets

Key security benefits

To this end, some blockchain smartphones will let you securely hold passwords on your phone’s built-in hardware wallet. For now it’s still mostly for cryptocurrency private keys. The benefits of this include:

  • Cost. Hardware wallets can be expensive, so having one on your phone can be a saver.
  • Portability. Most people probably don’t use cryptocurrency enough to bother carrying a hardware wallet around. Having it built into a phone can change that dynamic, by letting you keep it in cold storage while still carrying it.
  • Direct dapp interface. Decentralized applications (dapps) are blockchain apps. They often involve cryptocurrency, so having more security can be useful. With blockchain smartphones you can directly pay into dapps from your phone’s cold wallet for added security and portability in dapp use.
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They offer better dapp access

You can already access dapps on mobile, such as with the MetaMask app for Ethereum dapps, but blockchain phones typically come with this functionality built in.

This is easier, as it’s one less thing to download, and safer. The built-in hardware wallet lets you more securely access dapps on the go.

This easier and more secure dapp access also uncovers additional benefits in line with the practical things cryptocurrency and dapps can do that regular money and apps can’t.

Key benefits of better dapp access

With better dapp access, you could do the following on a blockchain smartphone:

  • Send and earn crypto. The key benefit is it helps you send money anywhere in the world as cryptocurrency just as easily and cheaply as sending a message. Some blockchain phones also run as blockchain nodes and pay the owner small amounts of crypto over time.
  • Store non-fungible tokens. You can hold non-fungible tokens on your phone. This is most widely used in games like CryptoKitties so far, but more applications are emerging. For example, a non-fungible token that represents a certification you have so you can prove certain qualifications in a counterfeit-proof way through your phone.
  • Secret sharing. You can use a secret sharing dapp to trustlessly distribute information fragments among multiple other parties in a way that can only be reassembled if everyone willingly agrees to do so. Some blockchain smartphones are pre-installing this kind of dapp to handle cryptocurrency private keys.
  • Trustless gambling. Online gambling of all kinds is often rigged. Gamblers just have to trust they’re not being lied to and fleeced — and in many cases that trust will be misplaced. Blockchain dapps are the only way to create and play provably fair online gambling (d)apps and online casinos.
  • Extra censorship-resistant communications. Blockchain systems allow the transmission and publishing of information in a way that it can’t feasibly be censored or removed.

Although these applications are all quite specialized, they’re also things you can do with a blockchain smartphone today. As dapps continue rolling out and the world gradually leans into blockchain, the purposes will grow.

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Blockchain smartphones: Specifications

There are a few different tiers for the existing crop of blockchain smartphones, with the Samsung Galaxy S10 standing out as the most powerful one yet, with a relatively appealing price tag compared to others.

The hardware in the HTC Exodus and Sirin Labs Finney isn’t quite so advanced, but they’re both much more native to blockchain than the Samsung Galaxy S10, so could have some additional functions to that end.

The Pundi Xphone, with its combination of price and lower-end specs, is more distinctly aimed at crypto enthusiasts and is still much more in the nature of a limited test run than a serious phone with big goals.

The Electroneum M1, meanwhile, is clearly in a league of its own in its own way.

Overview of available blockchain smartphones

The phone How it works
Samsung Galaxy S10
Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone Image: Getty

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is more of a conventional phone than a blockchain smartphone, but it still has some additional features most phones don’t.

Specifically it will offer dapp access through the Samsung Galaxy store and comes with a built-in cold wallet as part of its broader Knox security suite.

Learn more
HTC Exodus
HTC Exodus phone Image: Supplied

The Exodus aims to be a holistic blockchain phone with built-in hardware wallet and dapp access.

Learn more
Sirin Labs Finney
Sirin Labs Finney smartphone Image: Getty

The Finney is a security-oriented smartphone made by Sirin Labs, aiming to be an all-in-one blockchain and cryptocurrency smartphone.

It aims to combine reasonable specifications with advanced security features, a built-in cryptocurrency exchange and access to a wide range of dapps.

It also plans to create some of its own dapps, such as an incentivized learning program where people can get paid with crypto to learn.

Learn more
Pundi Xphone

 Each phone is a node on the Pundi X blockchain and the vision is that together they’ll form a distributed network.

Only 5,000 Pundi Xphones will be sold initially. The eventual plan is to license the software to other manufacturers so any phone can also be flipped into blockchain mode on demand.

Learn more
Electroneum M1
Electroneum M1 smartphone Image: Getty

The Electroneum M1’s most defining feature is that it’s cheap, clocking in at a recommended retail price of just US$80.

It’s primarily designed to be a cheap smart-ish phone for use in emerging economies, where it can interact with the Electroneum blockchain as a node.

According to Electroneum, the M1 is expected to be able to earn around US$3 per month as a node on the Electroneum blockchain.

Learn more

Compare at a glance

Disclaimer: Cryptocurrencies are speculative, complex and involve significant risks – they are highly volatile and sensitive to secondary activity. Performance is unpredictable and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Consider your own circumstances, and obtain your own advice, before relying on this information. You should also verify the nature of any product or service (including its legal status and relevant regulatory requirements) and consult the relevant Regulators' websites before making any decision. Finder, or the author, may have holdings in the cryptocurrencies discussed.

Disclosure: At the time of writing the author holds ETH
Image source: Getty Images

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