Solana Unveils Seeker: An Affordable Next-Gen Web3 Smartphone

By: Eliza Bennet

Solana Labs subsidiary, Solana Mobile, has officially unveiled the Seeker, its second-generation web3 smartphone set to be released in 2025 during Token2049. Emerging from its 'Chapter Two' stealth phase, the device has already secured over 140,000 pre-orders across 57 countries.

Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana and CEO of Solana Labs, stated, 'We needed to make Seeker more accessible, more affordable, and ensure its hardware and software are even more deeply integrated for web3.' The Seeker aims to be the definitive web3 mobile device, improving upon the foundation laid by its predecessor, the Solana Saga.

The Seeker introduces significant hardware upgrades including a lighter design, brighter display, enhanced camera capabilities, and extended battery life. Early founder pricing is set at $450 for presale and is available until September 21. This is a notable reduction compared to its predecessor, offering more features at less than half the price.

One of the standout features of the Seeker includes the Seed Vault Wallet, a mobile-first crypto wallet integrated with the device's self-custodial Seed Vault for seamless web3 experiences. Developed exclusively for the Seeker in collaboration with Solflare, it facilitates double-tap transactions and simplified account management.

The Solana dApp Store 2.0 enhances the user experience with an updated rewards tracker and improved app discoverability across various sectors like payments, DeFi, DePIN, NFTs, AI, and gaming. The Seeker Genesis Token, a unique, soulbound NFT, opens doors to opportunities for rewards, exclusive access, offers, and content within the Solana ecosystem.

The Seeker follows the Solana Saga, which initially experienced struggles but eventually found success. Early sales of the Saga were underwhelming, with only about 2,500 units sold in the first few months due to issues like the device's weight, connectivity problems, software bugs, and limited repair options. However, the Saga became a catalyst for meme coin trading on Solana after an airdrop of BONK tokens to phone owners. This unexpected development significantly increased demand, with sales surpassing 150,000 units and the device selling out in the US by December 2023.

The success of the Saga has energized web3 mobile development within the Solana community. Ecosystem teams are now building decentralized applications, rewards, and features exclusively for the Seeker ahead of its rollout. The device's launch is expected to drive further adoption of Solana's mobile technologies.

Amid broader positive market movements, Solana has outperformed other top projects, hitting $140, up 8% in the past 24 hours.