Solana launches Seeker phone with upgraded features beyond memecoins

Solana Labs has introduced its newest smartphone, "Seeker," at half the cost of its predecessor, Saga, while promising more features beyond memecoins. 

According to Solana Labs General Manager Emmett Hollyer, Seeker will be a “rewards magnet” like Saga but will offer much more, including an upgraded decentralised app (DApp) store and improved hardware. 

Speaking at TOKEN2049 in Singapore, Hollyer emphasised, “It’s not the memecoin phone. It’s going to enable all of the great use cases on the network, whether that is memecoins, DeFi, payments, or games.” 

He added that the device's open DApp store would allow developers to quickly launch and deploy new apps, enabling users to benefit from emerging crypto trends. 

In response to previous criticism of Saga’s hardware, Hollyer revealed that Seeker will have a higher-quality screen, better cameras, and an upgraded battery, making it "lighter, brighter, and better" than its predecessor. 

However, Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) is not positioning Seeker as a direct competitor to high-end devices from Apple or Samsung, instead focusing on maximising crypto utility in a handheld format. 

Seeker's airdrop rewards are currently valued at just over $265, significantly lower than Saga’s initial $1,350 airdrops. 

Despite this, Hollyer argued that Seeker is designed to provide a wider range of crypto-integrated experiences beyond airdrop rewards. 

“Rewards are part of the story, but a lot of [users] started to see the direction things are headed.” 

With a zero-fee app store, Solana aims to support innovation in crypto apps that Google and Apple policies currently hinder, particularly for token launchpads. 

Hollyer stated that Seeker would house many token launchpads, further enhancing the device’s appeal to the crypto community. 

At press time, the Solana (SOL) price was $138.97.