The initial phones from the creators of the Solana cryptocurrency gained popularity due to the inclusion of free BONK tokens on the built-in crypto wallet. Raj Gokal, co-founder and president of Solana Labs, announced that pre-orders for the new phone have already exceeded the sales of the first-generation device from the past year.
The demand for the second-generation phone was so high that Solana Mobile managed to reach its seven-day sales goal within the first 24 hours. As per Gokal, within 24 hours of the announcement, Solana Mobile received over 25,000 pre-orders, and this number skyrocketed to 30,000 within 30 hours.
The upcoming phone will retain the key features of its predecessor, including a built-in crypto wallet, specialized Android software, and a platform for crypto apps. However, the new smartphone is expected to be more budget-friendly with an initial price of $450. The phone is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2025.
Initially priced at $599, the first phone, Solana Saga, saw a drop in price due to lackluster sales. However, the announcement of the distribution of BONK meme tokens, which experienced a significant price surge towards the end of the year, garnered immense attention for Solana smartphones. The phone’s price skyrocketed to $2,000 and later to $3,000. By December, it was already fluctuating around $5,000. The connection of the BONK token to the Solana blockchain could have played a role in this price performance.
Only a few days ago, it was revealed that the developers had decided to release a new device amid the successful sales of Solana Saga smartphones.