HTC’s New Exodus 1 Phone Allows Payment Only In Bitcoin or Ethereum

By Kapil Gauhar

First introduced at the Consensus conference in May, the HTC Exodus 1 phone is now available for the pre-order on early access. Initially aimed at the development community, the scheme only allows payment for the blockchain-enabled model by utilizing bitcoin or ethereum.

Blockchain Phone – Are Your Serious?

Listen to what HTC has to say about what exactly a blockchain-enabled mobile device is –

“Our vision is to expand the blockchain ecosystem by creating the world’s first phone dedicated to decentralized applications and security. With the release of the HTC Exodus, we can now make this a reality.”

That’s very well, but it doesn’t really explain it precisely. Does this dedication towards decentralized applications mean that centralized applications refuse to run? We cannot envision that being a major selling point.

As a matter of fact, the phone has a secure-enclave which is inaccessible with the normal Android operating system we have been using so far. It can store crypto keys and allow the Exodus 1 to include an integral hardware wallet known as Zion. This wallet can hold bitcoin (BTC) $6492.42 +0.03%, ethereum and litecoin, amongst the others.

A Few Things About The Phone’s Hardware Wallet

Indeed, placing a hardware wallet into a phone can prove to be a great idea. It worked with the music player, cameras and web browsers. Also, it can prove to be a terrible idea. Do you actually wish to pay a premium for the privilege of searching out?

Pre-order prices of HTC Exodus 1 are 0.15 bitcoin or 4.78 ether, and that’s just a shade under $1000. At that price, it’s fairly competing in the premium smartphone bracket. Thus, as would be anticipated, the HTC Exodus 1 phone’s other features are all pretty top-end.

The Exodus 1 is anticipated to be shipped by December 2018. It’s not explicit whether buyers will be able to buy this phone using fiat currency or not.