HTC confirms plans to launch ‘Exodus’ blockchain phone

HTC’s blockchain phone will support popular cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum. Here’s how the new blockchain phone will work.

Sirin Labs last week announced full specifications of its Finney, touted as the world’s first blockchain smartphone. (Sirin Labs)

Blockchain phones are becoming a reality. After Switzerland-based Sirin Labs unveiled the first commercial blockchain phone Finney, HTC is joining the bandwagon with its own "Exodus". HTC's blockchain phone will come with its own universal wallet and advanced security features to keep cyber criminals at bay. HTC Exodus is also aimed at boosting the adoption of cryptocurrencies and apps that run on a decentralised blockchain network.

HTC's new blockchain initiative is being spearheaded by Phil Chen, who led the company's virtual reality headset platform HTC Vive. "Through Exodus, we are excited to be supporting underlying protocols such as Bitcoin, Lightning Networks, Ethereum, Dfinity, and more," The Next Web quotes Chen as saying. "We would like to support the entire blockchain ecosystem, and in the next few months we'll be announcing many more exciting partnerships together."

HTC is hoping that all its Exodus phones will act as nodes for facilitating blockchain transactions, including cryptocurrency exchange. The phone will support popular cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum. HTC hasn't yet disclosed other key details such as commercial availability, price and specifications of the phone.

HTC joins a growing list of top technology companies foraying into the blockchain segment. Earlier this month, Facebook launched a new blockchain division as part of its management shuffle. The company is also said to be exploring the possibilities of launching its own cryptocurrency. Samsung last month was reported to be building blockchain network, but for its own global supply management. Huawei has also been rumoured to be working on a blockchain phone.

So far, only Sirin Labs has been able to come very close to the launch of the world's first blockchain phone. The company showcased Finney along with its full specifications last week.

Running on Android 8.1 Oreo-based custom Sirin OS, the smartphone also comes with its own crypto wallet. The company has also included a few advanced security features and claims the phone is virtually "tamper proof".

In terms of specifications, the Finney blockchain phone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. It has a 6-inch display at 18:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi and 1500:1 contrast ratio. The phone features 128GB built-in storage and 6GB RAM.

Finney has a 12-megapixel rear camera with low-light f/1.8 aperture and an 8-megapixel 85-degree wide angle front facing camera. It is powered by a 3,280mAh battery with fast charging support. Connectivity features include Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and LTE, among others.