HIGHLIGHTS
*Finney comes with a second screen for all blockchain transactions
*The smartphone is up for pre-order and will be shipped in Novemeber
*The device will be available in Tokyo, London, and US
Israeli-based startup Sirin Labs has launched a new device, and it is touted to be the "world's first blockchain-powered smartphone." The company is calling it Finney, after late Hal Finney - the first person to make a Bitcoin transaction. Sirin Labs' Finney is designed from the ground up to securely store and use digital currencies such as Bitcoin in fee-less transactions. Finney, claimed to be the world's first blockchain-based smartphone, comes with top-of-the-line specifications, a second screen that slides up for cryptocurrency transactions, and a software layered with tough security. This device is now expected to arrive in select markets in November.
The smartphone was unveiled in May this year, and now CNET reports that the company will make it available in November in London, US, and Tokyo markets. Sirin Labs is only selling the device through cryptocurrencies, so you'll need SRN tokens if you;re looking to pre-order it right now. If you're a novice, the company will help you get the virtual money to buy it. The Finney device has Lionel Messi as its brand ambassador, and it costs $999 (roughly Rs. 68,500), and payment is only accepted with SRNs. Sirin Labs is also offering a 10 percent discount on pre-orders.
The phone is running on a secure Sirin OS - a forked Android 8.1 version, and it comes with many features like a built-in crypto wallet, a token conversion service that can automatically convert tokens for the use of decentralised applications, without having to obtain the different tokens through an exchange. It gives access to the store of decentralised apps (Dapps), a multi-layer cybersecurity suite, secure exchange access, encrypted communications, and a P2P resource sharing ecosystem for payment and apps, supported by the SRN token.
Coming to the design, the biggest USP of the Finney phone is its second screen that slides up from the back. This screen essentially locked-in with all the layers of security for all your cryptocurrency transactions. While the main screen acts like a normal Android device, the back screen comes with all the physical security as well as software shields, to protect your crypto wallet, and transactions. The company claims that it is secured by a firewall preventing it from getting hacked.
Coming to the specifications, the Finney device has a single-SIM (Nano) and it runs Android 8.1-based Sirin OS. The smartphone sports a 6-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio. It comes with 402ppi resolution and 95 percent NTSC colour gamut. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, paired with 6GB of RAM.
In terms of optics, the Sirin Finney features a 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, with low-light imaging and ultra-fast laser autofocus. It also sports an 8-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture.