When it comes to smartphones, Sirin Labs sure know how to create hype and buzz. This time though, their new smartphone – Finney – looks like it could be every crypto fan’s best friend. In December 2017, Sirin Labs raised $157.8 million for the project during their ICO to fund the project’s development. Sirin are famous for their brand endorsements, in 2016 they hired Tom Hardy and Leonardo DiCaprio to attend the London premiere of the “world’s most secure smartphone”. This time round is no exception, with Lionel Messi backing the Finney – although we are pretty sure he is just looking to kill some time after Argentina’s early exit from the world cup.
Under the Hood
The phone boasts a pretty impressive hardware list. Under the hood there is a Snapdragon 845 processor accompanied by 6GB RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, a 12-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture, and an 8-megapixel f/2.2 selfie camera. The 6-inch screen has an 18:9 aspect ratio and is framed by sizable bezels and a notch. The only disappointing hardware feature is its fairly average 3,280mAh battery. But, don’t let the average battery put you off though, on its website it boasts that you can “trade battery power with another FINNEY™ user”. Whilst we aren’t sure how this works, it does sound innovative. Just send a few SRN tokens to another user and they will send you power in return.
Linked to SRN
A slight drawback of this blockchain phone is that it only uses the SRN token. Whilst you can load your built-in wallet with USD – or any crypto for that matter – it will automatically be converted to SRN. If you didn’t know already, this is the Sirin Labs token. In addition to this, if you want to buy the phone, you will have to stump up $1000 in SRN (5772.7 SRN), as they don’t accept any other payment method.
App Store Reimagined
If you were excited about playing Candy Crush on this unique device, you can think again. The app store stocks dApps (decentralized applications) such as Crypto Kitties. This is a pretty unique feature, but after a while, the limited range of apps could become a little tedious and frustrating.
Built-in Cold Storage Wallet
The built-in cold storage wallet is the Finney’s biggest selling point. This gives its users the ability to pay for items and exchange items with relative ease, reducing the likelihood of being hacked thanks to Sarin OS – the most secure OS ever developed. The only downside to this could be if you lose your phone and someone happens to know your passcode. The wallet comes with a built-in exchange and enables users to instantly convert their SRN tokens to any cryptocurrency so they can be used in a transaction. However, Opera have just launched their own crypto wallet that is built into their latest browser, which could render Finney’s unique selling point obsolete.
Whilst phones like this certainly have an appeal amongst a relatively small crowd, the likelihood is that the price tag will put potential buyers off. Sarin Labs also plan to launch a desktop PC version of the Finney smartphone, which is due to launch early next year. Sarin face some tough competition from Huawei, who announced their first blockchain smartphone back in March.
