Finney: A New Smartphone For the Blockchain Revolution

Sirin Labs is known for creating the $14,000 Solarin smartphone. The super-secure mobile is one of the world’s most expensive. Now, the company announced another smartphone, called Finney, that costs $1,800. Sirin Labs also revealed an all-in-one PC for the “blockchain generation” and the “crypto crowd.”

Sirin Labs CMO Nimrod May says, “This particular line of devices is aimed at the existing cryptocurrency community, [which] is heavily vested in and passionate about the propagation of the space and blockchain-based products and services it can bring about.

“Most people haven’t heard of cryptocurrencies, but the team is betting heavily that the future will be cryptocurrency-based. This is an early adopter community — for now — but we believe there is a large market opportunity right behind them.”

A Cryptocurrency Cell Phone

The Finney smartphone is named for Bitcoin pioneer Hal Finney. Finney was the first person in the world to receive a Bitcoin transaction. The new cell phone is an open-source model which runs on an independent, fee-less blockchain. It will be the only smartphone in the world that’s fully secure and safe enough to hold cryptographic coins. The company will launch a crowdsale event in October. We’re not sure about the exact date, but this crowdsale event will support the phone’s development.

The company created the smartphone specifically to securely hold cryptographic coins and support crypto wallets, applications, and shared resources.

The company utilized the Solarin device’s core technology and “re-engineered [it for] the crypto crowd” to meet those user’s needs. All Finney devices form an independent blockchain network powered by IOTA’s Tangle technology. The network operates without centralized backbones or mining centers cluttering up the transaction process.

It will use the SRN token as the default currency, so only SRN token holders can purchase the device. The Sirin Operating System was specially designed to support blockchain applications, like crypto wallets and secure exchange access.

Phone Features

The phone’s specs include 256GB internal memory, 16MP camera, and a detailed suite of security measures. These include a behavioral-based intrusion system, physical security switch, secure P2P sharing, and a blockchain-based tamper-proof feature. The security features were used in the Solarin phone, and they’ll be adapted to the Finney phone too. With these robust security features, the phone is unlikely to get hacked, although we know nothing is really hack-proof these days with a little bit of time and effort.

Both the computer and smartphone run on a forked version of Android, called Shield OS and Sirin Labs Cyber Protection Suite. The computer costs $800, and the smartphone will retail at $1,000. The phone, which has a 5.2-inch screen and a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution, will also come with 8GB of RAM and a 12MP selfie camera.

It’s not known how exactly the computer will work in conjunction with the smartphone. Unlike the Solarin phone’s market launch, the Finney phone will be crowdfunded.

A Phone for the Future of Cryptocurrency

“We’re paying close attention to the feedback we’ve received for Solarin. While Solarin is still being sold and serviced, we decided to take the core offering and to wrap it with a new sleek design that’s a fraction of the cost, so it can serve the crypto community and their growing need for enhanced security,” says Moshe Hogeg, CEO and Founder of Sirin Labs.

Creating new technology for the crypto community can very well fail. But the payoff could be much larger if the concept takes off. Sirin Labs might not have much to lose, however. With the poor sales figures of the expensive Solarin phone, Sirin Labs had to lay off a third of their staff. Although some quipped that the Solarin phone was ahead of its time, the Finney may also be too early for the crypto community.

With no exact release date, we’re not sure about the exact timeline of this innovative product, but we can’t wait to hear more about the Finney phone.

Have you heard about Winding Tree, the blockchain startup trying to revolutionize travel? How about doci.ai, a startup that raised $2.3 million in its pre-ICO? Want to do more than just read about cryptocurrency? Check out our reviews for Coinbase, Bitfinex, and many other exchanges in our comparison. Check iReviews often to stay up-to-date with the latest news and reviews in the world of cryptocurrency.

Sources: Engadget, Digital Trends, Coin Journal