Electronic giant HTC is planning to add support for Binance Chain, Binance’s proprietary blockchain platform launched in April, in a new special edition of its blockchain smartphone, EXODUS 1.
In October 2018, HTC opened access to the first phone of the Exodus project, the ‘EXODUS 1.’ Initially the smartphone could be purchased only using cryptocurrencies, but later the company opened up the purchases to fiat currency ($699) as well.
In an online post on Medium, HTC Exodus has now announced its partnership with Binance and unveiled the EXODUS 1 - Binance Edition.
“This new limited edition device is the world’s first blockchain phone to have integrated the Binance Chain blockchain and will offer native support for Binance’s DEX (decentralized exchange) through our Zion Vault solution,” HTC said.
HTC said it partnership with Binance is based on one of its missions, to allow individuals to secure, trade, and verify their decentralized digital assets on the go.
“We are excited to be supporting the Binance Chain and its DEX, which provides our community with the biggest spread and most liquid crypto exchange along with the trust minimized principle of empowering users to own their private keys,” said HTC’s Decentralized Chief Officer, Phil Chen.
As per the details, the special edition smartphone will come preloaded with Binance’s flagship exchange application and the Trust Wallet.
EXODUS 1 - Binance Edition sports a Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip and dual cameras with high-quality zoom. It will be soon available for purchase at www.htcexodus.com for US$599 or SGD$889 – US$100 cheaper than the original EXODUS 1.
Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao believes that smartphones will play a key role in the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies as they give users the ability to become both a “POS terminal and payment device, cutting out most other middlemen.”
“The implications [of this] are profound and far-reaching, and the most innovative smartphone makers are racing to integrate crypto for mass adoption and seamless usability,” he said. “We are excited to collaborate with a manufacturer that is taking the innovative steps forward to truly empower users and further adoption.”
Last month, HTC unveiled a lower-cost version of its blockchain phone, “EXODUS 1s”, which will have the ability to run a full node for the bitcoin network.
In September, Kakao's blockchain platform Klaytn unveiled KlaytnPhone - the blockchain variant of Samsung's flagship smartphone series Galaxy Note10.
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