Mobile technology has been a catalyst for radical change in everything from the social media experience to software distribution, ultimately reshaping society and molding behavior in largely unanticipated ways.
Several Web3 companies are now exploring using mobile hardware and operating systems to drive mass adoption of Web3 by sidestepping restrictive app store policies seen on traditional Big Tech platforms and lowering the barrier to entry for users struggling with the technical user interfaces of current Web3 products.
In an interview with Cointelegraph, Max Richter of the Aphone team, a decentralized Web3 operating system that can run on smartphones, tablets, and computers, discussed the role of mobile technology in driving Web3 adoption.
Richter explained that many Web3 developers currently have trouble listing decentralized applications on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Even if approved, the software developers must contend with these stores taking a considerable chunk of revenue for listing their applications. The software developer had this to say about the high barrier to entry imposed on Web3 builders by traditional app stores:
"If you’re really struggling to get your apps on board or improving the App Store, which is usually what we see the most, is that there’s a lot of due diligence that goes in on that side.”
Richter also touched on the role mobile-style operating systems play in abstracting away the technicalities of Web3 through easy-to-use touch icons and integrated wallets, as opposed to users "fumbling around trying to create wallets," or falling prey to sophisticated phishing scams.
Related: Aethir and APhone unveil 10x scaling solution slashing mobile user costs by 90%
The Solana Saga smartphone is yet another example of mobile pushing Web3 (HEADER)
Solana achieved a milestone in late 2022 by announcing the Solana Saga smartphone, a crypto-friendly mobile device built on the Android operating system. It features built-in decentralized applications, native Web3 support, and a Solana wallet.
The smartphone quickly sold out by November 2023 and was listed on sites like eBay for upwards of $5,000, showcasing the relative demand and interest in the mobile device.
SUI bets on handheld gaming
The SUI network announced plans to launch a crypto-friendly handheld gaming device in April, titled “SuiPlay0x1.” This device is reminiscent of handheld gaming computers like the Steam Deck. SUI’s foray into handheld gaming is an attempt to onboard users to the crypto space through games, similar to the Telegram Open Network’s current approach.
Around the same time the handheld gaming console was revealed, BytePlus, a division of TikTok's parent company ByteDance, announced a partnership with Mysten Labs, the company behind the SUI blockchain, to explore onchain solutions for gaming.
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