HTC announced the Exodus 1 earlier this year. It seemed like it was just a repackaged U12 smartphone, but it’s actually a bit more than that.
It has all of the same specs as the U12, but the software is vastly different. This should come as no surprise, as a crypto phone is going to need some much more secure software than Android and HTC Sense has to offer.
There’s flagship specs for 2018 included in the Exodus 1. A 6-inch Quad HD+ display, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There’s also dual-rear cameras that are 12-megapixel and 16-megapixel. All powered by a 3500mAh capacity battery. But the real changes are in the software.
It’s running on Android 8.0 Oreo with HTC Sense on top. You unlock the Exodus 1, and you are greeted with a pretty familiar looking home screen. Most of the software changes are under the hood though. HTC made it more secure, so you won’t have to worry about your crypto being hacked or stolen. And of course, there is a digital wallet built-in.
The digital wallet is going to be used to hold onto your crypto, whether that’s Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. Keeping that secure is important. It’s essentially like a bank account, and it’s on your phone. So if it weren’t secure, someone could easily steal your phone and take all of your Bitcoin with them.
HTC is looking to capitalize on the Bitcoin craze, which really started in 2017 when Bitcoin crossed the $20,000 mark. More people are looking to purchase and sell Bitcoin. So selling a phone that is made for storing Bitcoin only makes sense.
It’s not just for those that are looking to buy and sell Bitcoin though. It’s also for those that want to take back control of their data. So many companies are taking control of our data and collecting a ton of it. With the Exodus 1, you can take back that control and keep your data in your own hands.
Now the HTC Exodus 1 can be purchased in Bitcoin, it’ll cost you 0.15 BTC, which can fluctuate quite a bit. Which is why HTC recently made the move to allow customers to buy the Exodus 1 with real, physical money. Where it’ll cost you $699. Versus the $1193 it would cost today, if you paid in Bitcoin.