Note that the release of a smartphone with cryptocurrency features already took place in June 2022. It is Solana Saga, a device from the developers of one of today’s most popular blockchain. The device will be a motivator for developers to create various decentralized applications for interaction in smartphone format.

Solana Saga smartphone

The device will have room for secure cryptocurrency storage, native support for Solana Pay payment platform and more. We have described the device’s distinctive features in a separate piece.

More details about the HTC crypto smartphone

The device has a built-in crypto wallet for Etherium and Polygon-based assets, and is optimised to work alongside the HTC Vive Flow lightweight VR headset with HDCP 2.2 support, providing a wireless connection to send content to the VR headset. The Vive Manager app also allows you to configure and manage your VR equipment. Here’s how Shen Ye, HTC’s global product manager, commented on the device’s launch.

The smartphone opens up new immersive experiences by being the perfect partner for VIVE Flow – whether you’re meeting with colleagues in VR or watching your own cinema wherever you are in the world.

In other words, the concept of meta universes has already become quite popular, and special devices are being created for it. Most importantly, we are not talking about a flagship smartphone, the cost of which can be prohibitive for some. Here, similar functionality has been given to a segment that far more people can afford to buy. This means that virtual reality will not remain a niche topic in the long run.

HTCViverse Wallet

According to Decrypt’s sources, the HTC Desire 22 Pro is a mid-priced offering in the manufacturer’s smartphone lineup, meaning it won’t compete with the top-end iPhone or other Android phones. The device features a 6.6-inch screen with Gorilla Glass tempered glass, a resolution of 1080 x 2412 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The processor is a Snapdragon 695 5G chip. The RAM capacity is 8 gigabytes with 128 gigabytes of storage.

For power, there is a 4,520mAh battery with fast and wireless charging options. Like all modern smartphones, the Desire 22 Pro has got a good set of cameras for shooting. There’s a 64-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5-megapixel camera with depth sensor on the back. For selfies, there’s a 32-megapixel front camera.

Here’s a relevant video of the device’s announcement. Note that virtual reality and support for the corresponding helmet is also shown in the promotional video.

On topic: Samsung will be giving away NFTs for pre-ordering its flagship Galaxy S22 smartphone. Why is it needed?

To recap, HTC was one of the first smartphone makers to actively innovate around the crypto industry. Back in 2018, HTC launched the Exodus 1 smartphone with a built-in cryptocurrency wallet and the ability to run its own Bitcoin network node, which keeps the latter running.

A little later, crypto-enthusiasts waited for the release of the Exodus 1s, a smaller version of its predecessor. That’s when Phil Chen, a spokesman for the company’s management, made the following statement.

Five years from now, it will be critical to be able to support a Bitcoin or other blockchain node on your smartphone.

HTC Desire 22 Pro

But almost four years on, and not every manufacturer is coming up with such a feature set. Nevertheless, there has been progress in this area: Samsung, for example, has begun to more actively implement both software and hardware tools to support cryptocurrencies on many lines of its devices.

HTC, on the other hand, has gradually shifted its focus to manufacturing and upgrading its VR headset, Vive. The release of the Desire 22 Pro should enhance the meta-universe experience for every user. It’s possible that this particular area of the crypto market will be HTC’s management’s main focus for the coming years. Although other tech giants are not sleeping either: it’s only recently that major companies – including Meta – have announced the creation of a meta-universe development organization.


We believe that in the near future, more and more companies will be announcing devices that support cryptocurrencies and non-interchangeable tokens. These trends are very popular among ordinary users, which means that the introduction of such functionality coincides with the interests of manufacturers. One would like to believe that because of this, there will be significantly more fans of crypto and active users of this asset category.