Singapore based technology company, Pundi X, officially launched its blockchain-powered smartphone in Kigali, Rwanda. The XPhone is said to be there first blockchain mobile phone launched on the African continent.
“The XPhone allows everyone to make a phone call on the blockchain,” Zac Cheah, CEO of Pundi X.
According to the tech start-up, a blockchain phone — unlike many phones powered by android, IOS and Windows systems — is powered by Function X (FX) operating system – a blockchain system.
With XPhone, users are connected to the blockchain – everything they do from texting and calling to taking photos and browsing is transmitted via the blockchain.
Blockchain is generally synonymous with cryptocurrencies and the finance industry but more and more real-life applications — such as designing smart contracts, enable digital voting, create digital Ids, and enhance supply chain management — are becoming feasible solutions to service delivery problems.
In the case of XPhone, there is no centralised service provider, making it secure as consumers are in charge of their own data. The XPhone has an open-source which means that anyone that is interested to build applications and services can do it easily. The phone also enables for a smooth transition between blockchain and traditional Android mode.
The company says it plans to produce only 5,000 XPhones in late 2019, but that it was looking to partner with telecommunication companies to produce more blockchain phones.
Edited by Jenna Cook
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