What is the link between smartphones and Web3 mass adoption?

The power of mobile devices

Mobile technology has been at the forefront of big changes in everything affecting our livelihoods. It can even be said that mobile communications have managed to reshape society.  From software distribution to social media experience, mobile technology became indispensable to users globally.

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The sheer number of people worldwide who rely on mobile technology over desktop devices demonstrates that this is another way for the crypto space to gain traction. 

Several Web3 companies are bringing up smartphone projects and examining the use of mobile hardware and operating systems to drive the adoption of the new Internet.  

A decentralised Web3 operating system can run on smartphones, tablets, and computers. The main purpose is to create a system different from that imposed by traditional tech platforms and lower the barrier to entry for users worldwide. 

The popularity of Web3 smartphones has shifted from Web3-supported mobile devices to native Web3 smartphones. Even though they still encounter challenges such as insufficient hardware performance and difficulties with operational improvements, the future development of Web3 smartphones seems bright.

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What are Web3 smartphones?

Web3 smartphones have attracted a lot of attention in the mobile technology industry. These mobile devices are a useful tool since they present a firm link between users worldwide and the latest technological innovation. It is believed that Web3 smartphones could succeed in pushing Web3 into the mainstream market.  

Based on the degree of Web3 implementation, smartphones can be grouped into three categories: Web3-supported smartphones, Web3-focused smartphones, and Web3 native smartphones.

Web3-supported smartphones

Web3-supported smartphones provide similar functionalities as traditional smartphones,but they support Web3 technologies at a basic level. For example, they feature Web3 wallet apps and crypto exchange apps.  

Web3-supported smartphones present a traditional mobile environment with certain Web3 elements, achieved mainly through partnerships between Web3 companies and traditional smartphone manufacturers. 

Typically, there is no special Web3 technology implemented here. Users can install Web3 applications on their traditional smartphones. 

For example, Jambo Phone provided pre-installed Web3 applications such as Petra, the Web3 wallet app, and OKX, the cryptocurrency exchange, along with its native application that enables users to participate in Web3 projects.

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Web3-focused smartphones

The second category, Web3-focused smartphones integrate new Web3 technologies into the mobile device’s operating systems a bit further. While these smartphones run on traditional mobile operating systems, they include certain Web3 features. 

Typically, this category links traditional smartphones with the Web3 space through a programming interface. 

For example, Solana set out the Solana Mobile Stack to aid developers in creating Web3 services. The result is that the mobile phone comes with certain Web3 optimised tools such as the Solana Pay system and implements Android’s NFC feature and QR codes.

Even though this presents a step further in the mass adoption of Web3 technologies, Web3-focused smartphones are still not close to providing a full Web3 experience.  

Native Web3 smartphones

Native Web3 smartphones can be created by using a Web3 operating system or by providing native support for Web3 technological innovations such as the Web3 messaging protocol, the blockchain-based naming system and the P2P (Peer-to-Peer) distributed file system. Native Web3 smartphones generally have built-in node clients which enable users to verify transactions easily. 

For example, the Freedom Factory’s ethOS is an example of a Web3 native smartphone. In 2023, it launched its first prototype smartphone including a Web3 operating system based on Ethereum. Later it launched the dGEN1 smartphone which allegedly has enhanced Web3 native abilities.  

Another example is the partnership between Movement Labs and Up Network that presented a high degree of Web3 technologies integration such as built-in Web3 wallets that support headless signing technology and light node functionality. 

Advantages of Web3 smartphones

The rise in Web3 smartphone projects is partially driven by the expectation that they could play an important role in mass adoption while dealing with challenges found in the current industry, typically imposed by traditional big tech platforms. 

Let’s start with the benefits provided by Web3 smartphones. Primarily, these smartphones can remove barriers to entry to Web3 services and prosper on the everyday functionality and portability of mobile devices. Smartphones that have built-in Web3 functionalities such as integrated wallets, decentralised applications (Dapps), cryptocurrency exchanges, and private key management applications enable users to access crypto financial services easily, at any time or place. 

As mentioned above, Web3 smartphones are expected to bring to the table solutions to traditional challenges. For example, centralised app stores charge up to 30% in fees. This amount deters developers and limits market growth. Web3 technology aims to provide an alternative such as a fee-free blockchain-based environment. 

Finally, it is believed that the integration of Web3 technologies and smartphones will trigger innovation around consumer applications.  

Disadvantages of Web3 smartphones

Despite many potential use cases, Web3 smartphones are linked to multiple challenges they need to overcome. For example, hardware specifications of Web3 smartphones are considered inferior when compared to traditional smartphones, especially in the area of screen refresh rates and camera performance. 

The main problem with Web3 smartphones is that they currently focus more on rewards like airdrops than on technical innovations and providing consumers with technical specifications that can be seen in their traditional app stores. 

As for the fact that traditional centralised platforms such as Apple App Store and Google Play Store charge high fees, they still provide essential services. It seems that current decentralised operations of Web3 smartphones cannot totally replace the value provided by traditional platforms.

How can mobile devices drive Web3 mass adoption?

Since Web3 smartphones have evident technical limitations at the moment, the mass adoption might not be there yet. Scalability and user experience challenges mainstream Web3 adoption; it is considered that just replicating existing smartphone features might not be enough to drive mass adoption.

Despite its existing challenges, major smartphone manufacturers such as Huawei and Samsung are getting into the Web3 infrastructure. Partnerships in this area could drive mass adoption a bit faster; by leveraging strengths in operating systems and software interfaces, Web3 smartphone projects could complement the hardware expertise of traditional manufacturers.

The development of Web3 technologies is proving its future utility by providing security, data privacy and ownership. There are some key elements that could drive mobile Web3 adoption such as user-friendly interfaces, integrated crypto wallets, accessibility and gaming integration. 

Since most people access the Internet through their mobile devices, it is safe to say that a mass Web3 adoption will happen with the help of smartphone users.

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