TBC Sirin OS and D-Apps
The specs and second screen only tell half the story, however, and as we’ve already seen with the likes of Essential , it takes more than existing pedigree and a top-end spec sheet to capture a slice of the Android market. Not to mention the volatile cryptocurrency market which is estimated to boast over three million token holders. Editor’s Pick 10 best cryptocurrency apps for Android Cryptocurrency has taken the world by storm. All over the world there are people mining for Bitcoins, Doge coins, Etherium, and various other forms of currency. They’re starting to carry some real value in the …
For the Finney, it seems likely that the “Safe Screen” will provide the hardware wow factor, but the heart of Sirin Labs’ ambition lies in its proprietary operating system, Sirin OS and its use of blockchain technology.
Sirin describes its OS as an ultra-secure, Google-certified “fork” of Android, with the version on Finney based on Android 8.1 Oreo . While we’ve yet to see a working model (I’ve personally handled only a mock-up prototype), Sirin has confirmed that a familiar regular suite of Google apps will be available at launch, as well as the Google Play Store.
The Play Store will be joined by Sirin’s multi-blockchain, community-run D-App store which will include decentralized apps that offer secure P2P resource-sharing between Finney phones. Sharing battery power and mobile data between users in exchange for tokens have been cited as examples, but Sirin claims there are many ways this could benefit phone owners. Tokens and targets
If you’re getting the feeling this is a niche product for crypto addicts only who know their bitcoins from their ethereums — a feeling that might be compounded by the fact that Sirin has its own currency too in SRN — then I don’t blame you.
Sirin hopes to overcome this challenge, however, with its Token Conversion Service. While D-App store app developers are free to cater to whatever tokens they wish, Sirin says its OS is capable of automatically and seamlessly converting tokens to spend on the store, store in the cold storage wallet, or any other purpose without the need for an exchange. Considering how daunting the world of cryptocurrency can be, the conversion system could potentially help remove a lot of confusion for first-time investors.
And it’s that last point that Sirin Labs sees as a huge opportunity. Co-CEO Zvika Landau recently told me the company expects to sell 100,000 Finney phones in the first year alone, and with more than 25,000 pre-orders already confirmed back in May, Landau is understandably confident that the company can hit those numbers with ease.
In a way, though, the Finney is really just a proof-of-concept for its Sirin OS platform that it hopes will power the upcoming wave of blockchain-powered technology. The future of mobile on the blockchain
Sirin Labs has made no secret of its plans to work with other OEMs in the future and intends to share everything from the Finney architecture, the SRN currency, and a fully open-source version of Sirin OS. In fact, back in March, Bloomberg reported that Huawei had entered talks with Sirin Labs over licensing Sirin OS for a potential Huawei blockchain phone. Sirin Labs refused to comment on the rumored deal but did hint that talks with unnamed OEMs are progressing.
For all its promises and aspirations, there are a number of question marks hanging over the Finney phone and Sirin Labs’ plans.
Shortly after the initial announcement of the Finney last year, Android Authority ’s Scott Adam Gordon mused that the entire pitch sounded incredibly broad , and that concern still rings true almost a year later.
Convincing a wider market that blockchain is the future of mobile would be an uphill battle for even the likes of Apple and Samsung, let alone a little-known, specialist firm from Western Europe — even if you’ve drafted in Barcelona FC superstar as your brand ambassador. More: HTC to release blockchain-powered Exodus phone this year for around $1,000
And that’s all before you even get to the $999 price-tag, the out there, almost sci-fi-level concept of P2P resource sharing, the SRN currency (which at time of writing is worth less than 18 cents), and the Finney PC — a Sirin OS-powered blockchain ‘All-in-one’ system that Sirin’s chief marketing officer, Nimrod May, told me is scheduled for launch in 2019.
In spite of all of these concerns, however, it’s hard to shake the feeling that all Sirin Labs — a small fish in a gigantic pond — needs to do is prove that its blockchain-based mobile ecosystem actually works to attract the eye of an industry killer whale.
If the next major battleground for mobile technology is the blockchain, Sirin Labs will be hoping it can cement its place as the go-to arms dealer.
We’ll be going hands-on with Sirin Labs’ Finney in the near future. For now, be sure to let us know your thoughts on the phone and Sirin Labs’ venture in the comments.
.
