Benzinga -
The Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) blockchain-powered smartphone, Saga, has seen a surge in sales, thanks to an airdrop of over 30 million BONK (CRYPTO: BONK) tokens specifically for Saga phone owners. The increase in demand is a sharp shift from previous lackluster interest in the device.
What Happened: Initially, the Saga smartphone was launched with a price tag of $1,000, alongside an airdrop incentive of $10 worth of BONK tokens per device. At the time of the announcement in April, BONK was valued at approximately $0.0000004 each. Since then, the token’s price has soared to $0.000028, marking an increase of 6900%.
As the airdrop value soared, the cost of the phone itself underwent a reduction. By August, Solana Mobile, a division of Solana Labs, had slashed the smartphone’s price to $599, down from its initial $1,000 price point. The company communicated this significant reduction as a strategy to broaden the adoption of web3 on mobile and to enhance the experience within the Solana mobile community.
Despite the price drop, the phone currently retails at $700. This indicates an upturn in demand potentially influenced by the increased value of the BONK airdrop. Raj Gokal, co-founder of Solana, amidst the surging sales stated on an unspecified platform, “Saga sales have >10x’d in the past 48 hours, and are now on track to sell out before the new year.”
lol. just so everyone is aware, @solanamobile saga sales have >10x'd in the past 48 hours, and are now on track to sell out before the new year.https://t.co/SzKht4DTYL— raj