Abandoning Big Telecom for Web3 Phones with More Control and Lower Fees

Telco giants are inflexible, expensive, and generally unequipped to develop or support products and services that fall outside their standard designs. Sales engineers share that the networks are designed to make managing them easy for the company and allow it to charge for any deviation from traditional practices.

US telecoms have announced significant cost reduction plans in light of the oversaturated mobile market. They can use private data for targeted advertising and profiling purposes and to create “customized” services, as well as sell the data to other companies, who may then utilize it to generate further value.

An example is giving customers’ numbers to call centres for the purpose of unwanted solicitation. 

Contracts allow telecoms to increase prices before the respective contract ends, and customers face unexpected increases in monthly phone, internet, and TV bills. The telcos bury the corresponding clauses in the fine print. Some customers spend hours on the phone trying to reach agents, trying to understand their bills, and fighting for the original rates.

Contract law experts say consumers have been complaining about one-sided contracts with telecoms for almost 20 years. The contracts are long, and you need a college degree or higher to understand them, not to mention that not everyone reads them.

Prioritizing privacy at the forefront of advanced technology

Web3 founders have recognized these issues and started developing both hardware and software solutions that lean on elements of blockchain and DePIN, or Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, which use tokens and blockchains to decentralize real-world infrastructure.

The first crypto phones arrived around 2018 and offered Web3 access, albeit being far less user-friendly than desktop platforms at the time. Modern Web3 phones mitigate privacy concerns by ensuring personal data remains private, and all transactions remain confidential.

Iron-clad security protocols are among the standout features of hardware crypto wallets, which Web3 phones inherit. They protect data integrity, safeguard encrypted communication channels, and allay cybersecurity risks.

Each phone efficiently synchronizes with blockchain networks, enabling direct access to DApps and blockchain platforms without any intermediaries, which would hike end-user costs. The phones are at the forefront of advanced tech trends, supporting AI, VR, AR, etc.

Solana Saga and Solana Seeker: How they measure up

Solana Saga, Solana’s first Web3 phone, features Solana Pay for QR code payments, a seed vault for storing private keys, a DApp store, and a mobile wallet adapter. Solana’s Web3 software dev kit, Mobile Stack, is also included. Slated for a 2025 release, the Seeker is equipped with a native wallet developed in collaboration with SolFlare.

The phone will be secured by a thumbprint and integrated with Solana Mobile’s seed vault. Seeker is an improvement over Saga in terms of the camera, display, and battery life and will also feature an updated DApp store. In addition, Solana natives are excited about upcoming token airdrops.

Also Read: Volatility Protection’s Role in Trusted Web3 Platforms

Co-owning the network with World Mobile

World Mobile is an efficient, scalable mobile network whose end cost is up to 12 times lower than standard networks. Users share in the network’s revenue by becoming proactive co-owners.

World Mobile offers DePIN contributors an opportunity to earn revenue by generating AirNodes. They purchase an AirNode, manage it, and claim monthly rewards in USD, all through a single dashboard. 

The phone plans provide coverage of 99% of US territory and 60 countries and feature 100% private connectivity. They include Essential USA and Advanced USA, both of which come with unlimited calls, texts, and data, decentralized storage and encryption of personal data, and staking opportunities.

Users do not sign contracts. Essential USA features 10GB priority high-speed data and up to $2,500,000 in SIM security insurance coverage; the numbers are 30GB and up to $5,000,000 for Advanced USA.

The platform’s decentralized AirNode technology reconnected those left in the dark after Hurricane Helene’s devastation in North Carolina. When telcos couldn’t restore communication services, World Mobile stepped in to reinstate connectivity paired with Starlink backhaul.

World Mobile’s efforts to connect people go back to the inception of Web3 phones. A remote village in Tanzania was left offline because the telcos couldn’t profit from connecting it. In 2019, World Mobile delivered a wireless solar-powered network that local fishermen could independently use and maintain.

The intuitive Nothing Phone minimizes data theft risk

Polygon’s first Web3 phone, created in partnership with phone manufacturer Nothing, minimizes data theft risk through the Polygon ID. This self-owned, decentralized ID system allows users to confirm their identities without sharing any personal information.

Its features make accessing DApps and games on Polygon quite straightforward. It also incorporates secure cryptographic storage and payment features.

The Ethereum phone has a decentralized, open-source OS

The Ethereum phone runs within the Google Pixel 7a framework. Its operating system, ethOS, is unique in that it’s open-source and decentralized. It enables community-driven modifications and community governance, unlike centralized platforms.

The built-in Ethereum light client ensures that the phone can verify blockchain transactions without storing the data. There is native Ethereum Name Service (ENS) integration, which offers users a basic, human-readable address system.

Helium Mobile: Are zero contracts and fees really possible? 

Helium Mobile is currently offering three phone plans: Zero, Air, and Infinity. None of the plans charge monthly, purchase, or early termination fees or introductory rates, and no contracts are required. The Zero plan is free and includes 3GB of data, 100 minutes, and 300 texts.

The data limit is 10GB for the Air plan, which costs $15 per month. Infinity costs $30 per month with no limit on data. Users choose their devices and numbers. Helium leverages a user-owned and operated network within the reported framework of T-Mobile.