cryptobriefing.com
There has been widespread speculation that the The Open Network (TON), HashKey, and Oyster Labs have joined forces to launch a new smartphone, dubbed the “Universal Basic Smartphone.” The source of the speculation is an X post from Robert Lee, co-founder of Web3Convention, a web3 event service.
Lee’s post captures a moment from the final stage of the TON Blockchain Hackathon, TON Hacker House, held on April 4 in Hong Kong. This event brought together 100 programmers with over 20 innovative projects to compete for technical advice, financial subsidies, and a chance to share in a total reward pool of up to $1.5 million.
The snapshot shows a presentation slide introducing a “High-quality Phone with Affordable Pricing” and a price point of $99. The slide lists several phone specifications, including an 8-core processor, 6 GB RAM, 128 GB storage, USB-C input, and a 4050mAh lithium-ion battery.
Lee said he purchased “a TON mobile phone on site to try it out.” He also showed a photo he took with “TON phone creator.”
Following the rumor’s spread, concerned users commented on TON’s official account, questioning the validity of the information in a recent event post. TON has yet to respond to these inquiries.
What's with the phone from #TON? Because I see people are hyping it like crazy on X. And no one has yet confirmed whether it's true or not. Everyone's buying it like crazy
— TON SOCIETY 💎 (@CryptoBranders) April 5, 2024
Crypto Briefing further looked at a website claiming to be the pre-order page for the new phone. However, at the time of writing, the website seems unfinished, and the “Privacy” and “Terms” buttons are unresponsive.
Additionally, an administrator in a Telegram group purported to be affiliated with the initiative stated that the official pre-order launch will occur on April 8.
Despite this, it’s advisable to exercise caution and “do your own research” before making decisions or relying on the source of the information presented.