HTC Exodus 1: HTC’s blockchain phone is available to preorder

HTC’s intriguing blockchain smartphone, the sci-fi-sounding Exodus 1, is finally available to preorder. Arriving sometime in December, you won’t be able to buy this phone with regular currency.

First teased earlier this year, the Exodus 1 is a blockchain-powered phone, and can only be purchased with cryptocurrency – either Bitcoin or Ethereum – to the tune of roughly £735.

The phone itself is particularly special, with a focus on data security. A “secure enclave” is partitioned away from the Android operating system, for instance, which securely holds the keys to your cryptocurrency of choice.

There’s also a “social key” recovery tool if your phone is stolen or lost. This allows you to nominate three to five contacts who each hold a piece of your recovery key. This can then be pieced together to recover your crypto keys if you no longer have access to your phone.

HTC’s own secure cryptocurrency wallet, Zion, is at the heart of Exodus 1. The Taiwanese firm is also planning on releasing Zion’s key management API and wallet SDK to other cryptographers, allowing third-party developers to use the phone’s hardware to protect other crypto wallets and sign transactions.

As for the more traditional smartphone specifics, Qualcomm’s high-powered Snapdragon 845 processor powers the phone, along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. A 3,500mAh battery keeps things ticking along.

There’s a dual-camera arrangement on both the front and rear, with a pair of 16-megapixel sensors on the back and two 8-megapixel selfie-snappers sitting above the 6in, QHD+ screen. The Exodus 1 is also capable of recording footage at 4K resolution at a silky-smooth frame rate of 60fps.

HTC’s Exodus 1 will set you back 0.15 BTC or 4.78 ETH. At the time of writing – cryptocurrency fluctuates quite a bit – that’s roughly £735 and it should arrive on your doorstep sometime in December. It’ll be available in 34 countries, including the UK.