Is Samsung Building a Blockchain Smartphone?
Samsung applied for three European trademarks, all of which are related to blockchain technology. Some suggest that the company intends to build a blockchain smartphone.
South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung applied for three European trademarks for blockchain-related features to be incorporated in smartphones. The trademarks are called “Blockchain Core,” “Blockchain KeyStore,” and “Blockchain key box.” While there is little information on the use cases and nature of the three potential features, some suggest that the trademarks point to public key storage functionalities that might be integrated into a hardware digital wallet in future mobile devices.
The three trademarks clearly hint at Samsung’s intention to build blockchain features, particularly for smartphones. The applications read that the functions can be used in the following goods and services: smartphones, software applications for use with mobile devices, computer software platforms, application software. Even though the trademark descriptions are incomplete, netizens already envision the next blockchain smartphone made by Samsung, which is very possible.
If Samsung does so indeed, it won’t be the first company to build such devices. In October, Taiwanese HTC launched its blockchain smartphone branded as Exodus 1. At the end of November, Sirin Labs presented the FINNEY smartphone, which can be bought for $999. FINNEY has cold storage and a secure crypto wallet while Exodus 1 incorporates a proprietary wallet called Zion.
While it is not clear whether Samsung will build a blockchain device, the company has shown interest in the technology. Samsung SDS, the IT arm of Samsung Group, developed an artificial intelligence and blockchain-powered platform called Nexfinance to be used in the digital finance space.