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The Aptos Foundation and Jambo Technology are setting a new bar for Web3 smartphone accessibility with their $99 JamboPhone.
Leveraging Aptos's blockchain tech with Jambo's vision, the partnership "aims to significantly enhance Web3 accessibility and education in regions that stand to benefit most," Aptos said.
Jambo is a superapp that aims to bring Web3 to African markets.
"Together, Aptos Foundation and Jambo will work toward removing barriers to digital participation and fostering a future where everyone, regardless of their geographic or economic status, can access and benefit from advancements in Web3."
JamboPhone targets users in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America and is available in over 40 countries. The device is integrated with the Aptos network via pre-installed apps, such as the Aptos-compatible wallet Petra. It also aims to educate users about Web3 markets including DeFi and gaming.
Blockhead managed to get our hands on a JamboPhone from Jambo Tech. We unboxed it and offered our first impressions for your viewing pleasure.
The product comes in pretty ordinary packaging with all the branding and information on each side of the box. Inside the box is the phone itself, a sim key, a plastic phone case, user manual, USB-c charging cable, and an adapter.
The Jambo is essentially a lower-tier Android smartphone with a t606 processor. It comes with 4GB ram and a 64gb of storage space. It has a 6.5” LCD display and a 4900 mAh battery. It also comes with a dual sim set-up. Take note the phone only works up to 4G networks, meaning if you have a 5G connection, it probably doesn't work on the phone.
The phone comes with a dual-lens set-up, an 8-megapixel front camera and a 13mp main camera.
The main feature of the Jambo, besides its price point, is its connectivity with Web3. It comes with the Jamboapp that leverages Aptos’ blockchain technology. It is integrated with the Aptos network via several pre-installed apps and games, such as Sentz, YellowCard, and JamboWallet.
We didn’t fully test many of these apps during the unboxing, but most of them do perform decently, although you could feel the slight sluggishness of the t606 processor when you’re running the apps or even scrolling through the menu of the phone itself.
Cohan Chew
Technically you can’t fault the phone because the processor is a few years behind its time, and priced at $99, obviously, we’re not expecting an actual gaming phone or anything like that.
The big question is whether the phone will receive any airdrops like the Saga, now the opportunity is there, but nobody knows for sure if it's going to happen.
The phone is currently available in over 40 countries. But apparently, production or shipping has been taking close to 3 months for users to receive their orders.
Is the Jambo Phone worth buying? At $99, it’s definitely not a phone you’re buying for normal use. It could, however, be seen as a small investment into the Aptos ecosystem.
Blockhead
