HTC's much-hyped blockchain-powered smartphone, the Exodus 1, is now available for early access pre-order. You have to buy it using Bitcoin or Ether, but that shouldn't be too surprising for a device marketed as a secure way to store cryptocurrency keys and blockchain tokens on your phone.

The Exodus 1 runs an Android-based OS containing a "secure enclave" for your prized crypto possessions, including cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for blockchain-based possessions like CryptoKitties. The early access period is meant to gather feedback from cryptographers and developers to improve the security of the locked enclave before the Exodus 1 ships in December.

The project is overseen by HTC Vive ($99.99 at Amazon) creator Phil Chen, who returned to the company this year as Decentralized Chief Officer heading up blockchain and cryptocurrency initiatives.

Another interesting aspect of the phone is how it handles one of the most infuriating problems of crypto ownership: losing your keys. The Exodus 1's Social Key Recovery mechanism lets device owners pick a few trustworthy contacts, each of whom must download a key management app, to split up an algorithm containing your keys and distribute it amongst them to create your own personal decentralized asset recovery network if your phone is lost or stolen.

Besides its crypto features, the Exodus 1 sports a 6-inch Quad HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a dual 12MP+16MP main camera. The front-facing 8MP dual camera includes Bokeh capability for portrait mode, and the phone shooots full 4K video at 60fps. It's also got 6GB of RAM, 128GB memory, and a 3500mAh battery. The HTC Exodus 1 also has IP68 waterproofing, and runs a Snapdragon 845 processor and Android Oreo.

You can see full specs and pre-order the Exodus 1 for 0.15 BTC or 4.78 ETH here.

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