Sirin Labs Finney Review: Does This Crypto Smartphone Stand a Chance Against the Samsung Galaxy S10?
By CCN: The developers of the Sirin Labs Finney have created for themselves a monumental task. Not only do they desire to break into the fiercely-competitive smartphone market, but they also aim to spearhead cryptocurrency’s transformation from a niche curiosity into a mainstream financial instrument.
After raising nearly $150 million for its Israeli creator during the initial coin offering (ICO) boom of 2017, does the Finney achieve this lofty goal? Perhaps more pertinently, does it have any chance of competing with the unexpectedly crypto-friendly Samsung Galaxy S10?
Read on to find out.
Cold Storage Cryptocurrency Wallet
The Finney’s onboard crypto wallet offers the security of a hardware wallet with (most of) the convenience of a mobile app. | Source: Josiah Wilmoth/CCN
When Sirin Labs debuted the Finney last year at a launch event in Barcelona, representatives touted it as a solution to both grizzled bitcoin bear market veterans and crypto newbies alike.
Seeking to test the Finney on both of those demographics, my wife, who shares my ideological affinity for bitcoin but has no experience using it, was kind enough to help me test and provide a crypto novice’s perspective on the device. Both of us currently carry variants of the Samsung Galaxy S6 (yes, s-i-x), so keep that in mind when we discuss the phone’s performance and rave about its ability to hold a charge for more than three hours.
The Finney’s key selling point is its integrated hardware wallet, which is located on a “safe screen” that slides out of the top of the phone. Here, private keys remain isolated from the device’s operating system, ensuring that funds remain secure even if the phone become infected with malware.
