The Electroneum M1

Specs:

• Storage: 8GB Internal (Has a MicroSD Slot so you could expand it)
• Battery: Removable 1600 mAh
• Processor: Quad-Core 1.3 Ghz
• RAM: 1GB
• Cameras: 5MP Rear and 2MP Front
• Operating System: Android Go 8.1 (Default)
• Dual SIM
• 3.5mm Headphone Jack

The Idea:

At about $80 MSRP, the Electroneum M1 smartphone is aimed at bringing those in developing nations or with low incomes an opportunity to jump into the world of cryptocurrency for a relatively low expense as well as provide them a phone with basic smartphone functions like surfing the web, playing some games, making calls and texts, and taking photos and videos. The phone is also able to "mine" Electroneum (ETN) through a cloudmining system, generating up to $3 a month in the cryptocurrency according to Electroneum spokespeople. The cryptocurrency can also be used to top off airtime and data on select networks in Brazil, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, and Turkey, with more to come in the future. The phone is an interesting concept, and makes both technology and cryptocurrency a little more accessible to the masses. 

The Review:

A friend of mine purchased an Electroneum M1 a few months ago to test it out and use it as a backup emergency phone. Naturally, as a curious person, I asked to borrow the phone for a week so I could give it a test run. (And this is why I haven't posted anything in about a week!)

Personally, I think that although the phone's material is plastic, it feels quite sturdy and comfortable. The plastic back can also be removed, revealing a removable 1600mAh battery along with a MicroSD slot. In my experience, the phone can last several days without charging. However, this phone only has 8GB of memory built in, 1GB of RAM, and a 1.3Ghz quad-core processor. In other words, the storage capacity and performance is very poor compared to modern flagship phones like the iPhone or the Galaxy. But for an $80 price tag, it's hard to get anything better. 

The 4.5 inch screen has a 480X854 pixel resolution. While it isn't that great to watch videos or play games on, it's certainly enough for texting and web-surfing. I noticed that the viewing angle for this phone is quite poor, as a little too much tilt in any direction renders the images on the phone almost impossible to make out. However, keeping in mind that this phone retails for about $80 and is not quite aimed towards people who are used to using thousand dollar phones, it's quite easy to forgive this shortcoming.

The 5MP back camera quality is quite grainy, while the 2MP front selfie camera is not great either. The older processor is definitely enough for basic texting, call, and web surfing but gets hot when trying to play games. Games requiring more performance end up being laggy and nearly unplayable.

Through the phone's Electroneum app, I estimated that every month, the phone could generate about $0.50 - $1.00 US through cloud mining. (Fun fact! The Electroneum app is available to most Android and iOS devices as well! Start cloud mining for FREE today, and use my referral code E7654E to get 1% accelerated mining! And yes, I also get a little reward if you choose to mine Electroneum with my referral code :D ) 

All in all, this is definitely not a phone geared towards those used to higher quality flagship phones, but can make a difference to those who have little access to expensive technology. From the beginning, I knew about this particular phone's poor performance and low specs, but considering the concept of a cheap phone that rewards users and is more accessible to those with lower income and/or those that reside in developing nations, there is no doubt that this relatively inexpensive phone is a decent option to bring cellular, internet, and blockchain technology to many people. 

Disclaimer:

I am not in any way affiliated with Electroneum or any other crypto/crypto-related company. However, I would be absolutely delighted should you choose to use my referral code E7654E to cloudmine Electroneum! I personally used a friend's Electroneum M1 for about a week last week, hence, I did not really post anything else. The entire review is based on my personal experience. Experiences may vary from person to person!

Remember, investments in cryptocurrencies are like any other investment: Invest only what you can afford to lose. No investment is a guarantee.