Competition among Android manufacturers isn't what it used to be, which is why it's exciting any time a new company throws its hat in the ring. We haven't heard much about the Solana Saga since OSOM announced its crypto partnership earlier this summer. Today, the company held its first Q&A with CEO Jason Keats about the upcoming device, offering a deep dive into what you can expect from the software experience, what bands are supported, and its plans for future hardware.

Unsurprisingly, most of the conversation focused on the Solana Saga and the company's move to crypto. Although it's based on the original plans for the OSOM OV1, it's not the exact same smartphone we first saw last December. Referencing the change to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC mid-development, Keats says the transition went well, largely thanks to its partnership with Qualcomm.

Unlike Nothing, OSOM is targeting North American and European launches alike for the Solana Saga. Unfortunately, the device is missing the bands necessary for Dish's new 5G network — my condolences if you were planning on swapping networks once it's live in your city — but support for T-Mobile and its upcoming satellite network with SpaceX, is confirmed. OSOM plans to release a full set of compatible bands closer to launch, though the excluded bands seem to line up with the list we published in June.

As far as the camera is concerned, you shouldn't expect Pixel-quality right out of the gate. Still, Keats feels his team has already bested Apple's color reproduction months out from launch and hopes buyers will be impressed with what a small team like OSOM has managed to accomplish. That doesn't necessarily sound as impressive as one might hope, but we'll have to see some real-world examples before passing any judgment.

It's hard to separate the base software experience from what many people fear when hearing about a crypto-based phone, but here we go. Keats says the experience is based on vanilla Android with some small touches, which sounds like a similar approach to what we've seen from Nothing earlier this year. That said, he directly compares the software to Google's Pixel enhancements, deemphasizing similar approaches from Nothing or OnePlus.

Although Keats promises a minimum of four years of software support for the Solana Saga, he was unwilling to specify how many major Android updates the device would receive through its lifetime. Likewise, expect monthly updates to be slower than Essential's lightning-quick approach. According to Keats, the certification process is more complex than it was during the Essential years, but he's communicating with Google on how to streamline getting these patches to users.

Addressing the elephant in the room, OSOM wants to assure crypto-skeptics that the device can be bought and used without ever dealing with Solana as a currency or any of the crypto-based features on the phone. Keats guaranteed users that those tools aren't required, comparing them to the accessibility menu in settings. For any potential buyers worried about the ongoing cryptocurrency crash, Keats clarified that Solana prices have had "little if any effect on OSOM."

Despite the pivot to crypto, the company hasn't left its enthusiast roots behind. OSOM will sell spare parts through its website, and you can repair the phone without any proprietary tools. The company is also interested in starting a custom ROM community for the Saga, though nothing is confirmed just yet.

As for the future of OSOM, there's nothing specific to announce today. Still, Keats did tease some areas he's interested in, including wearables and the automotive space. Neither sounded like an announcement as much as a couple of arenas the company could enter if the Saga is a success, though he did elaborate on cars. Despite working on the original version of CarPlay, Keats has never been satisfied with how vehicles and smartphones interact with each other, though solving this would necessitate an automotive partner.

Perhaps most interesting for future — and past — devices was Project GEM. That phone, nearly completed under Essential, was originally intended to continue development under OSOM, but unfortunately, it just didn't pan out. Even so, Keats is interested in adopting unique form factors down the road.

Despite this Q&A, plenty of questions remain regarding the future of OSOM and whether the Saga will arrive as a true competitor to other enthusiast smartphones from Nothing and OnePlus. The plan for a Q1 launch is still on track, so expect to hear much more about the device throughout the rest of the year. The phone is currently up for pre-order at Solana Mobile's website, with no plans for selling through additional retailers like Best Buy or Amazon. If you were hoping to order through your carrier, you're out of luck — Keats confirmed the company isn't partnering with carriers.