Last November, we announced that Passport Founder’s Edition sold out to rave reviews. With nearly 1000 of our next-gen Bitcoin hardware wallet in the wild, the Foundation team has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to prepare for Batch 2.
We are beyond excited to share all the details with you today.
Passport Batch 2 was an opportunity to go back to the drawing board. Faced with supply chain challenges, rising component costs, and a sizable wishlist of improvements, we asked ourselves – how can we reduce costs while delivering the industry leading Bitcoin hardware wallet?
But more than that, we knew that Passport needed a companion. A way to streamline onboarding, firmware updates, and learning. A refreshingly simple Bitcoin wallet experience.
So today we are announcing not one, but two new products: Passport Batch 2 and Envoy mobile app!
Passport Batch 2
After shipping Passport Founder’s Edition and surveying our customers, we went heads-down into design mode for Batch 2. This new Passport is the culmination of months of design and engineering work.
Price
The most common feedback on Passport Founder’s Edition was cost – its $299 price point was steep, especially compared with other hardware wallets.
By redesigning Passport Batch 2 and putting every component under the microscope, we reduced both the cost of materials and assembly. Passport Batch 2 presells for $199. Once we begin shipping, Passport’s price will increase to $259.
Design
Ultra-minimalism is everywhere, and the Foundation team is sick of it! Rather than pursuing a minimalist, boring design, Passport Batch 2 embraces a new design language that we call digital deco. The new Passport borrows ornate elements from the art deco movement and brings them into the 21st century.
Like Passport Founder’s Edition, Batch 2 is constructed of high-quality plastic and copper-plated zinc alloy, a responsive physical keypad, and a magnetic rear cover.
Notably, Batch 2 is almost 20% thinner than Founder’s Edition!
Battery
Batch 2 uses a standard form factor lithium-ion battery instead of AAAs. This allows for longer battery life and an accurate battery indicator.
Passport uses a standard Nokia BL-5C battery pack. This pack is readily accessible from online retailers, so you are not dependent on a proprietary Foundation battery.
Charging occurs via a power-only USB-C port on Passport. This is a special port that only has pins for power, not data, therefore preserving Passport’s airgap. No need to trust us – you can take a quick look at the port and see that most pins are missing!
Display
Passport Batch 2 incorporates a stunning, high resolution IPS color display bonded to ultra-hard glass. The display is scratch resistant and vibrant, rendering brighter and clearer QR codes in all types of lighting conditions.
The Foundation team designed an overhauled user interface to take advantage of the new display! The UI is modern yet simple, with a new left-to-right navigation.
Little Details
We are especially proud of Batch 2’s little details – like a physical power button for simplicity and convenience, and an improved microSD slot that allows the card to sit closer to Passport and eliminates the possibility of backwards insertion.
Passport now ships with new accessories. In addition to an industrial-grade microSD card and removable lithium-ion battery, Passport includes microSD adapters for iOS and Android alongside a USB-C charging cable.
We also can’t stop ogling the packaging.
Security Architecture
While Passport features an all-new design, its underlying security architecture is unchanged. Passport uses an ultra-fast STM processor, Microchip 608a secure element, Omnivision cameracube, and an avalanche noise source for entropy.
Passport’s hardware and firmware are fully open source under copyleft licenses (CERN-OHL-S and GPLv3).
Envoy
Passport is already easy to set up and pair with the software wallet of your choice, but the Foundation team wanted to take it a step further. We sought to deliver an experience that makes life easier for advanced Bitcoiners and lowers the barriers to entry for new Bitcoiners purchasing their first hardware wallet.
So we made Envoy, a mobile companion app for your Passport. Envoy performs four key functions:
- Helps you securely and easily set up Passport.
- Keeps you up-to-date with firmware updates, no computer required!
- Provides quick and easy access to support resources.
- Offers a refreshingly simple Bitcoin software wallet.
Onboarding
Envoy guides the user through unboxing Passport and setting it up securely. Instead of using our support website from your computer or phone, you’ll now be able to use the Envoy app for a much improved experience.
Security
Envoy primarily communicates with Passport via airgapped QR codes, ensuring that Passport is never directly connected to an online device. Initial Passport setup, supply chain validation, and Bitcoin transactions are all facilitated with QR codes.
Passport firmware updates are securely downloaded by Envoy and transferred to Passport via microSD card. Envoy sends a push notification when a new firmware update is available, making it easier than ever to always run the latest firmware.
Privacy
Envoy connects to Foundation’s server and Bitcoin node through Tor. This means that Foundation does not know your IP address and is less able to track your activity.
For those seeking greater privacy, Envoy offers the ability to connect to your own Bitcoin node, cutting out Foundation as the middleman.
Openness
Like all our products, Envoy is fully open source with a copyleft license (GPLv3). This means that advanced users can inspect the code, build from source, and even fork and improve the app. Envoy relies heavily on popular open source toolkits, including Flutter and BDK.
Due to Envoy’s open source nature, you can be better assured that Envoy does what we claim. You don’t have to blindly trust Foundation with the security of your Bitcoin; you can verify for yourself!
Alongside releasing Envoy in the Android and iOS app stores, we will make an APK available for advanced Android users, and will also explore releasing to the F-Droid open source app repository.
Wallet
For new Bitcoiners and those who seek a zen-like experience, Envoy offers a simple Bitcoin software wallet that automatically pairs with your Passport.
Envoy allows you to pair multiple Passports, each with its own account to send and receive Bitcoin. The only user input is whether to “boost” your transaction by paying a higher fee – that’s it! We suspect Envoy is the simplest Bitcoin software wallet on the market.
Over time we plan to add more advanced features like coin control, but will always offer an unparalleled zen experience for new Bitcoiners.
We hope you’re as excited as we are about Passport Batch 2 and Envoy.
Passport Batch 2 is expected to ship in April. We’re beginning circuit board production later this month, and are just waiting for the plastic and metal parts to arrive. We’ll have the first set of Batch 2’s on-hand at Bitcoin 2022 in Miami next month.
Envoy will launch in app stores alongside Passport Batch 2.
Our website is now updated with all the details of Passport Batch 2 and Envoy! As Batch 2 is limited to 2500 units, we recommend preordering today to ensure availability. Please contact us with any questions via email or Telegram.