Ehhh, Ubuntu Touch and KDE Plasma Mobile is around, i am just waiting until apps like YouTube, Instagram, etc, jumps to these platforms as well.
Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
31–40 of 50 posts
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#321. assuming 7 inch device still phone
2. and phone is phone of it can do phone calls
3. it holds battery for one day at least
there is possibly oss phone https://mastodon.social/@mntmn/111387899138111367
so seems need some video demo to show me before i buy
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#33I think instead of a particular phone or brand what we need are open standards for a mobile platform. - RISCV processor - Standard Logic board - Standard Screen - Standard Battery - Standard Wifi & Bluetooth modem - Probably ditch cellular and use something like LoRa - Standard OS (Linux) - Standard package manager Edit: Imagine a phone that you can just swap and mix components from different manufacturers. You could…
So no camera?
I'll be generous and add in "standard camera" for you.
But of course camera tech is moving fast. So either the standard camera gets left behind, or the "standard camera" is continually updated.
Rinse and repeat for sll your "standards". The modem needs updating (new mobile specs coming out from time to time.) Battery tech goes very fast. Every time I eat there's a cpu update. Screens change. Form factors change.
Armies of people at Samsung, Apple et al are managing this all the time. Naturally your Open Source phone would need to keep up.
So instead of listing all the common modules, perhaps it's more useful to explain what sort of budget this effort eould need (sustainably) then list the ways the project will generate income to meet that budget.
Without this your list falls into the "what we need are flying cars" box, which is nice, but not exactly constructive. [Astute readers will also note that we really don't want flying cars...]
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#34I think instead of a particular phone or brand what we need are open standards for a mobile platform. - RISCV processor - Standard Logic board - Standard Screen - Standard Battery - Standard Wifi & Bluetooth modem - Probably ditch cellular and use something like LoRa - Standard OS (Linux) - Standard package manager Edit: Imagine a phone that you can just swap and mix components from different manufacturers. You could…
So no camera? I'll be generous and add in "standard camera" for you. But of course camera tech is moving fast. So either the standard camera gets left behind, or the "standard camera" is continually updated. Rinse and repeat for sll your "standards". The modem needs updating (new mobile specs coming out from time to time.) Battery tech goes very fast. Every time I eat there's a cpu update. Screens change. Form factor…
Yes, I forgot to add a standard camera on the list.
I think if there's an open standard that different organizations can contribute to things will move faster and will be cheaper than having single organization trying to build a new Linux phone from scratch, it is also more reselient with little centralization. Different groups can specialize on different components where they have expertise.
I chose RISCV because it's a open standard, we could build around that ecosystem.
The standard can be updated, having different generations/versions when it's absolutely necessary. But it shouldn't move too fast especially if the interfaces are clearly defined. Phones from 10 years ago are powerful enough it's just that brands create new devices to force people to upgrade.
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#35I think instead of a particular phone or brand what we need are open standards for a mobile platform. - RISCV processor - Standard Logic board - Standard Screen - Standard Battery - Standard Wifi & Bluetooth modem - Probably ditch cellular and use something like LoRa - Standard OS (Linux) - Standard package manager Edit: Imagine a phone that you can just swap and mix components from different manufacturers. You could…
While I'd love to see a successful ATX for phones (It's number 1 reason my desktop is x86, 2nd is Steam library). 1) The form factor really fights this. 2) Something needs to change with ARM, cause modular hardware would require device independent ISOs, and that only seams to exist for x86.... IDK about RISCV
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Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#36Earlier quoted context omitted.
So no camera? I'll be generous and add in "standard camera" for you. But of course camera tech is moving fast. So either the standard camera gets left behind, or the "standard camera" is continually updated. Rinse and repeat for sll your "standards". The modem needs updating (new mobile specs coming out from time to time.) Battery tech goes very fast. Every time I eat there's a cpu update. Screens change. Form factor…
Yes, I forgot to add a standard camera on the list. I think if there's an open standard that different organizations can contribute to things will move faster and will be cheaper than having single organization trying to build a new Linux phone from scratch, it is also more reselient with little centralization. Different groups can specialize on different components where they have expertise. I chose RISCV because it…
How do you move past the initial hurdle of the at least several first iterations of this device being inferior to the competition in every single way, though?
And even if you solve the software issue, a “modular” phone like that will be bulky, heavy and have permanently outdated hw without really offering anything in return for that for >95% of its potential user base.
> to force people to upgrade.
So if they had to pick between a modern device with closed hw/software and something allegedly good enough for them but has an inferior screen, camera, battery, is heavier and has poor quality software. How do you force them to buy it?
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, I forgot to add a standard camera on the list. I think if there's an open standard that different organizations can contribute to things will move faster and will be cheaper than having single organization trying to build a new Linux phone from scratch, it is also more reselient with little centralization. Different groups can specialize on different components where they have expertise. I chose RISCV because it…
How do you move past the initial hurdle of the at least several first iterations of this device being inferior to the competition in every single way, though? And even if you solve the software issue, a “modular” phone like that will be bulky, heavy and have permanently outdated hw without really offering anything in return for that for >95% of its potential user base. > to force people to upgrade. So if they had to…
> How do you move past the initial hurdle of the at least several first iterations of this device being inferior to the competition in every single way, though?
I think it will initially be a phone for hackers, and they will develop the ecosystem. It will also be competitive in that different manufacturers will try to develop the best components for the market.
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
I suspect he is referring to the current political climate in the USA which many call a fascist takeover.
I mean that is what it is. Is there some rule that you can't call it that? Or is it just fascist don't like being called fascist and might go after people who call them fascist? Which is very fascist thing to do by the way.
I am not american and for various reasons I am not fan of current White House occupant.
Having said this, I find it weird people calling some govt facist (and by extension socialist), my observation is all of them are- reading Gramchi's facist manifesto, he says (from memory so not word to word): everything in state, nothing outside of state, nothing against the state. To my knowledge whole world is now ran by this principle, we are forced to be part of the system and pay taxes, we will be punished if we don't.
Taking this under account I come to sad conclusion that it's difficult to find a country that is not facist, certainly not the EU (a.k.a. another "thinker" Spinelli who came with his own communist manifesto which was adopted as EU's cornerstone, one of the main EU buildings carries his name), not the country I live in, I don't know about real USA posture but I guess it's similar- try to hire somebody or be hired without letting the state know and you'll face massive problems.
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#39I think instead of a particular phone or brand what we need are open standards for a mobile platform. - RISCV processor - Standard Logic board - Standard Screen - Standard Battery - Standard Wifi & Bluetooth modem - Probably ditch cellular and use something like LoRa - Standard OS (Linux) - Standard package manager Edit: Imagine a phone that you can just swap and mix components from different manufacturers. You could…
lora is hilariously inadequate for what you mentioned.
Re: Ask HN: What is the actual state of Linux phones?
#40AOSP is still the better OS. It is fully open source. It has a much better protection model. It is production ready and optimized. It has a working build system. It supports reliable updates. I find the idea of Linux phones pointless. Instead of trying to create an app ecosystem that will never compete against proprietary-ecosystem optimized and well-isolated one, we can leverage it. I wouldn't want an OS where the b…
I think what people would like is, if they were able to just run the same programs seamlessly on the phone. That's why porting standard (GNU/) Linux distros to mobile seams worthwhile.