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Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

tuxphones.com

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Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#61

Post by pjmlp »

squarefoot wrote: post #46

We're likely approaching the day when it'll be more cheap to attempt to build an open Linux phone from scratch rather than keep waiting for a manufacturer to listen to a few thousand techies who don't want their personal data chewed by proprietary OSes. That milestone will almost certainly be marked by the availability of cheap 3/4G modems (I'd be perfectly fine with 3G if it was the only option). We're not there but…

While true, Web based OSes are exactly the opposite of that regarding privacy.

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#62

Post by tacotime »

ricardobeat wrote: post #32
edoo wrote: post #6

It will probably require a plan. Walmart tried selling a $10 prepaid smart phone and they were all bought up by tinkerers. A $10 phone means lots of hobby and maybe even some commercial projects get a cell phone mounted as a touchscreen interface.

How is that a problem?

Because they were sold as loss leaders on the assumption that people would be paying for time/data on the network.

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#63

Post by newhotelowner »

tluyben2 wrote: post #44
tootie wrote: post #3

I'd buy a few of these for my kids.

I have no kids myself, but from friends who do have kids I hear they get teased (and sometimes bullied) if they don't have a half decent smartphone. And some of these friends are living in poorer ('non western') countries even. I guess my friends are not lying, but not sure how widespread that is.

> from friends who do have kids I hear they get teased (and sometimes bullied) if they don't have a half decent smartphone

My daughter is in middle school, and pretty much everyone in her class has iPhone. Only a few have an Android phone.

School requires every student to have a Chromebook, but even teachers encourage students to use smartphones. Also, one of the apps only works on smartphones.

My daughter has my old Samsung 6s. She doesn't complain or ask for a new phone, but I know she wants an iPhone.

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#64

Post by cs702 »

Not only does GNU/Linux appear to be unkillable, it always seems to take over every single market niche overlooked by larger, established players promoting fully or partially proprietary stacks. And in many cases, these niche markets end up being quite large or even mainstream. Amazing.

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#65

Post by cunidev »

oneowl wrote: post #7

Very nice project. KaiOS also runs on jio phones and they are selling really well in India. Besides 4g these phones also have wifi support. Kai os phones are the only feature phones(I know of) that provide wifi capabilities. By the way I've got a question for people who've used Kai OS / firefox os. To use google apps like youtube/ maps etc do you need to log in like in android?

You can use the Gapps you mentioned even on Android without logging in I think. At least on older Androids (4.x)

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#66

Post by pjmlp »

cunidev wrote: post #58
morganvachon wrote: post #5

Apart from the Google tie-in, I've been wanting a KaiOS phone ever since they were announced. I actually miss the days of my Nokia E71; a stripped down but modern feature phone with battery life measured in days instead of hours would be a blessing. Unfortunately these are not marketed at all in the Western world and probably wouldn't work on domestic carriers.

Agreed. The only one is Nokia 8110, which doesn't support WhatsApp and which is actually somewhat overpriced IMO (a Nokia 1 with Android costs less and the "keyboard cover" doesn't make too much sense to me). The new 3310 would have made more sense.

Because that phone is supposed to be a reference to the original one.

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#68

Post by viraptor »

sametmax wrote: post #47
yoavm wrote: post #12

The article says it supports WhatsApp, but the KaiOS publication clarifies it does not. In many countries, that's a no go.

Whatsapp is only very big in __some__ countries actually. Europe have free sms, so I do have friends with telegram, signal, skype, whatsapp, dumb phones, facebook chat, wire, etc., and at the the center of this crazy venn diagram, we can all discuss with sms for free. Most discussions are not group chats. In Asia they have big whatsapp competitors like weechat. But I've seen kik used as well. In Africa, it's also a l…

It's also really popular in Australia (2nd most common after FB). Likely underrepresented in older people.

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#69

Post by auslander »

tootie wrote: post #56
auslander wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kids will tell you years later that it was wrong giving their data to Google, an Ad company, with core business of monetizing people's data.

I don't see why. I wasn't using my data for anything so it seems like a win-win if someone will pay for it. Also, NB this phone runs KaiOS, not Android.

KaiOS "now sport official Google Assistant" .. "same OS just received over $20m funding from Google and even partnered with them"

Its the code that runs 24/7 what matters, Android or a few G services is of no difference.

> I wasn't using my data for anything

Browsing, location, contacts, photos of friends, calendar, emails... the lot. Goal is your full psychological profile, skills, circles, reactions, job positions. From as much data as possible. Uses today are simple ad targeting, maybe 3rd party screening checks. Tomorrow?

Re: Linux-based 4G phones with Google Assistant sold for $7 in Indonesia

#70

Post by hosay123 »

berbec wrote: post #45
Spearchucker wrote: post #42

I have the version two Nokia 8110 banana phone with KAIOS. First, web dev isn't good enough for me. I need crypto libraries on the device. Second,unless I've yet to discover how to turn it on, no predictive text input. Third, it ships with Google apps which, combined with the fact that you cannot uninstall apps on KaiOS makes the phone a novelty at best. More like a waste of €60 (none of these issues are obvious befo…

"Edit - battery lasted two weeks between charges" Way to bury the lead! I'd put up with a lot for charge times that long. Or just a backup phpne

Minor nit, but I always appreciate receiving these -- in US English as well as British I believe it's always written "bury the lede"
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