Live data from Hacker News

Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

puri.sm

81–90 of 275 posts

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#81

So for me, this is roughly what I want in a phone. But the thing is, I bought a phone over two years ago, with better specs for $100 less. That same phone today is priced at $200-$300. The way I see it the real value add for this phone is the software, and this whole mainline Linux, FOSS, run whatever you want approach is very attractive to me. But is it worth $700? Is it worth $700 when my current phone is in great…

I agree that the price is very painful especially when compared to Chinese Android phones that offer phenomenal value (just not in terms of privacy). I hope the open source phones succeeds regardless.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#82
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's on par with most other phones, which I agree is huge. Smaller would take a lot more work, so I'm okay with a larger first version.

Yeah larger screens gives them some more leeway internally but does kind of restrain them a bit too because the larger screen wants more battery which requires a certain amount of space. If you've ever seen a tear down of the iPhone X for example the boards are actually stacked to maximize the space available for battery in the thin form. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+X+Teardown/98975#s182...

That's brilliant. That effectively allows them to put components in the middle of a multi-layer PCB.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#83

So for me, this is roughly what I want in a phone. But the thing is, I bought a phone over two years ago, with better specs for $100 less. That same phone today is priced at $200-$300. The way I see it the real value add for this phone is the software, and this whole mainline Linux, FOSS, run whatever you want approach is very attractive to me. But is it worth $700? Is it worth $700 when my current phone is in great…

im an in debt, highschool dropout, unemployed, and ill biy this on credit just to take a stand. i cant wait to set my google phone on fire. will be like finally ridding myself of a disease. get it together man. priorities. the value of an old phone stands up to forcing cash in meaningful directions? forget my wallet/welfare/bills, badd things have to stop at any cost.

What's wrong with installing Lineage OS on your google phone? If you stick to F-Droid you're pretty good in terms of open source. There are still a few binary blobs that you can't avoid of course. Those may contain some backdoors or bugs that will make you vulnerable, however you will no longer send your data to Google etc. all the time. Which is a huge difference.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#84

I don't understand how they're still committing to shipping in Q3. From the last monthly update it doesn't look like they're all that close to a final release.

I agree. There's no evidence that they have even a single prototype phone in the final form factor, let alone any tooling to make the cases etc.

I've preordered one, and I hope I eventually get it, but I think shipping in Q3 is just not going to happen.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#86

Would be nice if it had a hardware kill switch for other sensors (especially MEMS-based) such as accelerometer: Edit: It does. Nice. https://crypto.stanford.edu/gyrophone/files/gyromic.pdf https://www.analog.com/en/analog-dialogue/articles/mems-acce... https://dl.packetstormsecurity.net/papers/general/traynor-cc...

Kill switches are just an addendum if you don't trust the software. Of course the OS can also prevent apps from accessing parts of the phones like the accelerometer if the user configures it that way.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#87
post #70
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could buy a Pixel and put GrapheneOS on it. https://grapheneos.org/#device-support

I looked at the page, it is interesting, but I have never heard anything about this. They page didn't also say anything about who they were/what they do? Do you have anywhere with more information about this/the folks behind it?

It's the successor of the Copperhead OS project. Some details at https://liliputing.com/2019/04/grapheneos-is-an-android-base...

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#88

Would be nice if it had a hardware kill switch for other sensors (especially MEMS-based) such as accelerometer: Edit: It does. Nice. https://crypto.stanford.edu/gyrophone/files/gyromic.pdf https://www.analog.com/en/analog-dialogue/articles/mems-acce... https://dl.packetstormsecurity.net/papers/general/traynor-cc...

It says in this post that the IMU is killed when all 3 other skill switches are off

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#89
While I really appreciate an enthusiast product (and is a proud owner of similar devices), I think Purism bit off a bit more than was necessary. Something a little bit closer to mainstream hardware would have gotten a device out earlier, and in the hands of more potential developers faster, with more time to implement whatever bits and pieces were unsatisfying.

The Pinephone has a fraction of the cost and have the potential to bigger developer mindshare. The specs are worse but that's not why you buy any of these things anyway.

Phones hardware have peaked and that makes it all the more interesting for someone interested in software and what it can do. Next year will be interesting.

Post reply on HN