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Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

puri.sm

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Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#151
post #107

5.7" screen is HUGE. I wish someone would build phone with 3.5-4" screen. It's so handy to operate phone with a single hand.

There's a reason the iPhone 5/SE refurbs hit the front page of HN every time the Apple store restock the refurbs.

Those phones are tough enough you really don’t even need a case.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#152

I've been looking for a "FOSS" phone that is based purely on AOSP. I don't want a custom ROM, Play Store, cloud, or to have to create any accounts or sign into anything. I just want a simple Android phone with decent specs that I can install APKs on. Does this exist at all? Or do I have to buy/pay for a "full" Android phone and reflash it?

Buy an unlocked bootloader phone (ie oneplus) and put lineage os on it. Lineage doesn't come with any of the google apps or the play store, just a few basic apps and the ability to put whatever else you want on it.

What makes alpine nice is that it’s super easy to compile yourself and hack on it.

Have you ever tried compiling android? It’s not fun.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#153

I just found out they didn't use AOSP. Ok so it's based on Linux but isn't anyone worried that they're re-inventing some wheels by not using AOSP? Or is there a licensing issue I'm not aware of? Edit: Sorry but my cynicism stems from backing a lot of open source attempts, including N900 with Maemo, ZTE Blade and Jolla. I ended up giving away two of those and the last is rotting in storage.

No, AOSP reinvented the wheel and gave us a broken mess as an excuse to push us into using google software. There’s nothing the phone really needs that hasn’t already been written, the only reinventing is them writting yet another palm pilot home screen knockoff.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#154
post #11

Hmmm, almost exactly half the specs of OnePlus 3, way more expensive than OnePlus 3 when it came out 3 years ago. How this is better than installing lineage Os on oneplus 3? -- https://download.lineageos.org/oneplus3 I understand anyone who wants privacy need to pay extra, but is it really justifiable to pay this much for that?

As someone "upgrading" from the OnePlus 3: It isn't about the hardware, and it also isn't about PureOS itself. It's about people caring enough to build an entirely new mobile operating system which actually respects your privacy and gives you tools to ensure it. I'm really amazed at what they got running in the few years this project existed. Of course the phone won't be some spectacular mobile gaming machine, but th…

Same here. I'll gladly downgrade some specs if it means I can run all free software on my phone. Trying to get google off of an unlocked android phone is still an uphill battle. Root access out of the box means I can install the software I want and remove software I don't (a novel idea).

The Purism team has accomplished an impressive feat with the Librem 5. Porting GNU/Linux onto a smart phone is a huge win for free software. I hope the transparency and upstream patches continue long in the future.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#155

You lost me at the resolution. 720p is ridiculous in 2019. Also 32GB of internal storage is extremely restricting (even with the SD card, apps like to install on the main storage).

I’ve owned laptops running the upstream OS with that much storage, it’s fine as long as you don’t install any really poorly done closed software.

Re: “main storage” there’s no reason for that, it’s just more android brokenness.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#156

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.

Don't do that to yourself. Better to take care of yourself than buying a new phone.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#157
post #45
post #36

I'm sorry, this device profile doesn't really sell me on why I need to upgrade from my Android TracFone; it doesn't even give me confidence that it will work with the networks I need it to. This is part of the problem I've found over the years with consumer Unix-derivatives - too many "figure it out yourself" answers, not enough "just works, or we'll show you how to figure out whether it works or not first". That's t…

https://puri.sm/faq/supported-networks/ They already have a list of LTE bands that will work depending on if you buy the Europe or US variant. That list is only for the Gemalto PLS8-US and PLS8-E. There is another Broadmobi BM818 module as well. For the US, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile support the 2, 4, 5, and 17 LTE bands that work with the PLS8-US. All of Europe should be supported on the PLS8-E. The BM818 mention d…

Thank you for the link.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#158
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, who complain that the software might not be that great, but who also want freedom, your option would be to buy without expectations as a way of donating to the project or to simply donate money directly to the project. That's the great thing about open source! People form groups and spend their own time/resources to build what they want instead of waiting around for the corporate big brother to build it.

Purism is a for-profit corporation. You aren't donating - any more than you're "donating" to Comcast when you pay your cable bill.

You're correct, it's not a donation. However Purism right now is important in a way Comcast is not. Their work on the software side is making the GNU/Linux phone a reality and it will help both vendors and makers a like in the future. Supporting the company is indirectly supporting the GNU/Linux phone ecosystem and may be one of the best things to throw your money at right now to push development forward.

On the Comcast side, they can get fucked. My whole city pays them a crazy high fee for internet and more a month with very little improvements being made in infrastructure. Sure they now a have a remote with voice commands, but I and most people I know are almost never near the advertised speeds. At least the latency is good.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pinephone only has a wifi radio and lacks any cell radios, thus it is incapable of connecting to cellular networks. It's basically an 'internet tablet' and not a phone (at least in the 'traditional' sense) like the name suggests.

I think you are talking about the Necunos device. The pinephone is ... a phone. See https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/ where they list the modem being a "Quectel EG-25G with worldwide bands".

Oops, yea I was thinking of the Necunos.

Re: Librem 5 Smartphone Final Specs

#160
I love the idea of a phone that isn't built by Apple or a spyware company, but I'd be worried about software stability and support. GNU/Linux on the desktop has always been flaky for me, and flakiness is not an acceptable characteristic for a phone.
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