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PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

pine64.com

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Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#41

Post by linmob »

mciancia wrote: post #25
willis936 wrote: post #11

I looks forward to seeing reviews. Offhand, does anyone have a list of closed source drivers this device? It’s not a dealbreaker to me (I use many raspberry pis in my home), but it’s nice to have an inventory.

There is something from LTT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCKMxzz9cjs

Like I wrote in my recent update [0], LTT did not even bother to get the specs right. There was another review [1] this week that did a much better job imho.

[0] https://linmob.net/2021/03/21/linbits37-weekly-linux-phone-n...

[1] https://media.kaitaia.life/videos/watch/f072045c-b713-48c6-9...

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#42

Post by padraic7a »

Freak_NL wrote: post #27
wwarner wrote: post #20

I personally think that the effort to create open source phones is the single most important technology project going on out there. We have open source browsers, we have open source social apps, but we definitely do not have open source phones. Phones that can be truly owned and controlled by users will reshape the privacy discourse, from one of complaining and legal coercion, to one of choices and markets.

Except that it won't break the app-store duopoly. At what point will WhatsApp or even Signal consider providing a web-app, or even an open API for others to built clients against? Not doing this is a policy choice, not a technical one. Will banks offer something that doesn't require authentication via an app? Governments? App here meaning: Android or IOS. One solution might be to provide a sandbox for Android apps, b…

Signal has given some, probably very little, support to the Ubuntu Touch port now known as Axolotl.

https://github.com/nanu-c/axolotl

I'm sure that if it grew in popularity they might be inclined to support it further.

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#43

Post by swiley »

XorNot wrote: post #14

Anyone have any insight into what the app development experience is like on this?

I just run X11 on mine so all the normal open source apps from my desktop work. Most of the mobile DEs don't seem to meed anything special other than your app handling a small screen well.

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#44

Post by wwarner »

Freak_NL wrote: post #27
wwarner wrote: post #20

I personally think that the effort to create open source phones is the single most important technology project going on out there. We have open source browsers, we have open source social apps, but we definitely do not have open source phones. Phones that can be truly owned and controlled by users will reshape the privacy discourse, from one of complaining and legal coercion, to one of choices and markets.

Except that it won't break the app-store duopoly. At what point will WhatsApp or even Signal consider providing a web-app, or even an open API for others to built clients against? Not doing this is a policy choice, not a technical one. Will banks offer something that doesn't require authentication via an app? Governments? App here meaning: Android or IOS. One solution might be to provide a sandbox for Android apps, b…

I'll agree, and add that it's not clear that people really want privacy. Not that we've been given a choice, but the very first thing that the major players are going to say is that people want the all knowing experience that Google and FB provide.

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#45

Post by amelius »

linmob wrote: post #32
Freak_NL wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that it won't break the app-store duopoly. At what point will WhatsApp or even Signal consider providing a web-app, or even an open API for others to built clients against? Not doing this is a policy choice, not a technical one. Will banks offer something that doesn't require authentication via an app? Governments? App here meaning: Android or IOS. One solution might be to provide a sandbox for Android apps, b…

IMHO, it does not have to change the duopoly, as long as it creates sustainable options for those who want to escape that duopoly. In that way it‘s already a success.

The point was: if it doesn't change the duopoly then who will write apps for the open platform? Not banks. Not governments. They will keep on developing only for Android and iOS.

And people with a pinephone will have a great phone with a great OS, but with a shitty selection of apps.

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#46

Post by hyperpl »

I've had the pinephone from the start and while I've seen great progress in general in getting this closer to being a daily driver, I feel a lot of effort has been made getting various orthogonal distributions/stacks ported to this platform which I feel is fracturing the ecosystem.

I'm by no means a mobile app developer but if I wanted to dabble in making a small app, I'd be confused which stack to use and which distributions it would be compatible with.

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#47

Post by Luker88 »

wwarner wrote: post #20

I personally think that the effort to create open source phones is the single most important technology project going on out there. We have open source browsers, we have open source social apps, but we definitely do not have open source phones. Phones that can be truly owned and controlled by users will reshape the privacy discourse, from one of complaining and legal coercion, to one of choices and markets.

Last month they even managed to fully open parts of the modem, and do calls without the closed blob for the firmware!

https://twitter.com/biktorgj/status/1357217053745250304

(edit: caveat: they might not be able to actually ship the firmware since laws on this are very strict basically everywhere)

The app store(s) is a bit of a problem, but in time it might be solved. Not a big problem for me....

But I'd also like to see android compatibility. Multiple banks now basically require you to have an android app. Unfortunately that might also require better specs, since sideloading an entire android might take significant RAM :(

Still, kudos to pine64 devs for the openness of all of their projects! IMHO even the raspy is not as open, even if it might have better benchs

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#49

Post by fsflover »

josefresco wrote: post #48
fsflover wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here you go: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5 .

$1999 woah https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5-usa/

This is the made-in-USA edition. How much alternative phones from the USA cost?

Standard edition costs $800.

Re: PinePhone – Beta Edition Linux SmartPhone Preorder

#50

Post by Freak_NL »

padraic7a wrote: post #42
Freak_NL wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that it won't break the app-store duopoly. At what point will WhatsApp or even Signal consider providing a web-app, or even an open API for others to built clients against? Not doing this is a policy choice, not a technical one. Will banks offer something that doesn't require authentication via an app? Governments? App here meaning: Android or IOS. One solution might be to provide a sandbox for Android apps, b…

Signal has given some, probably very little, support to the Ubuntu Touch port now known as Axolotl. https://github.com/nanu-c/axolotl I'm sure that if it grew in popularity they might be inclined to support it further.

Wouldn't that mean you could use Signal without their client app? I though that was explicitly forbidden by OWS?
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