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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

#91

Post by i4blux »

type-2 wrote: post #71
jeswin wrote: post #14

Having spent a couple of years building apps for KaiOS (which is really Firefox OS), I can say that it's probably the easiest development platform out there - mostly pure web; with some proprietary extensions. I wish Firefox OS hadn't thrown in the towel so early. These devices are selling millions of units every month.

firefox os had so much potential, now with pwa's being the next big thing, it seem like firefox os could be a game changer. Too bad they killed it.

Firefox OS was doomed to fail. They created an operating system which used the slowest rendering and JS engine there was and put it in the worst hardware they could find.

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

#92

Post by naraic0o »

Dunedan wrote: post #83

Probably worth mentioning GerdaOS ( https://gerda.tech/ ), the first try to bring custom ROMs to KaiOS phones.

So if I'm understanding right, this isn't like LineageOS[0] for Android, which builds a system from the Android Open Source Project (AOSP)[1], but a "romhack", or modified system? Pity. I naïvely hope that running a fully open source system would be easier on a phone like this, since it's simpler than the latest and greatest in the smartphone world. Realistically, they probably still run the same radios which never have sources available.

[0] https://lineageos.org/ [1] https://source.android.com/

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

#93

Post by r3bl »

herogreen wrote: post #89
type-2 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

firefox os had so much potential, now with pwa's being the next big thing, it seem like firefox os could be a game changer. Too bad they killed it.

what is pwa ?

Progressive Web App. A web app that's supposed to be indistinguishable from the native one, built using web technologies (so that you don't have to maintain multiple code bases).

When Firefox OS was around, they were still pretty niche.

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

#94

Post by oneowl »

muxator wrote: post #77
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?

Just for information, as I do not know if this suits your use case: on my phone, LineageOS with no Play Services installed, I can watch YouTube using Firefox + the website. Maps 10.1 can be installed via Yalp Store and works pretty well.

Thank you!

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

#95

Post by wicket »

It's a stretch to call these "Linux-based" phones. The kernel [1] comes from an old Android fork of Linux 3.10 which is nearly 6 years old. Android kernel code is largely incompatible with mainline Linux which is the reason there are very few phones that can run actually run mainline (real) Linux.

[1] https://github.com/kaiostech/kernel_msm-3.10

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

#96

Post by icebraining »

i4blux wrote: post #91
type-2 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

firefox os had so much potential, now with pwa's being the next big thing, it seem like firefox os could be a game changer. Too bad they killed it.

Firefox OS was doomed to fail. They created an operating system which used the slowest rendering and JS engine there was and put it in the worst hardware they could find.

These phones run on the same rendering and JS engine...

"KaiOS apps are based on web technologies–HTML, CSS, and JavaScript–and are run by Gecko runtime."

https://developer.kaiostech.com/

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

#97

Post by jschwartzi »

type-2 wrote: post #71
jeswin wrote: post #14

Having spent a couple of years building apps for KaiOS (which is really Firefox OS), I can say that it's probably the easiest development platform out there - mostly pure web; with some proprietary extensions. I wish Firefox OS hadn't thrown in the towel so early. These devices are selling millions of units every month.

firefox os had so much potential, now with pwa's being the next big thing, it seem like firefox os could be a game changer. Too bad they killed it.

I'd be interested in this on a modern smartphone platform with a touchscreen and virtual keyboard just to cut Google out of my life.

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

#98

Post by dontbenebby »

cs702 wrote: post #64

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.

We spent so long waiting for linux on the desktop. Turns out insurgency was the best strategy: sit back, launch a few attacks, and wait for the desktop to die ;)

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

#99

Post by cinquemb »

RasputinsBro wrote: post #51

Another instance of google propping up puppet competitors.

I have to say, living in Indonesia and seeing the start up scene (and financiers recently not to long ago at Global Venture Summit[which included a big ad from a google presenter, as well as one of their VC firm spawn]), seems like google is share cropping startups into their whole ecosystem.

But who can blame em? The government wants the USD flowing in, and the companies (already strapped for talent and cash to pay for such) get their IaaS for free for decent chunk of time… virtually no push back here like there is in the states to 'some' degree… and it keeps their offices from getting raided again!

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