5 ms·

You're right as well :) But I think it's the stuff we did to take it from ESP32+LCD (which there are thousands of) and make it more like a phone are what makes

You're right as well :) But I think it's the stuff we did to take it from ESP32+LCD (which there are thousands of) and make it more like a phone are what makes it useful. Not having to build your own power supply and battery charger every time you start a new project is pretty useful. Or a nice enclosure with buttons that work right, feel nice, and are splash proof, etc., etc. It is technically a phone. Just not one many people would want to replace their smartphones with. Home phone or backup phone maybe. We aren't marketing it as a smartphone replacement. The mobile form factor is useful and not just an evil marketing trick.

em-bee 8y ago
in my mind, calling it a "phone" automatically implies a smartphone replacement, so finding out that it's not does feel like a let-down even if that wasn't your intention. and yes, the form-factor does make this awesome. how about calling it a wifi-phone? it would immediately make the limitation clear and avoid disappointment for those like me who are seeking a replacement for their regular phone.
- catherd 8y ago
  Well, it is called WiPhone... There is a pretty clear issue with people getting grumpy once they learn it's not a bleeding edge smartphone. I don't know how to solve it. Open to suggestions, but I think calling it a phone is perfectly reasonable and doesn't imply it's a smartphone. Just because all the big phone makers have sold us the idea that LTE and an OS you can play games on is absolutely essential doesn't mean this isn't a phone.
  - em-bee 8y ago
    i meant the reference to a phone as in: WiPhone: A professionally-packaged Arduino wifi-phone or in the tag line WiPhone: An Open Source Wifi-Phone That's Really Yours the definition of a phone for me is a device that i can use make phone-calls 100% of the time and send sms messages. today that implies cell phone (GSM) support. it does not imply a smartphone, especially not a bleeding edge one, nor the ability to play games. (although games on the arduino are actually possible) btw: i have been traveling without a sim-card before (because i did not have roaming) and the success of finding wifi was more like 20% rather than 80%. rather frustrating.

em-bee 8y ago

in my mind, calling it a "phone" automatically implies a smartphone replacement, so finding out that it's not does feel like a let-down even if that wasn't your intention. and yes, the form-factor does make this awesome. how about calling it a wifi-phone? it would immediately make the limitation clear and avoid disappointment for those like me who are seeking a replacement for their regular phone.

catherd 8y ago
Well, it is called WiPhone... There is a pretty clear issue with people getting grumpy once they learn it's not a bleeding edge smartphone. I don't know how to solve it. Open to suggestions, but I think calling it a phone is perfectly reasonable and doesn't imply it's a smartphone. Just because all the big phone makers have sold us the idea that LTE and an OS you can play games on is absolutely essential doesn't mean this isn't a phone.
- em-bee 8y ago
  i meant the reference to a phone as in: WiPhone: A professionally-packaged Arduino wifi-phone or in the tag line WiPhone: An Open Source Wifi-Phone That's Really Yours the definition of a phone for me is a device that i can use make phone-calls 100% of the time and send sms messages. today that implies cell phone (GSM) support. it does not imply a smartphone, especially not a bleeding edge one, nor the ability to play games. (although games on the arduino are actually possible) btw: i have been traveling without a sim-card before (because i did not have roaming) and the success of finding wifi was more like 20% rather than 80%. rather frustrating.