13 ms·

Pine64 Smarphone Spare Parts

205 points by reddotX 6y ago

Drdrdrq 6y ago
I can't wait until it can be used as a primary phone!
- OJFord 6y ago
  I was really considering making it my primary/only phone and pre-ordering, thinking I can put up with issues since I barely need/use a phone really and it'd be fun to help where I could. But then I realised that most of my limited phone use is instant messaging/video chat with family etc. and it wouldn't have WhatsApp, Telegram __might__ work but most of my contacts use WhatsApp and wouldn't switch for me. So really I think I need to hear anecdotal reports of anbox working well on it, perhaps even for WhatsApp specifically before I bite the bullet. (I don't really want it as a toy/secondary phone, would just be a paperweight I think.) It is my 'dream phone' though really I suppose - Linux & hardware repairable. OS is cool, but honestly I'd be happy just to see more Linux and designed for repair phones. (Yes Apple phones are not the worst in that regard, but only because of sheer volume. Also, using multiple screw shapes, sizes, and lengths is pretty hostile/'authorised only' compared to Pine's single screw type.)
  - AsyncAwait 6y ago
    I use the PinePhone as my daily driver. Telegram Desktop actually works rather well, so does Matrix with Fractal, but I don't think WhatsApp can really work without an official blessing from FB.
    - OJFord 6y ago
      It should work in anbox though right? Just a matter of whether anbox runs smoothly? http://anbox.io/ http://anbox.io/ Good to hear re Telegram, thanks. Gah, I'm tempted again. I actually got as far as checkout before, but then tax and shipping was added last minute and it suddenly seemed not such a great idea on a whim, and to warrant more thought/reading reviews on which size RAM model to get. Maybe 2021 will be the year of (my) Linux phone.. :)
      - spijdar 6y ago
        I'm in the same boat with WhatsApp -- though I got a pinephone anyway, because an open, battery powered arm64 computer with USB-C and displayport out is awesome enough to justify it personally. A couple months ago I went through the hoops of getting anbox set up and working (which I confess involved a lot of mucking around with containers and package versions) and it was .. better than I expected? WhatsApp and several apps besides installed and opened up fine, and first impressions were that it was surprisingly smooth, given how positively ... anemic the Pine's SoC is. Not pleasant, but definitely usable. Unfortunately at the time, a bug in the software keyboard and wayland meant that all keyboard input was mangled, so I could never get as far as actually setting up whatsapp and actually testing it. I remember seeing a month or so ago that Purism apparently fixed the bug in their software keyboard, so now it should work? I've been out of the country though, and haven't tested it yet.
        db579 6y ago
        There's still some small keyboard issues left to fix I think but the main thing is I don't think notifications will be possible (especially if they rely on Google Play services). There is a WhatsApp app on KaiOS (the FirefoxOS successor) which I think must be a PWA so I wonder if that could be repurposed to run on the PinePhone.
        spijdar 6y ago
        Ahhh yeah, I hadn't considered that. Hmmm. The KaiOS app looks interesting. It seems like they just repurposed the regular web version of WhatsApp, based on its limitations (no voice/video calling). It's a shame they can't just use local storage and let you use that by itself in a browser (without an android/ios device), but, oh well.
        MayeulC 6y ago
        An involved solution can be to set a Matrix bridge up for most services, including WhatsApp. The downside are: 1. You have to host your Matrix server, so not everybody will be happy about it, or able to do so; 2. This relies on reverse-engineering the whatsApp web API, and is against WhatsApp TOS, you might get banned 3. You need another device with WhatsApp installed (an old android phone or a VM works fine). Personally, this is the main reason why I refuse to use any of these proprietary apps, and I make this clear to my friends. On the upside, if you go that route, you can go the extra mile and bridge facebook messenger, discord, telegram, and others to your Matrix account, and control everything on the go from a single app. I'm planning to work on push notifications for the Linux phone platform :)
    - alfiedotwtf 6y ago
      How's the battery life? To be honest, for a daily driver, this is my wish list: - At least 20 hours charge - Browser - Email client - MP3 over bluetooth - Phone audio - Camera (video and audio) - SMS - Some form of IM that others can use (Matrix client would be nice) - Tethering (via 4G) - Native (gui) apps (Firefox OS was ok, but native would have been good) Any issues with the above? Because that's really 99% of my daily usage.
      - tpxl 6y ago
        Here's my experience: > At least 20 hours charge I think I get about 3 days on complete standby (with no sim card) > Browser Has had a usable browser for at least half a year. > Phone audio Works > Camera Its supposed to work on Manjaro at least. > IM Someone posted Matrix and Telegram work in a sibling thread > Native apps Pretty much everything is native afaik, excluding PWA/electron/emulation Can't say about the rest, since I didn't really test it much with a SIM card :/ One thing I'll say though, it has(had?) problems with wakeup, ie. if it goes to sleep an alarm or timer wont wake it up.
        lukeschlather 6y ago
        > I think I get about 3 days on complete standby (with no sim card) I'm more interested in "realistic usage." Like you I haven't really tested it with a SIM card. Though just from a minute or two with the keyboard I found it impractical for carrying on a conversation over SMS so I don't think I could do a real test of the battery life anyway. The on-screen keyboard is not actually the main problem, the main problem is just that the thing is very laggy compared to my flagship. I hit the wrong button and then the entire UI locks up and it can take a minute just to get back to the screen I wanted to be on. vs. on my flagship I can jump to the browser, do a search, jump back to messenger, send a message, jump to maps, look at something, and everything happens with typical subsecond responsiveness.
        tpxl 6y ago
        This is my biggest gripe with it at the moment as well, it's horribly unresponsive. I think a UI specifically for mobile will have to be made before it's really useful :/
  - upofadown 6y ago
    There is some sort of Whatsapp transport for XMPP[1]. Dunno how well it works in practice. [1] https://git.theta.eu.org/eta/whatsxmpp https://git.theta.eu.org/eta/whatsxmpp
  - olah_1 6y ago
    For messaging, I think there will be a matrix client that works for it. And since bridge bots will soon be e2e encrypted, it should work nicely.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
noisy_boy 6y ago
This makes me hopeful that we would have access to more high end parts not too far in the future. To ditch my flagship spec phone , I need similar specs as replacement.
- OJFord 6y ago
  Do you play games on your phone? Otherwise I really don't understand why anyone needs faster and faster flagship phone every year or two. Sent from my 2014/15 (low-end, year or two old parts then) Wileyfox.
  - loxs 6y ago
    Modern JS frameworks and all the websites using them :)
  - noisy_boy 6y ago
    I'm the kind of guy who notices tiny UI lag (and I think I'm not unique in that). This kind of slowness in everyday usage tends to not bother a lot of people but it really grates on my nerves. I don't think anyone needs faster flagship phones every year or two (my current one has already been close to two years) but performance due to higher specs does translate to an overall smoother experience. Also, I think thats kind of the point of the pinephone - those who are happy with 3 year old specs can continue so and those who want to upgrade to, say, a higher-res screen or a better camera can do so without ditching the entire phone.
    - adimitrov 6y ago
      As they say, those who seek to combat traffic jams by building more roads, would also attempt to lose weight by undoing their belts. It's not different with phones. Your 2 year old flagship phone does not have a laggy UI because it's slow. It's because people code for today's phone. And as long as enough people keep buying new phones, the software market will not optimize apps, since it's cheaper not to. And as long as software needs ever more resources, people will continue to buy new phones. It's recursive. But it's not pure: the side effects are resource depletion, electronic waste, labour exploitation, increasing energy demand. We won't escape this vicious cycle by perpetuating that very behaviour. And so maybe we can all do something about it, however little. Maybe by accepting a tiny bit of UI lag here and there.
howerj 6y ago
I wonder if it would be faster for me to assemble a phone from spare parts instead of waiting for my delivery!
- yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
  Last time I looked, there was a note on the mainboard that they would only sell it to you if you already owned the phone.
alfiedotwtf 6y ago
My contract ran out last month, and I'm biding my time for a new phone... I really want the Pine64 to be my daily driver. Hopefully soon! God Speed Pine64!
pablo1 6y ago
Does anyone have first-hand experience with the pinephone as daily driver? I'm thinking about getting it, but I'm worried I wont be able to do my usual stuff, including using things like Signal or WhatsApp. Would be very interesting to hear some practital experiences!
- kop316 6y ago
  I have it and I like it (Convergence edition on Mobian). My issue is MMS has been non-functional, and because of that, I can't use it as a daily driver. Mobian has Anbox functional (though it is still experimental), so you can install apps on that. WhatsApp and Signal with without play services so that shouldn't be an issue.
  - BuildTheRobots 6y ago
    Slightly off topic, but I'm curious why the lack of MMS is a show-stopper for you. Personally I've always found it to be a waste of time and money; there's better and cheaper ways of transferring both text and images (especially images due to the compression). Obviously you do have a use-case; please don't think I'm trying to say it's invalid, I just honestly don't understand what it would be and would really like to be enlightened.
    - 0_____0 6y ago
      No MMS means you can't do group texts at all unless everyone you're messaging has decided to use a different app. Certainly a show-stopper for myself.
      - igetspam 6y ago
        Because I'm a grump, I stuck with google voice for years specifically because it didn't support MMS. It cut down on a lot of spam from my family. I did manage to push people to email for group conversations. SMS/MMS are interrupts where email has a some what built in understanding that replies will not be immediate.
    - 6y ago
megous 6y ago
Also schematics and component placement map is available, so you can do some fixes/mods at home by yourself if you're so inclined. Several such mods were already done by people. Disassembly is fairly easy, and it can be faster than using a third party service if you already have a few necessary tools. (screwdriver, hands, maybe soldering iron, tweezers, that's about it?)
sylvain_kerkour 6y ago
Thank you Pine64 for this! Reparable electronic devices are one of the few levers that can have a huge impact to create a sustainable future. Obviously it will require to rethink our economies, like reducing the taxes on labor to enable small repair shops to bloom everywhere. Linux + a reparable device is the only way to stop e-waste!
- CivBase 6y ago
  How does Linux stop e-waste?
  - sylvain_kerkour 6y ago
    Lifelong updates (unlike Android or iOS) + ability to run the latest distributions on 10+ years old devices.
  - marcodiego 6y ago
    By being the most popular FLOSS OS kernel available, you can be confident that it will be supported for a long time on a multitude of devices independently of manufacturer, provider or vendor. Mainly freedom from planned or non-intentional obsolescence.
  - redvenom 6y ago
    I have an old Macbook Pro 2011. It stopped receiving updates from Apple. I actually did try installing the patched Catalina...but it is practically unusable due to system requirements. Installed Linux Mint 18 XFCE a while ago and recently upgraded to 20. Now it runs really well: I can watch YouTube, run VS Code, compile stuff, do some basic statistical analyses, etc. If it weren't for Linux, this machine would end up as waste and I would have to buy something new.
    - TaylorAlexander 6y ago
      I have a 2011 MBP too (mid year refresh). How was the install? I have already installed Linux on it but it required some tricky GRUB editing to get graphics working at all, and now I’m afraid to update it due to the trouble that was. Did you have to do any of that? Im curious if support has improved. Thanks!
emrehan 6y ago
iPhone 12 models could only be serviced by Apple. A youtuber bought 2 iPhones and swapped their main boards to have a plethora of issues with the screen, battery and cameras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY7DtKMBxBw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY7DtKMBxBw I’m never going to buy another Apple product. The first blow was being unable to install linux to “my” devices.
- meowster 6y ago
  Apple is no longer the woman with the sledgehammer in their 1984 comercial. Before the iPhone 4, I liked Apple. Once they blamed users for holding their phones wrong, my opinion of the company stated to change. Apple being very anti- Right To Repair, should be a huge wake-up call for everyone. I don't understand how someone who knows Apple is doing that, can support the company.
- __d 6y ago
  Two points: Firstly, I think it's now pretty clear that Apple (and others) provide products that have numerous restrictions after their purchase. You don't own the device in a completely divorced context, but instead you have an ongoing, unavoidable relationship with the vendor, and that includes a forced lifetime after which the device becomes unusable (for reasons other than actual hardware failure). This is not unique to Apple, although arguably they've moved to this model faster and further than others. Secondly, there are reasons for this, and they're not solely about making more money out of you. For many (I think actually most) people, it's an acceptable trade-off. They get a good product experience, at least in part because of this ongoing relationship. For some people, that trade-off doesn't work. These people should not buy an iPhone, nor a Macbook, Apple Watch, or indeed many modern electronic products from many manufacturers. I think it's worth explaining this trade-off: in concept, and in specific detail for popular products, so that non-technical people can make informed choices. But both approaches are valid.
systemvoltage 6y ago
I have a very unpopular view about modern cellphones: I think they need to be completely closed and handled by a company such as Apple/Google. They know what it takes to keep it secure. I've got my entire life on a device with sensors, camera, mic and it knows my health. It is fun to DIY a phone and be able to fix it, but Apple has put security down to the processor level (secure enclave) and they have a team of security engineers who's budget would dwarf the entire Pine64 team. Pine64 (or such device) sounds amazing to hack on, but I would not put any of my personal information on it. People just don't realize how you can make the same argument about a computer, but a phone is a lot more than that. Does your desktop know where you're located and how fast you're going? Does your laptop know the gait of how you walk? I am a hacker, a linux aficionado and I love open-hardware projects. I love the community and the people. Just that I don't want my phone to be such a thing.
- thatcat 6y ago
  That's actually a very popular view in the general population. All those features you list as risky have hardware switches on pine phone. Do you actually think iOS and android are so secure that you'd never need to restrict any access to your data with a hardware switch? What about when your data inevitably gets sold by those companies? Is it still secure then? That said using pine phone is a huge hassle and linux is poor choice for daily phone for UX reasons not security.
  - UnbugMe 6y ago
    >linux is poor choice for daily phone for UX reasons not security Linux is a kernel.
    - fuzxi 6y ago
      Have you ever seen a kernel with a good UX? ;)
  - vinay427 6y ago
    This is a security vs. privacy distinction. I think you both are responding to different things. Look at something like GrapheneOS for a decent glance into the value of security efforts by Google and the open-source community. Unfortunately, most of these don't exist on something like the PinePhone (yet, and perhaps never due to hardware limitations).
Plestor 6y ago
Did ANYONE notice the heading was labelled "SmarPhone"?? (60 comments and no one seemed to notice)
waheoo 6y ago
Can you build a phone with all these parts?
boudin 6y ago
That's great to see this. Another phone that is easy to repair and provide spare parts is the fairphone. I find their journey towards building an ethical phone interesting too. I'm not sure they sell in the us though... https://www.fairphone.com/en/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/
notanotherycom1 6y ago
Would I be able to build a phone by putting this all together? I think I rather buy it. Even building my desktop computer with little fragile parts I kept thinking I'd break it.
Plestor 6y ago
So, I point out that the title has the word "Smarphone", and I get flagged... interesting site you have here.
- I-Robot 6y ago
  Yeah, well, go figure...
Plestor 6y ago
I don't get this: I mention that the title has the word Smarphone, and get flagged 3 times for this.. Is this site just completely full of narcissists?? (answer: of course...)
Plestor 6y ago
How many "points" do I get if I put down a meaningful comment here? Answer: none, because nobody cares...
Plestor 6y ago
Wow, I can mention anything I want here: PGP, IrD2, CompList, TONS of stuff... And then get flagged. POW
Plestor 6y ago
Pine64 has GREAT reviews! Just check this out: www.pinereviews.com Love this stuff!

205 points by reddotX 6y ago

Drdrdrq 6y ago

I can't wait until it can be used as a primary phone!

OJFord 6y ago
I was really considering making it my primary/only phone and pre-ordering, thinking I can put up with issues since I barely need/use a phone really and it'd be fun to help where I could. But then I realised that most of my limited phone use is instant messaging/video chat with family etc. and it wouldn't have WhatsApp, Telegram __might__ work but most of my contacts use WhatsApp and wouldn't switch for me. So really I think I need to hear anecdotal reports of anbox working well on it, perhaps even for WhatsApp specifically before I bite the bullet. (I don't really want it as a toy/secondary phone, would just be a paperweight I think.) It is my 'dream phone' though really I suppose - Linux & hardware repairable. OS is cool, but honestly I'd be happy just to see more Linux and designed for repair phones. (Yes Apple phones are not the worst in that regard, but only because of sheer volume. Also, using multiple screw shapes, sizes, and lengths is pretty hostile/'authorised only' compared to Pine's single screw type.)
- AsyncAwait 6y ago
  I use the PinePhone as my daily driver. Telegram Desktop actually works rather well, so does Matrix with Fractal, but I don't think WhatsApp can really work without an official blessing from FB.
  - OJFord 6y ago
    It should work in anbox though right? Just a matter of whether anbox runs smoothly? http://anbox.io/ http://anbox.io/ Good to hear re Telegram, thanks. Gah, I'm tempted again. I actually got as far as checkout before, but then tax and shipping was added last minute and it suddenly seemed not such a great idea on a whim, and to warrant more thought/reading reviews on which size RAM model to get. Maybe 2021 will be the year of (my) Linux phone.. :)
    - spijdar 6y ago
      I'm in the same boat with WhatsApp -- though I got a pinephone anyway, because an open, battery powered arm64 computer with USB-C and displayport out is awesome enough to justify it personally. A couple months ago I went through the hoops of getting anbox set up and working (which I confess involved a lot of mucking around with containers and package versions) and it was .. better than I expected? WhatsApp and several apps besides installed and opened up fine, and first impressions were that it was surprisingly smooth, given how positively ... anemic the Pine's SoC is. Not pleasant, but definitely usable. Unfortunately at the time, a bug in the software keyboard and wayland meant that all keyboard input was mangled, so I could never get as far as actually setting up whatsapp and actually testing it. I remember seeing a month or so ago that Purism apparently fixed the bug in their software keyboard, so now it should work? I've been out of the country though, and haven't tested it yet.
      - db579 6y ago
        There's still some small keyboard issues left to fix I think but the main thing is I don't think notifications will be possible (especially if they rely on Google Play services). There is a WhatsApp app on KaiOS (the FirefoxOS successor) which I think must be a PWA so I wonder if that could be repurposed to run on the PinePhone.
        spijdar 6y ago
        Ahhh yeah, I hadn't considered that. Hmmm. The KaiOS app looks interesting. It seems like they just repurposed the regular web version of WhatsApp, based on its limitations (no voice/video calling). It's a shame they can't just use local storage and let you use that by itself in a browser (without an android/ios device), but, oh well.
        MayeulC 6y ago
        An involved solution can be to set a Matrix bridge up for most services, including WhatsApp. The downside are: 1. You have to host your Matrix server, so not everybody will be happy about it, or able to do so; 2. This relies on reverse-engineering the whatsApp web API, and is against WhatsApp TOS, you might get banned 3. You need another device with WhatsApp installed (an old android phone or a VM works fine). Personally, this is the main reason why I refuse to use any of these proprietary apps, and I make this clear to my friends. On the upside, if you go that route, you can go the extra mile and bridge facebook messenger, discord, telegram, and others to your Matrix account, and control everything on the go from a single app. I'm planning to work on push notifications for the Linux phone platform :)
  - alfiedotwtf 6y ago
    How's the battery life? To be honest, for a daily driver, this is my wish list: - At least 20 hours charge - Browser - Email client - MP3 over bluetooth - Phone audio - Camera (video and audio) - SMS - Some form of IM that others can use (Matrix client would be nice) - Tethering (via 4G) - Native (gui) apps (Firefox OS was ok, but native would have been good) Any issues with the above? Because that's really 99% of my daily usage.
    - tpxl 6y ago
      Here's my experience: > At least 20 hours charge I think I get about 3 days on complete standby (with no sim card) > Browser Has had a usable browser for at least half a year. > Phone audio Works > Camera Its supposed to work on Manjaro at least. > IM Someone posted Matrix and Telegram work in a sibling thread > Native apps Pretty much everything is native afaik, excluding PWA/electron/emulation Can't say about the rest, since I didn't really test it much with a SIM card :/ One thing I'll say though, it has(had?) problems with wakeup, ie. if it goes to sleep an alarm or timer wont wake it up.
      - lukeschlather 6y ago
        > I think I get about 3 days on complete standby (with no sim card) I'm more interested in "realistic usage." Like you I haven't really tested it with a SIM card. Though just from a minute or two with the keyboard I found it impractical for carrying on a conversation over SMS so I don't think I could do a real test of the battery life anyway. The on-screen keyboard is not actually the main problem, the main problem is just that the thing is very laggy compared to my flagship. I hit the wrong button and then the entire UI locks up and it can take a minute just to get back to the screen I wanted to be on. vs. on my flagship I can jump to the browser, do a search, jump back to messenger, send a message, jump to maps, look at something, and everything happens with typical subsecond responsiveness.
        tpxl 6y ago
        This is my biggest gripe with it at the moment as well, it's horribly unresponsive. I think a UI specifically for mobile will have to be made before it's really useful :/
- upofadown 6y ago
  There is some sort of Whatsapp transport for XMPP[1]. Dunno how well it works in practice. [1] https://git.theta.eu.org/eta/whatsxmpp https://git.theta.eu.org/eta/whatsxmpp
- olah_1 6y ago
  For messaging, I think there will be a matrix client that works for it. And since bridge bots will soon be e2e encrypted, it should work nicely.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

noisy_boy 6y ago

This makes me hopeful that we would have access to more high end parts not too far in the future. To ditch my flagship spec phone , I need similar specs as replacement.

OJFord 6y ago
Do you play games on your phone? Otherwise I really don't understand why anyone needs faster and faster flagship phone every year or two. Sent from my 2014/15 (low-end, year or two old parts then) Wileyfox.
- loxs 6y ago
  Modern JS frameworks and all the websites using them :)
- noisy_boy 6y ago
  I'm the kind of guy who notices tiny UI lag (and I think I'm not unique in that). This kind of slowness in everyday usage tends to not bother a lot of people but it really grates on my nerves. I don't think anyone needs faster flagship phones every year or two (my current one has already been close to two years) but performance due to higher specs does translate to an overall smoother experience. Also, I think thats kind of the point of the pinephone - those who are happy with 3 year old specs can continue so and those who want to upgrade to, say, a higher-res screen or a better camera can do so without ditching the entire phone.
  - adimitrov 6y ago
    As they say, those who seek to combat traffic jams by building more roads, would also attempt to lose weight by undoing their belts. It's not different with phones. Your 2 year old flagship phone does not have a laggy UI because it's slow. It's because people code for today's phone. And as long as enough people keep buying new phones, the software market will not optimize apps, since it's cheaper not to. And as long as software needs ever more resources, people will continue to buy new phones. It's recursive. But it's not pure: the side effects are resource depletion, electronic waste, labour exploitation, increasing energy demand. We won't escape this vicious cycle by perpetuating that very behaviour. And so maybe we can all do something about it, however little. Maybe by accepting a tiny bit of UI lag here and there.

howerj 6y ago

I wonder if it would be faster for me to assemble a phone from spare parts instead of waiting for my delivery!

yjftsjthsd-h 6y ago
Last time I looked, there was a note on the mainboard that they would only sell it to you if you already owned the phone.

alfiedotwtf 6y ago

My contract ran out last month, and I'm biding my time for a new phone... I really want the Pine64 to be my daily driver. Hopefully soon! God Speed Pine64!

pablo1 6y ago

Does anyone have first-hand experience with the pinephone as daily driver? I'm thinking about getting it, but I'm worried I wont be able to do my usual stuff, including using things like Signal or WhatsApp. Would be very interesting to hear some practital experiences!

kop316 6y ago
I have it and I like it (Convergence edition on Mobian). My issue is MMS has been non-functional, and because of that, I can't use it as a daily driver. Mobian has Anbox functional (though it is still experimental), so you can install apps on that. WhatsApp and Signal with without play services so that shouldn't be an issue.
- BuildTheRobots 6y ago
  Slightly off topic, but I'm curious why the lack of MMS is a show-stopper for you. Personally I've always found it to be a waste of time and money; there's better and cheaper ways of transferring both text and images (especially images due to the compression). Obviously you do have a use-case; please don't think I'm trying to say it's invalid, I just honestly don't understand what it would be and would really like to be enlightened.
  - 0_____0 6y ago
    No MMS means you can't do group texts at all unless everyone you're messaging has decided to use a different app. Certainly a show-stopper for myself.
    - igetspam 6y ago
      Because I'm a grump, I stuck with google voice for years specifically because it didn't support MMS. It cut down on a lot of spam from my family. I did manage to push people to email for group conversations. SMS/MMS are interrupts where email has a some what built in understanding that replies will not be immediate.
  - 6y ago

megous 6y ago

Also schematics and component placement map is available, so you can do some fixes/mods at home by yourself if you're so inclined. Several such mods were already done by people. Disassembly is fairly easy, and it can be faster than using a third party service if you already have a few necessary tools. (screwdriver, hands, maybe soldering iron, tweezers, that's about it?)

sylvain_kerkour 6y ago

Thank you Pine64 for this! Reparable electronic devices are one of the few levers that can have a huge impact to create a sustainable future. Obviously it will require to rethink our economies, like reducing the taxes on labor to enable small repair shops to bloom everywhere. Linux + a reparable device is the only way to stop e-waste!

CivBase 6y ago
How does Linux stop e-waste?
- sylvain_kerkour 6y ago
  Lifelong updates (unlike Android or iOS) + ability to run the latest distributions on 10+ years old devices.
- marcodiego 6y ago
  By being the most popular FLOSS OS kernel available, you can be confident that it will be supported for a long time on a multitude of devices independently of manufacturer, provider or vendor. Mainly freedom from planned or non-intentional obsolescence.
- redvenom 6y ago
  I have an old Macbook Pro 2011. It stopped receiving updates from Apple. I actually did try installing the patched Catalina...but it is practically unusable due to system requirements. Installed Linux Mint 18 XFCE a while ago and recently upgraded to 20. Now it runs really well: I can watch YouTube, run VS Code, compile stuff, do some basic statistical analyses, etc. If it weren't for Linux, this machine would end up as waste and I would have to buy something new.
  - TaylorAlexander 6y ago
    I have a 2011 MBP too (mid year refresh). How was the install? I have already installed Linux on it but it required some tricky GRUB editing to get graphics working at all, and now I’m afraid to update it due to the trouble that was. Did you have to do any of that? Im curious if support has improved. Thanks!

emrehan 6y ago

iPhone 12 models could only be serviced by Apple. A youtuber bought 2 iPhones and swapped their main boards to have a plethora of issues with the screen, battery and cameras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY7DtKMBxBw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY7DtKMBxBw I’m never going to buy another Apple product. The first blow was being unable to install linux to “my” devices.

meowster 6y ago
Apple is no longer the woman with the sledgehammer in their 1984 comercial. Before the iPhone 4, I liked Apple. Once they blamed users for holding their phones wrong, my opinion of the company stated to change. Apple being very anti- Right To Repair, should be a huge wake-up call for everyone. I don't understand how someone who knows Apple is doing that, can support the company.
__d 6y ago
Two points: Firstly, I think it's now pretty clear that Apple (and others) provide products that have numerous restrictions after their purchase. You don't own the device in a completely divorced context, but instead you have an ongoing, unavoidable relationship with the vendor, and that includes a forced lifetime after which the device becomes unusable (for reasons other than actual hardware failure). This is not unique to Apple, although arguably they've moved to this model faster and further than others. Secondly, there are reasons for this, and they're not solely about making more money out of you. For many (I think actually most) people, it's an acceptable trade-off. They get a good product experience, at least in part because of this ongoing relationship. For some people, that trade-off doesn't work. These people should not buy an iPhone, nor a Macbook, Apple Watch, or indeed many modern electronic products from many manufacturers. I think it's worth explaining this trade-off: in concept, and in specific detail for popular products, so that non-technical people can make informed choices. But both approaches are valid.

systemvoltage 6y ago

I have a very unpopular view about modern cellphones: I think they need to be completely closed and handled by a company such as Apple/Google. They know what it takes to keep it secure. I've got my entire life on a device with sensors, camera, mic and it knows my health. It is fun to DIY a phone and be able to fix it, but Apple has put security down to the processor level (secure enclave) and they have a team of security engineers who's budget would dwarf the entire Pine64 team. Pine64 (or such device) sounds amazing to hack on, but I would not put any of my personal information on it. People just don't realize how you can make the same argument about a computer, but a phone is a lot more than that. Does your desktop know where you're located and how fast you're going? Does your laptop know the gait of how you walk? I am a hacker, a linux aficionado and I love open-hardware projects. I love the community and the people. Just that I don't want my phone to be such a thing.

thatcat 6y ago
That's actually a very popular view in the general population. All those features you list as risky have hardware switches on pine phone. Do you actually think iOS and android are so secure that you'd never need to restrict any access to your data with a hardware switch? What about when your data inevitably gets sold by those companies? Is it still secure then? That said using pine phone is a huge hassle and linux is poor choice for daily phone for UX reasons not security.
- UnbugMe 6y ago
  >linux is poor choice for daily phone for UX reasons not security Linux is a kernel.
  - fuzxi 6y ago
    Have you ever seen a kernel with a good UX? ;)
- vinay427 6y ago
  This is a security vs. privacy distinction. I think you both are responding to different things. Look at something like GrapheneOS for a decent glance into the value of security efforts by Google and the open-source community. Unfortunately, most of these don't exist on something like the PinePhone (yet, and perhaps never due to hardware limitations).

Plestor 6y ago

Did ANYONE notice the heading was labelled "SmarPhone"?? (60 comments and no one seemed to notice)

waheoo 6y ago

Can you build a phone with all these parts?

boudin 6y ago

That's great to see this. Another phone that is easy to repair and provide spare parts is the fairphone. I find their journey towards building an ethical phone interesting too. I'm not sure they sell in the us though... https://www.fairphone.com/en/ https://www.fairphone.com/en/

notanotherycom1 6y ago

Would I be able to build a phone by putting this all together? I think I rather buy it. Even building my desktop computer with little fragile parts I kept thinking I'd break it.

Plestor 6y ago

So, I point out that the title has the word "Smarphone", and I get flagged... interesting site you have here.

I-Robot 6y ago
Yeah, well, go figure...

Plestor 6y ago

I don't get this: I mention that the title has the word Smarphone, and get flagged 3 times for this.. Is this site just completely full of narcissists?? (answer: of course...)

Plestor 6y ago

How many "points" do I get if I put down a meaningful comment here? Answer: none, because nobody cares...

Plestor 6y ago

Wow, I can mention anything I want here: PGP, IrD2, CompList, TONS of stuff... And then get flagged. POW

Plestor 6y ago

Pine64 has GREAT reviews! Just check this out: www.pinereviews.com Love this stuff!