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While I don't expect any Linux phone to become "mainstream" any time soon, it would be good if we had at least one "polished" alternative available. PinePhone

While I don't expect any Linux phone to become "mainstream" any time soon, it would be good if we had at least one "polished" alternative available. PinePhone is still in beta and according to its own creators "aimed solely at early adopters"[1], while Librem 5 is experiencing supply chain issues with backorder shipping now scheduled to resume in October[2] There is a version of the Librem 5 which is made in USA and it's in stock and shipping now, but unfortunately outside of my budget[3]. I was also considering getting something like Fairphone and installing an alternative OS but looking at compatibility charts there are some things that may not work with one OS or another. So, right now I can't have a daily driver that is not iOS or Android, I will hold onto my very old smartphone and hope that things will change in the next year or so. I'm working from home for the foreseeable future so I can wait a bit. [1] https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-beta-edition-linux-smartphone/ https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-beta-edition-linux-smar... [2] https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/ https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/ [3] https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5-usa/ https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5-usa/

aikah 5y ago
Problem will always be the hardware. Until we get some 80's IBM style architecture on mobile, there is no viable Linux for smartphone. I have 4 phones. None of them support lineage os.
- busymom0 5y ago
  I recently saw a review of the "Volla Phone" which is running Ubuntu Touch. Seemed much better than the Pinephone but still has issues: https://youtu.be/neG2Z21epLI https://youtu.be/neG2Z21epLI
  - fsflover 5y ago
    > Seemed much better than the Pinephone Just curious, how is it better than the Pinephone?
    - busymom0 5y ago
      I am mostly going by what I saw in the review. I saw the review of pinephone on Linus’ channel where it seemed very slow. The review of volla phone seemed much better. Maybe I am wrong though as I haven’t owned either.
      - fsflover 5y ago
        Pinephone is only slow if the software is not optimized. It's true for most OSes, but have a look at this: https://sr.ht/~mil/Sxmo/ https://sr.ht/~mil/Sxmo/.
- fsflover 5y ago
  > Until we get some 80's IBM style architecture on mobile, there is no viable Linux for smartphone. Not sure what you mean. Pinephone and Librem 5 both have very well documented hardware with first-class support of desktop (!) Linux.
dijit 5y ago
There was one but people wouldn't "put their money where their mouth is". The Jolla phone was made by ex-MeeGo/Maemo devs from Nokia, but nobody bought them. Now they're focusing on just the OS and they don't make any full fledged devices: https://jolla.com/ https://jolla.com/
- mastazi 5y ago
  Yes, I knew about them, they're not the only open source phone that died out unfortunately. Hopefully things will change now that privacy has become something even the "average Joe" worries about.

aikah 5y ago

Problem will always be the hardware. Until we get some 80's IBM style architecture on mobile, there is no viable Linux for smartphone. I have 4 phones. None of them support lineage os.

busymom0 5y ago
I recently saw a review of the "Volla Phone" which is running Ubuntu Touch. Seemed much better than the Pinephone but still has issues: https://youtu.be/neG2Z21epLI https://youtu.be/neG2Z21epLI
- fsflover 5y ago
  > Seemed much better than the Pinephone Just curious, how is it better than the Pinephone?
  - busymom0 5y ago
    I am mostly going by what I saw in the review. I saw the review of pinephone on Linus’ channel where it seemed very slow. The review of volla phone seemed much better. Maybe I am wrong though as I haven’t owned either.
    - fsflover 5y ago
      Pinephone is only slow if the software is not optimized. It's true for most OSes, but have a look at this: https://sr.ht/~mil/Sxmo/ https://sr.ht/~mil/Sxmo/.
fsflover 5y ago
> Until we get some 80's IBM style architecture on mobile, there is no viable Linux for smartphone. Not sure what you mean. Pinephone and Librem 5 both have very well documented hardware with first-class support of desktop (!) Linux.

dijit 5y ago

There was one but people wouldn't "put their money where their mouth is". The Jolla phone was made by ex-MeeGo/Maemo devs from Nokia, but nobody bought them. Now they're focusing on just the OS and they don't make any full fledged devices: https://jolla.com/ https://jolla.com/

mastazi 5y ago
Yes, I knew about them, they're not the only open source phone that died out unfortunately. Hopefully things will change now that privacy has become something even the "average Joe" worries about.