5 ms·

Here's what I don't get: why can't we have a modern one? It doesn't need to blow flagship smartphones out of the water. It doesn't even need to have a GSM baseb

by gspr 10mo ago

Here's what I don't get: why can't we have a modern one? It doesn't need to blow flagship smartphones out of the water. It doesn't even need to have a GSM baseband – I'd rather just connect through my "normal" smartphone than deal with all the complications of having a whole extra computer in there. Surely this is getting close to realizable by hobbyists or a niche company?

imp0cat 10mo ago
Have you seen the Jolla preorder? It was on hn a few days ago. That is the spiritual successor of the N9XX line. https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-phone-preorder https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-phone-preorder
- tincholio 10mo ago
  It's excciting, but I saw a review of a pre-release c2 on youtube [0] the other day, and it seemed extremely slow in the interactions. Otherwise, it seems like a cool device. [0] https://youtu.be/5titW5dclwg https://youtu.be/5titW5dclwg
  - linmob 10mo ago
    The C2 is a different device than the new one linked above, which was way more affordable (~250 Euro) with a 4G Unisoc SoC.
- mrmlz 10mo ago
  I loved my N9. But i'm somewhat hesitant on preordering that one. I need wireless charging.. And i still dont really get if Android-apps actually work or not, i.e. swedish Bank-Id/Swish etc.
  - gspr 10mo ago
    I'd actually prefer one running a normal Linux. It's a travesty that certain things in daily life require Android or iOS, and that's a fight I'll keep fighting, but the idea of a tiny Linux laptop in my pocket is just so tempting.
    - mrmlz 10mo ago
      Sure i can join you on the barricade, but i still want to function in a society :(
      - gspr 10mo ago
        Sure. And for that I plan to keep a sterile second phone with the stuff that requires that.
  - carlosjobim 10mo ago
    You can have another device for your banking.
    - imp0cat 10mo ago
      I think this is the way. The Jolla device does have some Android compatibility layers, but I am sure banking apps will not like that.
  - best_answer 10mo ago
    Here you can see Sailfish OS banking app compatibility: https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/banking-apps-on-sailfish-os/18438 https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/banking-apps-on-sailfish-os/1...
- gspr 10mo ago
  Promising! Thanks!
- henearkr 10mo ago
  I don't see any keyboard or stylus in that Jolla. For me that is not even in the same league than the N900.
  - mpol 10mo ago
    There is the Gemini PDA from 2018 which has a physical keyboard. I heard it was mostly a disappointment. There was another phone with keyboard around the same time, but I forgot the name. That was claimed to be very much in the spirit of the N950 and its cancelled follow-up, the Nokia Lauta. All with Sailfish, the spiritual successor of Meamo/Meego from Nokia.
    - Fnoord 10mo ago
      Mostly a disappointment? The keyboard is fantastic. I can tell because I have a Cosmo Communicator (successor with 4G) and Astro Slide (successor with slide mechanic and 5G). The keyboard of these is great, but... they got barely no support, and the company who build these is like AWOL. Either way, like the GPD Pocket series, the keyboard is larger compared to the Nokia N900 (3G) and Nokia N810 (WLAN only) > There was another phone with keyboard around the same time, but I forgot the name. That was claimed to be very much in the spirit of the N950 and its cancelled follow-up, the Nokia Lauta. Probably F(x)tec and their successors. Those have a similar small keyboard as Nokia N900 and Nokia N810 There's also the Hackberry. This device uses a real Blackberry keyboard, with custom firmware. It works together with a 3D printed case, and a RPi CM5. This keyboard, while small, is very ergonomic.
- girvo 10mo ago
  I haven't, and I don't need one, but I'm going to buy one anyway (though its likely not allowed on Australia networks sigh)
Nextgrid 10mo ago
This is absolutely doable by a niche company. The problem is that you need to run this as a business. What plagues every free/open/libre project is that they're not run as a business; so they get distracted in all different directions trying to cater to ideals about free/libre licensing and so on, and end up missing the big picture. You need to operate this as a business first, with the freedom part being a nice bonus. Nobody cares how free your thing is if it's dead on arrival and gets beaten by an entry-level smartphone. Make a competitive product. Nowadays that could very well just mean Android with manufacturer-sanctioned root access and preinstalled terminal & X/wayland server for those who want to run desktop apps. The Jolla phone someone linked below actually looks like a decent product. The Android app support means it's actually usable in the modern world, and the specs look competitive.
- gspr 10mo ago
  Maybe you're right. But at the same time I feel (based on nothing) that even the performance of an entry-level Android phone, coupled with libre hardware and software, and a tiny little keyboard like the N900's, running an ordinary Linux distro, actually would find a market. A small market made up of us weirdos who find this HN thread interesting. But then again, experience shows I'm wrong.
  - Nextgrid 10mo ago
    A bit on the larger size, but this already exists: https://www.gpd.hk/gpdpocket https://www.gpd.hk/gpdpocket
    - LtWorf 10mo ago
      A small laptop which needs wifi? And?
    - Fnoord 10mo ago
      I recommend against GPD, since they're from Hong Kong / China and their warranty is terrible. If you do decide to buy one, the hardware (of the Pocket 2 at least) is OK. Easy to open and such. You can even buy replacement battery. Buy one from Amazon in EU if you can, they have to provide 2 years warranty, at least.
amelius 10mo ago
Because banking apps will not want to run on it, basically.
- tim333 10mo ago
  I'm not sure that has to be a deal breaker. I'd be happy to have the banking apps on an old iphone I left at home.
mbirth 10mo ago
Planet Computers Gemini? Or their Cosmo Communicator? (To be fair they’re more Psion 5-sized.) Or do you remember the Beepberry/Beeper? OTOH, your phone is more than capable, so maybe a small bluetooth keyboard is all you really need. There are apps like iSH on iOS or Termux on Android that give you a Linux shell.

by gspr 10mo ago

imp0cat 10mo ago

Have you seen the Jolla preorder? It was on hn a few days ago. That is the spiritual successor of the N9XX line. https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-phone-preorder https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-phone-preorder

tincholio 10mo ago
It's excciting, but I saw a review of a pre-release c2 on youtube [0] the other day, and it seemed extremely slow in the interactions. Otherwise, it seems like a cool device. [0] https://youtu.be/5titW5dclwg https://youtu.be/5titW5dclwg
- linmob 10mo ago
  The C2 is a different device than the new one linked above, which was way more affordable (~250 Euro) with a 4G Unisoc SoC.
mrmlz 10mo ago
I loved my N9. But i'm somewhat hesitant on preordering that one. I need wireless charging.. And i still dont really get if Android-apps actually work or not, i.e. swedish Bank-Id/Swish etc.
- gspr 10mo ago
  I'd actually prefer one running a normal Linux. It's a travesty that certain things in daily life require Android or iOS, and that's a fight I'll keep fighting, but the idea of a tiny Linux laptop in my pocket is just so tempting.
  - mrmlz 10mo ago
    Sure i can join you on the barricade, but i still want to function in a society :(
    - gspr 10mo ago
      Sure. And for that I plan to keep a sterile second phone with the stuff that requires that.
- carlosjobim 10mo ago
  You can have another device for your banking.
  - imp0cat 10mo ago
    I think this is the way. The Jolla device does have some Android compatibility layers, but I am sure banking apps will not like that.
- best_answer 10mo ago
  Here you can see Sailfish OS banking app compatibility: https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/banking-apps-on-sailfish-os/18438 https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/banking-apps-on-sailfish-os/1...
gspr 10mo ago
Promising! Thanks!
henearkr 10mo ago
I don't see any keyboard or stylus in that Jolla. For me that is not even in the same league than the N900.
- mpol 10mo ago
  There is the Gemini PDA from 2018 which has a physical keyboard. I heard it was mostly a disappointment. There was another phone with keyboard around the same time, but I forgot the name. That was claimed to be very much in the spirit of the N950 and its cancelled follow-up, the Nokia Lauta. All with Sailfish, the spiritual successor of Meamo/Meego from Nokia.
  - Fnoord 10mo ago
    Mostly a disappointment? The keyboard is fantastic. I can tell because I have a Cosmo Communicator (successor with 4G) and Astro Slide (successor with slide mechanic and 5G). The keyboard of these is great, but... they got barely no support, and the company who build these is like AWOL. Either way, like the GPD Pocket series, the keyboard is larger compared to the Nokia N900 (3G) and Nokia N810 (WLAN only) > There was another phone with keyboard around the same time, but I forgot the name. That was claimed to be very much in the spirit of the N950 and its cancelled follow-up, the Nokia Lauta. Probably F(x)tec and their successors. Those have a similar small keyboard as Nokia N900 and Nokia N810 There's also the Hackberry. This device uses a real Blackberry keyboard, with custom firmware. It works together with a 3D printed case, and a RPi CM5. This keyboard, while small, is very ergonomic.
girvo 10mo ago
I haven't, and I don't need one, but I'm going to buy one anyway (though its likely not allowed on Australia networks sigh)

Nextgrid 10mo ago

This is absolutely doable by a niche company. The problem is that you need to run this as a business. What plagues every free/open/libre project is that they're not run as a business; so they get distracted in all different directions trying to cater to ideals about free/libre licensing and so on, and end up missing the big picture. You need to operate this as a business first, with the freedom part being a nice bonus. Nobody cares how free your thing is if it's dead on arrival and gets beaten by an entry-level smartphone. Make a competitive product. Nowadays that could very well just mean Android with manufacturer-sanctioned root access and preinstalled terminal & X/wayland server for those who want to run desktop apps. The Jolla phone someone linked below actually looks like a decent product. The Android app support means it's actually usable in the modern world, and the specs look competitive.

gspr 10mo ago
Maybe you're right. But at the same time I feel (based on nothing) that even the performance of an entry-level Android phone, coupled with libre hardware and software, and a tiny little keyboard like the N900's, running an ordinary Linux distro, actually would find a market. A small market made up of us weirdos who find this HN thread interesting. But then again, experience shows I'm wrong.
- Nextgrid 10mo ago
  A bit on the larger size, but this already exists: https://www.gpd.hk/gpdpocket https://www.gpd.hk/gpdpocket
  - LtWorf 10mo ago
    A small laptop which needs wifi? And?
  - Fnoord 10mo ago
    I recommend against GPD, since they're from Hong Kong / China and their warranty is terrible. If you do decide to buy one, the hardware (of the Pocket 2 at least) is OK. Easy to open and such. You can even buy replacement battery. Buy one from Amazon in EU if you can, they have to provide 2 years warranty, at least.

amelius 10mo ago

Because banking apps will not want to run on it, basically.

tim333 10mo ago
I'm not sure that has to be a deal breaker. I'd be happy to have the banking apps on an old iphone I left at home.

mbirth 10mo ago

Planet Computers Gemini? Or their Cosmo Communicator? (To be fair they’re more Psion 5-sized.) Or do you remember the Beepberry/Beeper? OTOH, your phone is more than capable, so maybe a small bluetooth keyboard is all you really need. There are apps like iSH on iOS or Termux on Android that give you a Linux shell.