"linux phone"
Don't make me tap the sign
this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2025
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What sign?
Looks expensive... Ugh
The market is saturated with 'high end' smartphones. We need fresh competition for budget options.
I dont want that of a beast but only a cheap and decent smartphone that will supported by most of the Mobile Linux Distros to use a phone completely privately instead of using android
So a Pixel? Cause every distro I look up Pixels are on it since they are open.
But yea same boat I'm trying to replace my Samsung 21u with something like the pixel and Graphite OS or Lineage OS.
I would like to have the real Linux phones Not just a pixel running a alternative android
I have absolutely no faith in this project whatsoever, there is a 99% chance itll fail like all Linux phones and tbh they all deserve to. Not a single mobile Linux OEM has even the slightest idea what the average person wants, hell im a highly technical Linux enthusiast and it doesn't even do what I want. The average person wants:
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- A good screen
- Decent performance
- A good camera
- Software good enough to tie everything together in a cohesive experience (this one especially they lack in)
Meanwhile more technical people (such as myself) want:
- Good security (both hardware level security and software level security)
- A relockable bootloader (with it being locked from shipping)
- Extended software support (including firmware and microcode updates)
- The ability to seamlessly work on multiple different sim networks
- Longevity (I should not need to get a new one once every three years)
- Reparability
- Software that can accommodate technical usecases without falling apart
Meanwhile Linux phones:
- Can be a portable programming station (why???? No genuenly why would anyone want to do this???? Just get a cheap Thinkpad)
- Can run desktop software (ok thats neat I guess but not neat when all the software is optimized for desktops, the downsides to this completely overshadow any tiny benefit this may provide)
- Have support for multiple mobile Linux distros (congratulations, you have multiple choices and they all suck)
- Have support multiple WMs/DEs (and they're all either under maintained, not maintained at all, or they just suck)
- Have extensive software customization (its a phone, why on earth would I want that???)
- Are cheap (sometimes, also I can just get a cheap used Google Pixel 7)
- Run faster (except not when you take into account the significantly worse hardware)
I hope the emphasis on wireless display tech doesn't mean they are skimping on usb-c video out. That is the only bugger I currently see.
Please yes usbc alt dp alt with 4x4k120 hdr mst support
Looks great, thanks for sharing. 👍 Hope they add IP68 protection for dust and waterproofing though… ☔
Sailfish OS exists right now as a Linux mobile OS with their own hardware (& supports the Sony Xperia line as well—which have microSD & headphone jacks …which no GrapheneOS devices support 🙃)
Isn't sailfish proprietary?
It looks that part of it is proprietary https://docs.sailfishos.org/Services/Development/Sailfish_OS_Source/
Yeah. It’s thoroughly documented tho & nothing seems over-the-top. They also contribute to upstreams. A lot of folks use GitLab despite it only being open core. Every day I have to interact with Microsoft GitHub which is fully proprietary & they do nothing but inject social media nonsense to the platform & train on your data just to sell it back to you. Yet rarely does anyone complain about them being it the middle of free software, & instead they move all comms to the black hole of Discord. Meanwhile Google is no longer doing Android in the open.
I don’t think what Jolla is doing is evil—you just have to play by stupid capitalist rules to be a ‘viable business’ in this economy to keep the lights on. They used to have more stuff open IIRC, but it can be hard to do in practice if you are picking a niche taking on a duopoly.
@KarnaSubarna it needs to be able to run Netflix, banking apps and McD app (has very high security requirements - hard to get working on LineageOS f.ex.
If it solves those - I think it could be hugely popular - as the first fully useable phone, for those wanting to regain control over their phone and data.
Just use browser If it doesn't run in browser Then you don't need it
Is running the McDonald’s app the “can it run doom” of FOSS Linux phones or are you just morbidly obese?
@ocean LOL. we almost never eat there - but I've just noticed its the one app that has the highest security requirements (and my kids ask if I have an offer from mcd they can use when we pass it :) - so its the only app I never made run on LineageOS (netflix etc. I got working fine). So its a good test.
That’s quite funny that’s the case :) How’re you enjoying the OS? Do other fast food apps like BK work?
@ocean and yes - its really absurd that my bank apps "just work" - but netflix (I get that with DRM crap requirements) and then McD has so high security requirements. really annoying MicroG can't implement this - afaik because of google's proprietary "security level" whatever check.. but managed to "fix" enough for everything but mcd last time.. haven't solved it on latest LineageOS unfortunately :(
Annoying Chromecast is proprietary, really hope @EUCommission would look into monopoly of it
@ocean I've been using LineageOS for 7+ years. Always preferred full open source. got 99% working (all except that mcd app :)
I'd be able to move many to an open source app - but only those of us who can live with stuff like this - is going to use it, if it can't support it. We really should fix these silly things, so we can run open source on our phones too - instead of our laptops only.
What phones have you been using it on? I’ve been interesting in a FOSS phone. I also don’t like that only my computers and servers can run Linux.
It needs to run the McD app... JFC....
I thought this was the first usable linux phone?
Wao, this is not bad at all. I wonder how it behaves as a daily driver. It would probably be easy for me to adopt as I don't have a single mainstream app in my phone at all.
I'm very interested in this one, but would like to see it in the wild first to make a more informed purchase.
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