the affordable 100% Open Source phone:
update: 2021-01 “the best (most privacy & security & usability) Smart Phone solution” is yet to be found (PinePhone (yet untested) comes close) and it would be like:
- runs standard unmodified GNU Linux kernel
- 100% open source drivers
- comes with a firewall that only allows absolutely necessary traffic and asks users of any app / program that wants to send in and out data
https://tuxphones.com/2021-everything-running-linux-smartphone-guide/
(checkout what pine hardware is in stock and what not)
something in between:
the LinageOS support seems solid: https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/FP3
https://download.lineageos.org/FP3
now with less Googly Firmware: https://www.engadget.com/fairphone-3-e-os-privacy-phone-110033402.html
sustainability costs, but pays in the long run (survival of mankind): FairPhone 3 (400Bucks) and FairPhone 3+ (440Bucks, better camera, probably worth the extra)
C’t heise review (in German) (auto translated to English)
maximum privacy mode: (for those who can afford it)
Librem5: instead of getting cheapter… it get’s more expensive? wtf? now in 2021-07: only $899.00
news from librem: https://puri.sm/posts/crossing-the-chasm-toward-the-tipping-point/
https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-5/
possible alternatives:
https://www.pine64.org/2021/01/15/january-update-happy-new-gear/
keep an eye on the news: https://linmob.net/
imho, no, don’t wait! because the morey goes into 100% correct Open Source phones, the faster will be the development:
https://linuxsmartphones.com/can-a-linux-phone-replace-my-iphone-or-android-device/
more latest news on: https://puri.sm/news/
Progress has been quick and steady, and because we only use components that respect both our ethical values and your personal privacy and freedoms, you can imagine the layers of complexity that go into delivering such a revolutionary mobile phone – from new hardware to a new kernel, from a new operating system to new applications, all of it culminating into the Librem 5 phone.
We want you to have the best possible solutions when it comes both to hardware, and to user experience.
Being able to show that what we’re doing corresponds to our exact intentions is very important, for it will allow you to see this progress for yourself–and we do think the video below, running on the Librem 5 dev kit hardware we shipped in December, speaks volumes.
The Librem 5 devkit running PureOS
“What you just saw in the video is the prototype of the Librem 5 hardware, and it has nearly identical specs to the ones we are putting into production later this year.
And, as you can see, it is running our own PureOS mobile operating system – we’re proud to show off the fact that the Librem 5 is not built on Android, nor iOS.
All the basic functionality is still in pre-release state, and more progress is constantly happening around-the-clock, which means even more apps are making it into the PureOS Store regularly.
Purism’s CEO Todd Weaver Testifies at California Congressional Privacy Commission
Q3 2019 – shipping the Librem 5
But all this leads us to the aforementioned (one quarter) shipping adjustment: the previous Q2 estimate is now confirmed for Q3 product shipping:
This accounts for the time it took us to properly benchmark test the newest CPU choices from NXP for the Librem 5, and the question of whether or not to choose the i.MX 8M Quad or the i.MX 8M Mini, mean we have adjusted our delivery plans slightly.
As we previously announced, the i.MX 8M Quad CPU had known errata issues in the silicon itself, and this was the root cause for the delay, detour and need for research about potential alternatives.
On one hand, the i.MX 8M Quad silicon issues meant not only that the temperature of the battery was way too high, but also that it could discharge too quickly. On the other hand, the i.MX 8M Mini is made in an updated silicon process (14nm instead of 28nm) and has reduced features, resulting in a lower power consumption–but it’s new, and there could be unknown issues and risks. So a lot of research was made, and our development team started evaluating the i.MXM8 Mini to see if it could be used within our requirements–free software only, no binary blobs, mainline based software stacks.
And then the month of February began, and something else unexpectedly happened: NXP released a new software stack for our first CPU choice, the i.MX 8M–and all of the power consumption and heating issues suddenly disappeared!
CPU and Specs
So here we are, on track again after a little delay–quite a useful delay, because now we know. We know a lot more about the i.MX 8M Quad CPU we chose, and a little bit more about a possible alternative. We have chosen the i.MX 8M Quad CPU because the power consumption issues can be dealt with in software… and ultimately that means we don’t have to change the hardware to solve this issue. Full fabrication will begin for the Librem 5 with the specifications we described before:
Librem5
Display | 5.5″ – 5.7″ HD display |
Processor | iMX8M Quad CPU |
Storage | 32 GB eMMC internal storage |
Wireless | 802.11abgn 2.4 Ghz / 5Ghz + Bluetooth 4 |
Baseband | Gemalto PLS8 3G/4G modem w/ single sim on replaceable M.2 card |
GPS | TESEO LIF3 multiconstellation GNSS receiver |
Smartcard | 2FF format smart cards |
Kill Switches | 3 – WiFi, Cellular, Microphone/Cameras (all 3 will turn off GPS) |
External Storage | microSD storage expansion |
Accelerometer | 9-axis IMU (gyro, accel, magnetometer) |
Front Camera | TBD |
Back Camera | TBD |
Vibration Motor | Yes |
Charging | USB C connector for charging, USB client function, USB host function, power delivery |
Battery | User replaceable |
Speakers | at least one |
Delivering on our Promise
As you have come to know, Purism will always keep you posted – about the impressive progress we are making, about any issues, major or minor, that come along. And ultimately, this CPU choice has many opportunities – ones that will change the future of computing for the better, for this decision does come with certain advantages in the long term. The i.MX8M Quad is the most powerful CPU that has both a good operating temperature and a good battery life. Having chosen the best possible CPU will provide us, and you, with an overall better hardware experience, with better capabilities and a shorter integration path–meaning, the integration with the software platform.
Rapid Development Continues
Software development continues to move forward quickly. Amazingly quickly. In the past few months, we’ve seen astonishing software progress, and we are now able to take advantage of it. Finally, the extra time for Librem 5 hardware fabrication will benefit software advancements that continue without slowdown, such as quality testing, providing a greater number of default apps, and community advancements made on our Librem 5 dev kit.
Excitement Increases
We recognize the importance of the Librem 5 phone and all the interest you have around it, you can rest assured. Based on our historic delivery on our promises, we feel more comfortable in advancing towards the delivery of the Librem 5 phone in the third quarter of 2019. We are also immensely grateful for all the support we’ve been receiving, both on our forums and on social media, and so proud of the progress our team is making; grateful to our community for supporting our efforts as we work diligently to get the Librem 5—and all its societal benefits—into people’s hands. We think that both our team and the community deserve the very best.
free open source hardware: what can users do?
where the user controls the program
not the program controls the user
- ask and pay (!) for products that respect the user’s privacy
- COVER TAPE FRONT CAM OF (surveillance) SmartPhone
- use great Open Source software like the easy to install GNU Linux Debian 10
- use LibreOffice instead of M$ Office or Google Docs
- it is Java based and works well (Writer = Word, Calc = Excel)
- use Mozilla (ex Netscape) Firefox instead of Chrome browser!
- it is available for ALL PLATFORMS (Windows, OSX, Linux)
- even as App for Android and IPhone
- while surely not perfect, Mozilla at least seems to try to protect the user’s private data (aka not upload it to Google/Facebook)
- alternative Smart Phones
- affordable! Pine64Phone NICE! https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/
- https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
- well at $749.00 it is rather pricey but still cheaper than the latest IPhone (which is guranteed to spy on the user)
- https://magazine.odroid.com/article/odroid-go-advance-cell-phone-a-custom-built-and-coded-cell-phone/
- remove Google from existing SmartPhones
- alternatives to Google:
- https://yandex.com
- superb picture search
- https://duckduckgo.com
- runs on Amazon cloud… well X-D
- https://www.startpage.com/
- acts like a proxy between the user and Google
- https://yandex.com
- alternatives to gmail: https://mail.tutanota.com/
- use Thunderbird and Enigmail
- it will store the user’s mails ONLY in encrypted format (even when using gmail’s infrastructure)
- stay away from the cloud madness as much as the user can
- only share absolutely essential data with “the cloud” aka hybrid-cloud where the user stores 100% of data on a local server and uploads only the data that is not privacy intrusive and that really needs to be easily accessible via clouds
- instead of: cloud per default
- now the toughest: uninstall WhatsApp, WeChat and Telegram or move on to a different device not installing those Apps there
- they are all privacy intruding Apps
- or: remove the sim card, move the sim card over to (of course) Librem 5 or LineageOS enabled Phone
- leave the non-sim enabled phone with WhatsApp, WeChat and Telegram at home, not carrying around
- conferencing:
-
ASK YOUR GOVERNMENT TO BUILD THEIR OWN COMPUTERS! 🙂
- with a little investment! it can be done! see “building a RISCV based computer”
- this also needs to be done “ANYWAY” if citizens should be able to compute safely and securely in order to tackle the Intel SPECTRE and MELTDOWN problems
alternatives: LineageOS on SmartPhones
it can be done… but sometimes it is a bit tidious… and as of the Nexus 6P, it is great hardware, but it does not receive LineageOS updates 🙁
https://dwaves.de/2019/02/26/how-to-setup-lineageos-nexus-6p-google-huawai-nexus-6p-lineageos15-1-fix-no-sim-card-detected-backup-and-restore-android-apps-firewall-on-android/
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