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Purism Librem 5 Linux Smartphone Campaign Set To End At Around $2 Million

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  • #11
    "it will also be interesting to see what comes of the recently announced Samsung DeX for convergence and running Linux distributions from the Android-powered Galaxy smartphone."
    Samsung DeX shouldn't be mentioned as alternative to Purism Librem.
    It is like saying that Windows 10 with installed "Windows subsystem for Linux" it is great alternative for baremetal Linux.

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    • #12
      May be they should turn to Intel and at least have decent open source support? It might even be worth for Intel investing some effort themselves

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      • #13
        Originally posted by kravemir View Post

        All the value lies in the HW logic of the chip, not in the "driving" the chip. Even, if chip is completely open, there's no guarantee, that there isn't any micro software hidden within it, which could be used as a vendor backdoor.
        Boy oh boy, why are you actually reading phoronix?

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        • #14
          I actualy dont need games on this phone, or any other advanced (and mostly useless) app on this phone. phone calling, wifi, 4g and sufficent web/mail/chat clients would do. I would preffer it to be a x86. Cannot understand this arm obsession.

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          • #15
            I hope it uses the i.MX8 chip, far faster than i.MX6. Of course, even the i.MX8 chip, with 3GB of RAM, 32GB storage, and a 5 inch display is only equivalent to a smartphone from 2014(of course the screen is probably equivalent to a 2012). A mid-range smartphone today, has an 8-core Cortex A53 based chip, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5.5 inch 1920x1080 display, plus it still uses regular SIM card/cellular modem.
            I just bought a phone with an 8-core chip, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, and a 6 inch 1920x1080 display, runs all of my Android apps, uses a standard cellular network, and it only cost $130.

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            • #16
              Originally posted by deant View Post
              I actualy dont need games on this phone, or any other advanced (and mostly useless) app on this phone. phone calling, wifi, 4g and sufficent web/mail/chat clients would do. I would preffer it to be a x86. Cannot understand this arm obsession.
              Mainly for power consumption.

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              • #17
                Originally posted by starshipeleven View Post
                "already"?
                They work by running a distro with an older and blobbed kernel to support the GPU (Mali) and the media acceleration subsystem (if they have one), or at least that's the most you can do with an Amlogic SoC. You can't update the kernel or the SoC-specific binary drivers stop working.

                Same as with last supported Android version, the 5.1.

                This is the same situation for most SBCs not based on FXP SoCs, or raspbery Pis.
                I use upstream vanilla kernel on Odroid-U2 and it works just fine. Well, there is no Mali support but I don't need it in headless system.

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                • #18

                  It will be difficult getting any dedicated smartphone app/game vendor to be interested in the platform with current numbers like that, and so at-launch will likely be limited to just the community software projects.
                  Anbox + Fdroid? I think there's an idea that workarounds from lack of native apps hinders selection but I don't think so. I think you have to get past the chicken and egg problem so that people use your platform which drives app selection. Not to mention Google is pushing for Android apps to look good on bigger screens and Android apps are by nature touch friendly.

                  Just my thought


                  Anbox could use some help though from devs by the way, if anyone's interested

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                  • #19
                    What was the situation with the 3G and 4G radios, which range of bands will it support? I'm in Europe and the earlier Ubuntu phones worked great here, but not as well in the US. Afraid the situation will be the reverse

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                    • #20
                      Originally posted by kravemir View Post
                      Why is it hard to find ARM chip with open specification? All the value lies in the HW logic of the chip, not in the "driving" the chip. Even, if chip is completely open, there's no guarantee, that there isn't any micro software hidden within it, which could be used as a vendor backdoor.

                      And, what do you mean by "sufficiently open"? it's pretty much ambiguous term.
                      Most modern SoCs integrate the cellular modem and give it DMA. While this has obvious benefits like lower overall power usage and tighter integration there are downsides. Baseband chips are running closed, by regulation (!), firmware that can do whatever. If it's not isolated properly like it was on Nokia N900 or OpenMoko handsets it compromises the security of the entire device. Trying to use such a chip in an open-focused device is counterproductive.

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