I installed a T-Mobile SIM in my FLX1. As suspected very poor coverage in the USA. None where I need it.
It also highlights just how awesome the L5 really is. Easily accessible kill switches and a replaceable modem.
Typing this on my L5 now. 
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L5 really is great
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I received my FLX1 last week and played with it over the weekend.
It feels very solid, the screen is bright and the pictures are significantly better than on my L5. It runs Phosh, which is my favorite (I had tried Lorimi, KDE, SXMO or so on the pinephone). Installing apps over wifi works well. I have not tried yet, but android apps should also be possible to install. Battery seems to last much longer than L5 or pinephone.
I could almost use it as my daily phone if it worked in the US. There are reports that Tmobile does not work, and while ATT works fine for me with the L5 it does NOT work with the FLX1. No connection, no matter what settings were used.
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Like OTG in connection?
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Furi Labs is still investigating support for the USA bands. They have the source for the modem and are finding references to the US bands being disabled. Only time will tell but it hasn’t been found to be impossible yet. Fingers crossed.
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In the meantime, pair with a data-only portable wifi device that uses a data SIM. (Or hotspot with your present phone.)
Or get a data SIM from JMP/Soprani.ca (non-expiring data for use in the U.S. and Canada), if the frequency bands it uses match the FLX1, and the FLX1 can use at least one U.S. carrier for (data) roaming. (You can ask Soprani about that.) They also have a physical eSIM card for loading multiple eSIMs.
Then you could set up either a VOIP/SIP number (for calls and SMS), or an XMPP account, e.g. JMP.chat (for calls, SMS, and MMS). You could even port in your present number, or possibly forward calls and messages from your current mobile number.
Edit: Actually, according to the specs, the FLX1 doesn’t fit with any U.S. carrier very well. So it might be that a portable hotspot is the only viable solution for using it in the U.S.
T-mobile: T-Mobile - United States - Wireless Frequency Bands and Device Compatibility
AT&T: AT&T - United States - Wireless Frequency Bands and Device Compatibility
Verizon: Verizon Wireless - United States - Wireless Frequency Bands and Device Compatibility
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There is evidence that says it won’t work with US carriers. There is also evidence that it can support US carriers.
Librem5…
######### Librem5 ########################
purism@pureos:~$ mmcli -m 0
-----------------------------------
Bands | supported: pcs, g850, utran-4, utran-5, utran-2, eutran-2, eutran-3,
| eutran-4, eutran-5, eutran-12, eutran-13, eutran-17, eutran-25,
| eutran-26, eutran-41, eutran-66
And FLX1…
######### FLX1 ########################
root@FuriPhoneFLX1:~# mmcli -m 0
----------------------------------
Bands | supported: egsm, dcs, pcs, g850, g450, g480, g750, g380, g410, g710,
| g810, utran-1, utran-3, utran-4, utran-6, utran-5, utran-8,
| utran-9, utran-2, utran-7, utran-10, utran-11, utran-12, utran-13,
| utran-14, utran-19, utran-20, utran-21, utran-22, utran-25, utran-26,
| utran-32, eutran-1, eutran-2, eutran-3, eutran-4, eutran-5, eutran-6,
| eutran-7, eutran-8, eutran-9, eutran-10, eutran-11, eutran-12,
| eutran-13, eutran-14, eutran-17, eutran-18, eutran-19, eutran-20,
| eutran-21, eutran-22, eutran-23, eutran-24, eutran-25, eutran-26,
| eutran-27, eutran-28, eutran-29, eutran-30, eutran-31, eutran-32,
| eutran-33, eutran-34, eutran-35, eutran-36, eutran-37, eutran-38,
| eutran-39, eutran-40, eutran-41, eutran-42, eutran-43, eutran-44,
| eutran-45, eutran-46, eutran-47, eutran-48, eutran-49, eutran-50,
| eutran-51, eutran-52, eutran-53, eutran-54, eutran-55, eutran-56,
| eutran-57, eutran-58, eutran-59, eutran-60, eutran-61, eutran-62,
| eutran-63, eutran-64, eutran-65, eutran-66, eutran-67, eutran-68,
| eutran-69, eutran-70, eutran-71, eutran-85, ngran-1, ngran-2, ngran-3,
| ngran-5, ngran-7, ngran-8, ngran-12, ngran-13, ngran-14, ngran-18,
| ngran-20, ngran-25, ngran-26, ngran-28, ngran-29, ngran-30, ngran-34,
| ngran-38, ngran-39, ngran-40, ngran-41, ngran-48, ngran-50, ngran-51,
| ngran-53, ngran-65, ngran-66, ngran-70, ngran-71, ngran-74, ngran-75,
| ngran-76, ngran-77, ngran-78, ngran-79, ngran-80, ngran-81, ngran-82,
| ngran-83, ngran-84, ngran-86, ngran-89, ngran-90, ngran-91, ngran-92,
| ngran-93, ngran-94, ngran-95, ngran-257, ngran-258, ngran-260,
| ngran-261
The one that is winning at the moment is that it doesn’t support US bands… …because it isn’t working.
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You confused me at first, pasting outputs from two separate devices in one block. 
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I thought I saw Elon asking on X if he should make a cell phone. If he partnered or bought Purism, that would certainly put a lot of steam behind developing the platform.
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Bite your tongue!
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If Purism goes out of business because of cheap knockoff L5’s like you just pointed out, what then? That’s even worse.
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The community can decentralize responsibilities:
The schematics of the Librem 5 are available, so I am not concerned about its future.
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I just read this and thought of your post
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Furi Labs just announced they apparently got bands working in the US USA Bands - Furi Labs: Planned Permanence
I am pretty tempted…
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As an owner of a FLX1 in the USA, and one of the people mentioned in the blog post… Development has not caught up with marketing. On my device LTE band 4 is working. There are many more bands to go. My device still doesn’t do MMS although the blog post seems to say it does. I asked in chat about MMS and was told updates were on the way.
Based on what I know about USA band support so far I was disappointment in marketing’s choice of wording in the blog. I’m just reserving judgement until a bit more time has passed and more updates make it to my device.
I really want them to be successful so if you can afford it, buy one. Just be warned to keep your expectations below what marketing claims, just in case.
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Ha. Well, I can afford it but I have been down that road with Purism. I suspected as much and I appreciate you confirming the “over-marketing” aspect of the FLX1. As I stated in my other post, I am happy with the Librem 5, at the moment.
Thank you for sharing, though. I was thinking directly of you because I remembered reading your prior review.
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Is it good to support another manufacturer even if you keep using the Librem 5? They’re all working on the same software … at least partly?
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It is good to support mobile Linux development, period.
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Agreed, growing the ecosystem one way or another is a good thing. Both with our monetary support, using the devices, using the software and contributing to the software (via usage, bug reports, documentation, support, and even code).
But that’s just the ideals of FLOSS anyway. We can’t give up!
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FuriOS is based on trixie, so any changes they make will eventually come to PureOS Dawn as well.
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