For many people their smartphone is their primary or even only access to the internet so may not have many other options.
Some banks are mobile app only (Starling & Monzo) for example. You might say just don’t use them but if you need an account quickly (just moved to the country for example) they are far easier to open than traditional bank accounts.
I’m sure there are other reasons.
Sure. EVERYONE would prefer a L5 IF they could get one NOW, but right now the ONLY viable privacy-focused option is a De-Googled AOSP-based phone NOT running GAPPS other than maybe a less-featured PinePhone running GrapheneOS which is also essentially running a computer in your hand.
The main reason? Really? I’ve had plenty of form vs function debates w/ iphone fanbois but I couldn’t care less what you call it as long as it doesn’t phone home to the evil empire.
And YES it does make Android less evil to remove GAPPS!
Well, AOSP-based phone doesn’t have the ring to it as De-Googled, but if it makes you feel better, call it pure FOSS-based Android or something.
And EVERY mobile phone is a super computer compared to what sent the first men to the moon let alone my sister’s TRS-80 4K color computer that I first got my hands on!
That said, yes give me a replaceable battery and h/w switches.
I’ve been ranting about Apple being the WORST enviro-hypocrite from the day the first gen ipod was disposable!
Sorry, but having GAPPS installed is not De-Googled and speaks to the researchers credibility.
@dcz
Sure there as plenty of banking/financial services apps that won’t work, but there are obviously plenty of banking/financial services alternatives as well as PLENTY of instant messengers that work fine too.
And Uber and Lyft are choices.
While some of these are inconveniences the real problem are the carriers. See the following for details: Spyware-Free Phones in 2021: We’re being Squeezed!
Why would one want to access their bank from their smartphone?
When out on the town, we frequently find it necessary to move $$$ from account to account (e.g. savings/credit to checking/debit accounts).
Another aspect of this is the authenticator app i.e. even to use the vanilla web site requires an app. This may well be a positive for security of the web site (two factor authentication) but there is a reduction in transparency (what exactly is the app doing?) and a reduction in inclusion (what if I don’t have a smartphone? don’t have a compatible smartphone?).
Wtf is wrong with you O.o? I said “the main reason in my opinion”. You can think what ever you want, but I can do it as well.
And yes, the main reasons in my opinion. That a device is privacy by default is a default setting. Smart devices like smartphones break with such defaults. That L5 brings such defaults back is fine, but what I’m really interested in is the fact, that L5 evolve a phone, what was always closed to it’s operating system (even before smartphones) to a true computer with full access. It’s not about “how to call it”, but “what kind of access customer has”. I doesn’t care how much power a device has compared to 30 years old (and older) PCs. But I care about the digital and physical access to a system. And if it is limited, then it’s more an over expensive toy to me.
Also open source hardware brings real progress into computer development. Yes, this is my 2nd main reason since it is somewhat totally different then the usual industry waste.
I say it again, that’s my opinion and it’s fine if you don’t share it.
Btw I never said, that de-Googled = Googled phones in it evilness. Yes, de-Googled is less evil (but still not free of it). Alone the fact, that you need to de-spy anything shows that there is a big issue in the phone economy…
Fair enough but I’d be willing to bet that 999 out of 1000 of those wanting a privacy-oriented phone don’t give 2 sh!ts about what slang term you call it as long as it FUNCTIONALLY does what they need.
Again, MY FIRST CHOICE == Librem 5 USA, but itmt (3+ years?), I’ll be using my De-Googled Pixel 4a running the FOSS LineageOS 18.1+.
Still holding my breath for the last 5+ months for my Librem 14 although it was supposed to be in stock and to be delivered in 8 weeks and then another 8 weeks, … rinse and repeat.
As far as good vs evil, lest not we forget, "Perfect is the enemy of good.” ― Voltaire
Cheers!
In this thread I never spoke about “how to call it”. I just spoke about functionality. And “pocket computer” defines the device different to smartphones in 2-3 points:
So when I spoke about pocket computer I spoke about these things, not about the therm itself.
Never said that’s a bad choice. We all hang out with this problem. Sorry if you thought I was criticizing you for that. It was more an additional answer to the thread opener (and people who are also interested in) like in case someone has both in front of him.
Agreed with the banking, although my bank told me this month they retire their OS-agnostic authenticator for something that will require proprietary software. The choices are dwindling.
The problem with instant messengers is that it’s not a matter of choice, but a matter of where your acquaintances are. Try to do hardware manufacturing without WeChat.
Hailing a taxi did not feel like much choice either when my train was late and I had 10 minutes left before an appointment. Luckily, I saw one on the street and hailed it in an analog fashion. I don’t actually know if regular taxis are moving towards requiring proprietary software before you can jump in.
I do my banking on my linux mint desktop on the bank site. If I need a cab , pizza or whatever I call them on my deGoogled(graphene) Pixel 5. I’m 69 so I am old fashioned I guess.
I will use my used L5 and my forthcoming new L5 as soon as I can as I am not tech oriented.
It looks to me that one can use uber without a smartphone: https://help.uber.com/riders/article/use-uber-without-a-smartphone-?nodeId=4319a198-1f20-40e0-afaa-8b545375c879
Granted I’ve never used uber, so I can’t say that I’ve tried
Roger that. Sorry if I misunderstood your intentions and overreacted.
I definitely agree w/ ALL of Librem’s privacy-focused design decisions, and if I could have been guaranteed a delivery date, then I would have chosen it over my De-Googled Pixel 4a, but until then, I’m very pro De-Googled Android from a pragmatic perspective.
Cheers!
Well, it’s pretty much a best practice to have separate public vs private personas/accounts which leads to the need for two phones.
As far as transportation options, there’s always the DIY option; i.e. provide your own. 
Unless you’re disabled.
Well, that depends upon where you live and your finances, since there’s obviously a solution for even the disabled. See examples below.
The Best Car for Someone in a Wheelchair?! - Our new Tesla Model X!
Unfortunately, I don’t think suggesting a Tesla vehicle will help anyone with their privacy goals 
HaHa! Point well-taken!
That said, every decision has trade-offs, and I can’t wait for my pre-order number to come up for my Rivian R1S!.
There are different kinds and degrees of disability, and there’s no solution that fits all. However getting someone else to pick you up is probably covering a lot of population.
Also, disability is context-dependent, and requiring an app in the first place can be considered non-accessible. Perhaps you’re disabled without realizing (half-joking, read this: https://aeon.co/essays/what-does-it-mean-to-consider-yourself-a-disabled-person )
My disability is: being easily sickened by abuse of my privacy.
HaHa! Fair enough! However, my original point still stands; i.e. there always is the DIY option albeit maybe not easy.