Did anyone consider making an eInk edition of the Librem 5? That way one would not have to waste power while travelling and still be able to connect to a good color screen back home or the good old Dasung Paperlike 253.
Needles to say for not watching movies, eInk is my favorite way to view computer stuff.
Interesting proposition.
I am myself wondering if some of the evil does not come from expecting too much from Librem 5 at the same time.
Some people want a phone with more control over it. Not necessarily more functionality than phone + e-mail + messengers.
Some people want a general purpose computer in a phone size.
And the question if these 2 groups of interest should be served by one product is reasonable.
Because the general purpose computer is ultra fun, but it makes the battery life miserable and this is very bad for the phone group of users. And I think it is not only because of the display but more because of the hungry CPU.
Have you heard about the Precursor phone?
Never heard of the precursor phone.
What I need in a portable device is:
email client, w/SMTP on localhost for sending from the client
SMS, I also need iMessage, however this I can do with eSIM, and a MacMini
Regular phone
Calendar that syncs with iCal
Telegram Messenger
Contacts that syncs with MacOS Contacts
ssh client( 95% or so of my work done in vim )
eInk screen
I know all unix / linux with some Apple features.
Hi ggt667,
in that case you could use an E-Ink Device with a Web-Browser, my Pocketbook have one. And i could in future surf by to a Webpage generated by my Librem 5. The Connection could be WLAN, Bluetooth or USB. Yes i could aggregate that kind of Information right now on a another Webpage in my LAN and do the same without Librem 5.
However the Librem 5 is just a privacy Proxy to go. I trust it more and have more power to connect over LTE, WLAN or VPN. And can store synchronized Information better and faster than on the ebook, with just two cores instead of 4 on the Librem5. Plus the ability to program it like a Computer as Hristo already mentioned. I am still looking for a E-Ink Linux Smartwatch in future.
My Pocketbook have a touch Display and limited color too, so it would be fine to display Information from my Librem 5 in less resolution.
Chris
My major issue with this phone is that it takes 5 hours to charge and 3 hours 45 min until charging is needed again, hence I would like to have a less power consuming screen on the phone itself.
My fascination with this phone is that it runs linux without putting java between linux and I.
I love paperscreens (e-ink).
I’m hearing the patent on e-ink is supposed to run out in the next year or two. They said eink will be a lot less expensive after that.
I would love to use a Librem Paperphone
Crowdfunding about to launch: The Minimal Phone pairs an E Ink screen with a QWERTY keyboard and Android (crowdfunding) - Liliputing
From the Liliputing article:
Most modern smartphones have big, colorful touchscreen displays and lack physical keyboards. The Minimal Phone bucks both trends. It takes two very niche features and combines them into a single device: it’s an Android-powered smartphone with a square E Ink display and a QWERTY keyboard.
Presumably, based on the above, the QWERTY keyboard is a physical one, not virtual.
Also:
So this is definitely one of those cases where you should be clear on the difference between crowdfunding and pre-ordering before taking out your wallet. This isn’t a 100% finished device from a well-known brand. It’s a brand new product from a brand new company that’s never delivered hardware before. Backing this campaign is sort of like making a donation to help that company get off the ground… and hopefully getting one of that company’s first smartphones as a reward for your support. But there are plenty of ambitious crowdfunding projects that have ended in failure without delivering on all of their promises.
Ahem… There’s that problematic word “promises,” again. 
I believe “Android” is the more problematic word.
Yes, that, too.
And why is that? Is it because Android uses a Linux kernel? Or is it just the fact that Android AOSP is FOSS?
[Edit: Also, there is a Mudita Pure phone. It has an eink screen and is more minimalist (phone, messaging, contacts, calendar, …); can serve as a data link to your laptop). Its OS is based on FreeRTOS and is FOSS GitHub - mudita/MuditaOS: Mobile operating system based on FreeRTOS™ optimized for E Ink displays - developed for Mudita Pure minimalist phone .]
Please let’s not derail this topic with that discussion. Let’s keep to the topic of eInk mobile phones.
Or if you insist on pursuing that, please use “Reply as linked topic” in order to fork the discussion and take the digression into another topic.
Yes. I can’t tell for sure, but it might still be capacitive touch instead of buttons. That said, it’s dedicated as opposed to appearing only when needed.
They did an AMA on Reddit on Jan 22nd. The following is from that — and it’s really just an advertisement. Still, it did give more information. The full link is ( https://www.reddit.com/r/TheMinimalCompany/comments/19a6xr5/join_me_for_an_ama_the_journey_of_the_minimal/ ). The main “answer” is below:
Choosing the Minimal Phone over other “dumb phone” options boils down to a unique blend of simplicity, functionality, and modern technology:
The Minimal Phone is for those who want to declutter their digital life but still need essential modern functionalities in a sleek, user-friendly package. It’s more than a phone; it’s a lifestyle choice for intentional living in the digital age. Expected retail will be $400.
There’s also this comment from the company rep:
[u/mryoukhna]
Yes these are Physical QWERTY keys.
It will have a headphone jack.