Well different in only that they are domestically sourced. Same way you can buy a car part made domestically or elsewhere, still the same part. However, the attention to detail and/or quality of build materials can be assumed to differ. Understandably domestically sourced materials and production would cost more, I just trying to justify more than double the price. Both sides are upsetting being that it’s cheaper because of how terribly mfg employees are treated in China, and it’s much more expensive built here because we’ve allowed so much of it move out of the US. We’ve shot ourselves in the foot…
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Sure, that’s what I also meant regarding the PCB. The parts might differ on the outside, but should have the same specs.
Since that table was published, I think the capacity of the battery has changed at least once, maybe twice 
So, pretty sure it has been omitted because it wasn’t clear.
I think for both components Purism will use what is available, for both variants.
I’m actually wondering, how many of those components (display, battery, electronics/ICs) could realistically be sourced from the US (meaning, factories exist, the needed specs are produced there, capacity is available. Price would probably be the least problem).
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None of us will get the non-US version during the next Sino-US war.* May as well get your cheap one now.
- This presumes the non-US components are made in China.
I had to check. It looks like Purism purposely made sure that none of the 67 integrated circuits on the two PCBs in the Librem 5 were made by Chinese companies. However, the battery and screen (and its two ICs) are all made by Chinese companies:
- Zhongshan Tianmo Battery Co. 1lCP10/55/47 3600mAh 3.8V (13.68Wh) li-ion polymer battery (for Dogwood)
- Zhongshan Tianmo Battery Co. 4500mAh li-ion polymer battery (for Evergreen)
- Mantix MLAF057WE51 X 5.7″ IPS a-Si LCD, 720×1440 pixels, 16.7M colors, 282 PPI, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 90% sRGB, MIPI DSI.
- Goodix GT5688 Touch IC
- Focaltech FT8006P LCD controller in the Mantix MLAF057WE51 X display
We need people who get the Librem 5 USA to take detailed photos of their PCBs so we can compare. I have been asking people who get the Librem 5 (China) to take detailed photos and nobody has so far. I will post photos when I get my Librem 5 (China), but that probably won’t be until Q3 of 2020.
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I’ll take a gander that the battery models are also made elsewhere. e.g., if a battery dies, you can replace it with say … a Mexican model.
(Or to continue my joke, three triple-A’s.)
I don’t think Anderson’s theory of print Capitalism works for the formation of nationalism in Latin America or most of the so-called “developing world” which didn’t have a literary culture. Outside of Europe and North America, there was only a tiny minority elite that was reading newspapers and they were often reading material brought from Europe or North America, so I don’t think that explains the formation of nationalism.
I think that the internet is undermining nationalism, since it is helping to create hyper-partisan divisions within nations (e.g. Q-anon partisans) and providing direct connections between people of different nations.
The Día del Mar is purposely used to whip up Bolivian nationalism and to distract the Bolivian people from their real problems by hating Chileans. Every year I have the urge to write an essay on my blog telling Bolivians how they shouldn’t let themselves be manipulated by their politicians with the Dia del Mar discourse. Nationalism in Bolivia can be used as a force to resist the IMF and outside interference (especially from the US), but at the same time the MAS party often characterizes the opposition as lackeys to the “gringo imperialists” and it becomes impossible to have a rational conversation about Bolivia’s internal problems when one side is accusing the other of selling out the nation to a foreign power.
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"However, the battery and screen (and its two ICs) are all made by Chinese companies:
- Zhongshan Tianmo Battery Co. 1lCP10/55/47 3600mAh 3.8V (13.68Wh) li-ion polymer battery (for Dogwood)
- Zhongshan Tianmo Battery Co. 4500mAh li-ion polymer battery (for Evergreen)
- Mantix MLAF057WE51 X 5.7″ IPS a-Si LCD, 720×1440 pixels, 16.7M colors, 282 PPI, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 90% sRGB, MIPI DSI.
- Goodix GT5688 Touch IC
- Focaltech FT8006P LCD controller in the Mantix MLAF057WE51 X display "
Have you seen this study? Apparently, chips can be embedded into the touchscreen to steal data:
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Yes. Finance it and it doesn’t hurt so much. Especially because most of us who pre-ordered are still waiting so by the time you have it paid off, hopefully you’ll have yours. Then, it’ll be extra bragging rights that you got one of the only American made PCs/phones in existence. The more people that do this, the more sustainable it’ll be and we’ll see more devices made in America.
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Hyper-partisan divisions? Divide and conquer!
P.S. Every so often my wife tells a perpetual Chilean joke about Bolivian, “They want the Pacific back? We will sell it to them, … (drum roll) … in bottles!”
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If I swap to a USA model do I get my L5 now?
I need the T1 modem as well. Is that also possible?
Sorry if these are well known things. I’ve been over the website but can’t find an answer. Is the website hard to navigate or is that just me?
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That’s a good question. I’m curious about that as well.
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I don’t know about right now, but you would theoretically be put in a shorter line. Last update on the USA edition suggested that preorders would all be fulfilled by Jan 2021 and that come Feb, new orders could be fulfilled in a 10-day window. Whether that still holds true (now that we are in Feb) is still unknown.
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Existing Librem 5 orders can also upgrade to the Librem 5 USA without losing your place in line by using their order number as a coupon code.
Thanks for the link.
I am unashamedly looking to jump the queue. I ordered in I think it was Sept 2019 so my phone is out there on the never never. If I could get a USA phone with the appropriate modem soon I might go for it.
I’m not trying to jump the queue for the hell of it. I need a new phone so this might be an option.
If purism does not support freedom of speech, how is anyone expected to TRUST your platform ?
By the way, who is doing the scans of all ICs for hardware tojans ?
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I too have considered paying the added price to jump the line. Personally I think this is the closest thing to the average person “needing” the USA edition.
As a generalization I would say “no” the average Joe does not “need” the USA edition. That doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits, just that they fall into “wants”, in my opinion, not needs.
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As the creator of this thread I’m a bit embarrassed as to what it’s become…I hoped this would be a conglomerated hypothesis of privacy and personal freedom minded individuals who came together to support a company that shared our values! SHARE opinions, please don’t force feed each other. There is a surplus of info to be gained by reading all perspectives but remember we’re all on this forum for the same reason… I appreciate those who have taken the time to research hardware/software facts for us all.
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I am an Average Joe, kinda stuck for a while in USA’s mid west Marxist state of Illinois. Don’t social media, not doing anything worth spying on, just minding my own business.
No way could I afford the USA L5.
But a phone is personal. You touch it how many times a day?
And when I do, I am looking forward to that connection with a sliver of freedom in my palm.
Some days I want that.
Some days I need that.
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You might want to consider the Volla Phone (made in Germany) with Ubuntu Touch, the Librem 5 (China version), the PinePhone or F(x)tec Pro1-X with Ubuntu Touch. If you don’t mind installing the OS yourself, you can can install SailfishOS in the Xperia X/XA2/10 or LineageOS in many models (check the XDA-Developers forum for the particular model) or Ubuntu Touch in a handful of models. You should be able to find something in your budget, but installing LineageOS and Ubuntu Touch usually takes some work, and some things won’t work as well as a normal Android phone.
A 2016 study found that people touch their phone 2617 times per day on average. I’m not sure how representative the sample was, since 145 minutes of phone usage per day sounds high to me.
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