Fairphone is not like Purism

Hardware Librem 5
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As I await my Librem 5, I have been exploring other options also. Recently, I obtained a Fairphone 4 to assess if it would be suitable for my (non-techie) parents to use. I figure that an android phone may be easier and more reliable for them to use than the Librem 5 at this stage. Although the Fairphone 4 is a good option in some ways, my experience highlights the need for and the superiority of the Librem 5.

First, the phone shipped with google-dominated Android. I thought that, in the past, the Fairphone shipped with de-googled /e/ OS, but that is no longer the case if it ever was.

Second, to install a different operating system, I needed to obtain an “OEM Unlock” key. This was obtained through a web portal, where I entered the IMEI and serial number of my device. Nothing about this process seemed to enhance the security of my device in any way, but only served to make it more inconvenient to install an operating system of my choice.

Third, even after unlocking the bootloader, installing a different OS, and re-locking the bootloader, the phone permanently displays a warning upon booting that a “different OS” has been installed on the device. My understanding is that this warning will be displayed after any non-default operating system is installed.

Altogether, I am disappointed, because I thought that in the past, Fairphone was trying to help people become free from google, but it appears that instead they are collaborating with them by supporting anti-features that make it more difficult for normal people to escape. Some things about the Fairphone are better than other android options, so Fairphone isn’t bad in every way. For example, it has a removable battery, and it is at least possible to install an alternative android-fork.

The experience has made me appreciate the Librem 5 anew. The Librem 5 is not like the Fairphone or other android devices. By default, the owner of a Librem 5 has far greater control over their device, including the software and the hardware (through kill switches). Keep up the good work, Purism! It is highly appreciated.

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It would be better to display a warning if a Google-infested OS has been installed.

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And your details were forwarded to your country’s security agency, marking you as a confirmed subversive and probable terrorist. :wink:

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You do know that Purism has almost all of their products manufactured in China and hence by your logic supports a “totalitarian imperialistic state that prepares for war”?

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It’s still shipped with /e/OS, if you buy from /e/OS:

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All this can not be a serious argument. Do you want to count how many wars US has started? I’ve lost count. Or a war is good if we profit from it?

All countries, or most countries, have been involved in wars in the past and will be involved in wars in the future. This can not be a reason to avoid buying from. Support peace through other channels. It is more effective.

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Congratulations, you have just discovered WHY Richard Stallman has been right all along.

Welcome to the cult.

:smiley:

There is an entire set of language and metaphor designed to discredit those that see the world for what it is and are willing to stand on principle and pay the price necessary. They call us extremists, purity spiralists, what have you.

This entire journey for all of us has been about understanding what we believe in, why and committing to paying the price to see it through. I did not care if it took more money, if I had to wait years, I want my freedom and I will not compromise.

My current android feels like a readioactive device at the moment. I haven’t managed to put my L5 into my workflow just yet, but I absolutely despise using that agent of the system.

If you don’t have freedom, you don’t have anything.

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All wars are banking wars. Its good for business.

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I feel with you weirdnerd,

but to be fair i think Fairphone do a great job. Even its not a de-googled Phone, its optional possible to install a de-googled e or Lineage or graphenos on it. And the Marker about “different OS” is ok if you talk to your parents why this happened and why its a good sign. LG had a Warning “Your Device Software can’t checked for corruption.”.

Right know i think its a good way for the Mainstream to have a googled Fairphone, even if thy loose the control about Data and Privacy. Its just like to use a commercial Car or a Microsoft operating System in the back days.

Fairphone have to do that this way, because the mainstream will have it. Its like to be on big social Media or on Tiktok. For me this is still a Nogo but i can understand why humans want this and why companies think, they have to be on that (kind of) Internet.

For ourself, its good to have Purism as alternative Linux and Hardware distribution. And as you pointed out, it have some additional benefits no competitor have in stock, right now.

Regards,

Christal

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But note that if replacing the standard Android OS is part of the equation, Samsungs will not be able (as it stands now) to get VoLTE working, which will be a problem if VoLTE is required by your network(s). I mention that just because the OP installed a custom ROM/alternate OS on the Fairphone.

Also, as I understand it, these days only the Samsungs with Exynos SoC can be unlocked, while the ones from Qualcomm can’t.

Love Sonys for their ease of unlocking, by the way! (And support of custom ROMs.)

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It should work. Have a look around in the /e/OS forums.

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This is a stupendously great and incredibly well informed post. Amazing, agreed and love that someone has posted this.

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This only seems true because of two things:

  • The omnipresent American cultural and media reach globally.
  • America is the only country with a truly transparent system, all the way down to the politicians, the corrupt judiciary, corrupt police, corrupt military as well as corrupt media.

Through a quirk of history, because America is so litigiously transparent we all get an insight into the inner workings of the oligarchy. All other countries, and I absolutely mean all other countries including all western non-American countries are 100% shielded behind a wall of silence and complicity all up and down the system. All of the media is complicit with the governments and companies that buy ads, all businesses are complicit with the governments not only because they have to but socialist governments pend so much of a societies resources it pays to not bite the hand that feeds you, all the military and police is ideologically inline with the oligarchy, and so forth. This creates a perception problem for the human brain because human minds are wired for the “out of sight out of mind” bias, meaning if you don’t see it you don’t think it exits.

Rest assured, 100% of all western governments are as bad or worse than the American system behind the scenes.

If America is fiddling with the governing structures of non-western aligned countries, you can be 100% sure ALL western countries are not only participating but silently assisting in extreme ways.

America is basically the Ticketmaster for the western globalist oligarchy: Ticketmaster is the front man that takes the blame for sky high ticket prices, but the real reason ticket prices are high is the artists behind the scenes. Ticket master takes the heat for doing the dirty work of the artists and the artists end up smelling like roses. This is what America provides for the western globalist oligarchs.

This rabbit hole goes deep.

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Ok so i would like to buy a Librem 5 made in Russian because my own criteria. :wink:

Talking about WARs we have already constant wars into us body/gut to we survive every day, but also in the wild naturals animals it same, i know sound not good , but is what it is in this true wild life. No time to go in wrong way.

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I wonder if it would still have the boot warning message about the non-google OS?

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Perhaps it is better to think about the country that will start the next war, rather than the country that started the previous war.

It is a longstanding humorous remark that the US was late for the first two world wars, so they are damn well not going to miss the third.

Regardless, everyone is completely free to choose what countries not to buy from and the reasons that they apply to that decision.

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I thought it was a link about the us and a lol. Nothing in favor of comunist china, but the current world impire is still(and dying) the us and a.

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What headphones/speakers did you end up getting?

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No it does not (I’m writing you from one).

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Ooh, that is pricy, even with the discount. Just make sure that it isn’t one of those Bluetooth speakers that also has a built-in microphone. (My German isn’t good enough to know from that web page.)

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