From my perspective, hardware is outdated only if it can no longer do what I need it to do in the way that I want it to.
The L5’s hardware components do exactly what they were designed to do, and will continue to do for a long time, with some minor hiccups that software updates are constantly improving. The L5 is the best Free/Libre GNU/Linux phone in the current (tiny) market.
The “outdated” it is not a label for a GNU Device like Librem 5, but yes for Android/qualcomm Apple Devices.
Librem 5 it the best gnu device in the market, librem 5 it is antiobsolescence and antioutdated if we want an amazing gnu device this device need to be aged because is not much traction on development like apple or any.
Even for Apple devices, if it still does what I want, why would I want to throw it away?
I still have a relatively mature iPhone. Still makes phone calls and performance when reading web sites is satisfactory. Still supported by the small number of apps that I use, and they still work. The only thing wrong with it is … that it is an iPhone - so as soon as the Librem 5 can do everything that I need it to do, the iPhone goes in the drawer.
The only real problem is when Apple drops support and it isn’t getting security patches.
Right like as @amarok it saying.
The real problem with Apple is that you have zero Freedom and prisoner. 
FWIW, Purism has been able to pick up the pace quite a bit recently. They’ve already started on the 2018 orders, after requiring significant time to get through 2017’s. So hopefully they’ll get to the beginning of 2019 relatively soon.
And if you decide that it’s too “outdated” for you by then, you’ll very likely be able to sell it quickly, and probably at a profit.
I’ll add that “outdated” in relation to Linux (a full OS, noy just a mobile OS like iOS or droid) is on a bit different scale than the bloatware OSs. The hardware won’t become obsolete at lest due to a company intentionally slowing things down. That being said, at one point, before mass Evergreen delivery, I too had the notion that it would make sense to update the design, have more this and faster that because the prices had dropped and availability is better now than years earlier, but it just won’t work - it’s a complex whole and individual parts just can’t be replaced like that.
We’ve had a couple of threads here with some excellent long posts about technology development and the future of linux and FOSS phones for more detailed commentary on this, but in the long run, L5 is just the first (debatable - depending where you set the bar) step that has to run its course. Future steps and versions will be better and be faster to design and make after this. Of the top of my head, I’d use Fairphone as an example, how their fourth model came to be. L5 ver.4 (or L4 as there are few who would like them smaller) will come in… 10 years? That would still be faster per model than 3 years, for a phone (debatable - possibly a tricorder by then) that lasts 5-10+ years (instead of 2-5years). Time is relative… 
Time is relative I bought this device when I was 26 now 30
In that case, spare a thought for Todd’s daughters.
So does that make you “outdated” as well? 
To be frank, I find concerns about the phone being “outdated” because of delays a bit weird for a product that during its initial crowdfunding campaign in 2017 was specified to have a CPU from 2011 and only later switched to one from 2017 
Damn right I’m outdated
Lol! Let’s say rather that you and all of us are improving with age.
They could’ve been better with the communication but also put it into perspective. A modern cell phone by Apple/Google is tens of billions of dollars to develop. It’s basically a few notches down from UFO technology. It’s amazing. So I’m glad others stepped in.
I emailed them to tell them I was still alive and they said the 2018 orders are going out in a few months.
Because it is a scam. They have kept the money of many people without delivering the product. As simple as this. I am considering whether to take it to court.
Hi Joan58,
I understand your frustration. I’ve been waiting since January 2018 and finally got the L5 some days ago.
The waiting was a roller coaster of emotions (will I ever receive the phone or not).
However I never had the feeling that it all was a scam.
Please be patient you will soon receive your phone.
I also waited since 2018 and got it a few days ago.
When In 2018?
I just looked it up, it was October 22, 2017
What I don’t like about this whole journey of waiting for my Librem 5 is that Purism isn’t operating with common fairness and honesty.
If they say “well, the operating system isn’t complete yet”, I say, “so deliver the hardware now and I’ll start with whatever is available now, and update at the appropriate times”. If they say “well, there is a parts shortage now due to the pandemic”, I say “you mean that you were sitting on thousands of orders before the pandemic started, and that you didn’t think to plan ahead to ship the product that I paid for in advance?”.
Most if us here were gullible and Purism took advantage of that. We assumed that like any other crowdsourcing project, that the company would make it a priority to ship us our product at the first available opportunity. Instead, Purism strings us along for several years as they perfect the operating system through several iterations, in a mission to pay for software development and give it out to the world for free, without delivering the hardware product to most of those who are paying for that development until maybe sometime years later. I never agreed to finance such a crusade. Just stop with the excuses and give me the damned hardware that I paid for three years ago, now that the hardware development is complete. That is how crowdsourcing of pre-ordered hardware is supposed to work. No one expected everything to work perfectly right out of the box. I will be cynical and dis-trusting of all future crowdsourced hardware projects going forward because of how Todd and company strung me along this time. Thanks Purism. So this is how you finance your social purpose? I’ll be wiser the next time.
What makes you think this is not a priority? Being an insider, it surely does seem so. If the hardware was not unobtanium due to circumstances outside of our control, you’d have your hardware delivered on a silver-lined cushion.
Regardless that, it’s good advice to be aware of risks associated with crowdfounding. Those risks are no fun on either side of the buyer-seller relationship.