I have been interested in buying Librem 15 because of the big screen so I was checking eBay and bought one.
When it arrived I looked it over and noticed it was actually a Librem 15 v3 and the seller put a sticker on it saying Version 4!
I wanted to know if there’s a big difference between the v3 and v4 because if that’s the case I will contact eBay and see if I can force a return.
See What are differences between the Librem versions? as well as the whole thread.
Librem 15v4 (from the Wayback Machine)
| Operating system | PureOS |
|---|---|
| TPM | Included |
| Battery life | Roughly 6 to 9 hours |
| Processor | Core i7 7500U (Kabylake) |
| Display | 15.6″ matte 3840×2160 |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Memory | Up to 32GB, DDR4 at 2133 MHz |
| Storage | Configurable |
| Chassis | Black anodized aluminium |
| Webcam | 720p 1.0 megapixel |
| Dimensions | 375×244×22mm |
| Weight | 1.8kg |
| Wireless | Atheros 802.11n w/ Two Antenna |
| Radio hardware killswitch | Yes |
| Mic and cam killswitches | Yes |
| Audio port | 1 headphone/line output jack |
| USB ports | 3 USB 3.0 Ports (1 type C, data transfer only), 2 USB 2.0 Ports |
| External monitor output | 1 HDMI Port (4K capable @30Hz max) |
| Card reader | Yes, 2-in-1 SD/MMC |
| Backlit keyboard | Yes |
| Touch interface | Elantech Multitouch Trackpad |
| Thermal design | Low noise fan |
The Wayback machine doesn’t have the same table for the 15v3 … but I think the 15v3 is the third column of this https://web.archive.org/web/20180905015205/https://puri.sm/products/
So the biggest differences are:
Core i7 6500U
Intel HD Graphics 520
Up to 16GB DDR4 at 2133 MHz
15.6" 1920×1080p matte display
Both of them had issues with the hinges/case breaking, but I think the 15v3 was worse.
To check for sure which you have, you can verify the CPU by looking at /proc/cpuinfo: cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep “model name”
You should report the seller anyway, that’s garbage.
6th gen vs 7th-gen SoC, and the v4 has a 4K/2160p screen vs a 1080p for the v3
I don’t think that they had “Version 3” or “Version 4” on the lid. What does the "cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep “model name” say? If it says it’s a 6500U then it’s a v3, if it says 7500U then it’s a v4.
There is one with exactly that sticker that is still up on ebay ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/185365579217?hash=item2b28a645d1:g:XoYAAOSwtO1iRfoJ ). They claim the specs of a v4. Their text reads that:
Librem used a "Version 4" sticker over their V3 base covers for V4. Original power supply included.
So please check /proc/cpuinfo. They are significantly different versions (screen, maxram, cpu) and I would report the seller (the seller has good ratings). If they lied. Report them.
[ Edit: There is another one on ebay with exactly that sticker ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/353947422054?hash=item5268e90d66:g:apsAAOSwqdhiJTFz ). This one has the same sticker … and they call it a v4, but the list the specs of a v3. This seller has shit ratings. They are asking 1000 Euros. WTF? ]
Yeah that’s also where I saw the sticker. I think they really do come with the sticker and maybe some sellers put it on their old v3, not sure.
Need someone from Purism to confirm. Messaged the seller and confirmed it’s 7500U
When I bought one of the last L15v4 I’m pretty sure there was a choice between 1080p and 2160p. I went with 2160p so I can’t prove it was available with 1080p.
there was never an option, the 15v4 only came with a 2160p display
sudo dmidecode -s system-product-name
will report the firmware product name (15v3 or 15v4) and
cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep i7 -m1
will tell you the CPU model
I would confirm by saying something like “take a picture of the terminal output of this command and type the word " armadillo” under it."