That is how I see it as well. If I can help finance the creation of mobile Linux as a viable alternative to the Android and iOS duopoly, then I will have done some good in the world. If we can help create a market for Linux phones that aren’t based on planned obsolescence and surveillance Capitalism, then the world will definitely be a better place.
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Me, too… but my old Galaxy S III is finally dying. I even dropped it for the millionth time, but this time the screen shattered. Not sure it will last until Evergreen (wherever I happen to be in that queue). I’m flirting with the idea of buying a Pinephone PostMarketOS CE, on sale in a couple of weeks. PostMarket uses PHOSH, so it will give me a first look on actual hardware. If I like it, I’ll keep it around as a backup to the Librem 5.
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Been trying to hold on with my DTEK60. 4 years old(?), cracked front and back, camera glass destroyed, battery life ranging from 30m to 3hr(not even heavy usage). I basically have to leave it plugged in. It hurts. :[
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this is June 23rd 
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As someone who’s waiting for Fir, the main reason I do so is because I’m hoping for a more “mature” product, as opposed to wanting the latest hardware.
I don’t have programming experience so I want a linux privacy-respecting phone to use as a daily driver, as opposed to a gadget I can “tinker” with.
Regarding timelines, considering how Purism has vastly underestimated the complexity of the task of developing a new phone architecture from scratch (I supported the project during the crowdfunding campaign in 2017 and back then, the promise was for delivery within a year), I don’t expect Fir to come out before mid-2022.
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Considering that the original timeline was for Fir to ship 6 months after Evergreen, I’m predicting that it will be 12 months.
If it were just an issue of producing a new PCB for the i.MX 8M Plus, then 6 months is probably doable. The big question for me is whether Fir requires any special mainline Linux kernel work. The i.MX 8M Plus has added a bunch of new components (digital signal processor, neural processor & hardware video encoder) and changed the secondary core from Cortex-M4F to Cortex-M7, so I bet that it will require some kernel work, and NXP has been lackluster in getting its i.MX 8 chips supported in mainline Linux.
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Ya know I was wondering if I’m the only one in the fir batch on here. It’s quite aways off but Once I get my L5 it will be my daily driver . Which is why I didnt go for evergreen . It seems the overheating issues and battery usage are just coming up a bit under daily driver status …
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Without wishing to argue with someone who clearly knows much more about the topic than me, I’ll just point out my reasoning. The shipping announcement was ~10 months ago and in the communications I’ve had with Purism where I requested to be allocated to Fir, it was pointed out that Fir is a future product. Indeed we’ve seen no commitments or even official comments on the hardware and even the CPU hasn’t been officially confirmed afaik.
I’m sure development of the Librem 5 has been financially draining for Purism and I suspect orders during the last quarter (if not more) have been low. That’s why Purism has continued to launch new products (Librem One, Librem mini) as it tries to keep the cash flow going. If I were in their shoes, I’d wait to see the reception Evergreen has before committing resources to develop V2.
Interestingly enough, in the August 2019 CCC Nicole mentioned that their choice of CPU was largely dictated by the fact that at the time (2017) the i.MX SoC was the only one supporting free GPU drivers but in the meantime others had become available (https://media.ccc.de/v/Camp2019-10238-a_mobile_phone_that_respects_your_freedom#t=1013 slide 22). I wonder whether this means that other SoCs could now be viable options.
@Some_dude36, indeed, battery use, reception quality and app ecosystem are my main concerns too, that’s why I opted to wait as long as it takes.
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The Lima driver for Mali GPUs from Arm Holdings was added to Mesa in May 2019. Mali is used by HiSilicon Kirin, Samsung Exynos, MediaTek Helios, Rockchip, Amlogic and Allwinner, but Rockchip is probably the only one of those companies that Purism wants to work with, since Kirin, Exynos and Helios all integrate a WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular modem and GNSS. Amlogic and Allwinner produce chips for tablets, but they don’t have a good relationship with the community, whereas Rockchip does. However, the RK3399 probably sucks too much power, but the future RK3588 would make a good SoC for a phone, but we don’t know if it can run on all free software at this point.
Really the only viable options for Purism in Aug. 2017 were NXP i.MX 6, i.MX 8M or Broadcom BCM2837, and there are still issues with the BCM2837 terms of 100% free software.
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I think Fir would be a lot of work. When they release a schedule for it’s release and if it’s too far away for you, I’m sure (hope) you can jump to the Evergreen and get it shipped ASAP.
@arisdorf I don’t think Purism releasing other products indicates they have cash problems. Having a company put all of it’s eggs in one basket is a bad business decision. They cannot delay all their other plans just because one product was delayed and delayed.
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The good news is that when the masses (myself included) get their Evergreen phones you will know how well it matches up to daily driver status and you might in principle decide to change to Evergreen or it might confirm your choice to opt for Fir.
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I hope for Evergreen soon. After receiving my long awaited Linux phone, I most probably (and when an offer is available) will also go for the Fir. Anyway I’m still using my old and trusted Ubuntu BQ phone for 5 years now, where the average user buys a new one every 2 years 
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I’ll take a L15 please! Thanks 
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It would be Nice if Purism can integrate NFC-NXP-SN100 it is free hardware and free software module: https://github.com/NXP/nfc-NXPNFCC_FW
Librem 5 Fir
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Put all the Pin Test to easy use it.
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Use it the Nokia N900 SIM Socket to Librem 5 Fir, the current sim socket is not good.
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Reduce the thick, there is already room to reduce thick.
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Integrate a built-in mini Fan into Librem 5 Fir to dissipate heat in Convergence Mode the purpose of this is to prevent the cpu enter on Turtle Mode to cool down the CPU, this will permit to run stable fast Pure System.
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Scale 4GBs RAM
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More Texas Instrument, Freescale controllers or Silicon Labs controllers, like NFC, RadioFM Transmitter-Receiver, Transmitter 1subghz controller.
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Convergence mode means that you are not on the go.
When you are not on the go, what is the sence of having such functionality build in to carry around all the time instead of having an accessory docking station with cooling function.
Btw I was imagining an aluminium stand for Librem 5 out of a big block of aluminium precisely cut to fit Librem 5 and make a good contact. So virtually acting like a giant heat sink. Sometimes I put Librem 5 on a big steel pot to cool it down 
4 GB of RAM is a little too little nowadays. More RAM would open the topic of virtualization which is a huge thing for a security focussed device.
The thickness does not bother me. Realistically, Librem 5 will always need a huge battery.
NFC, RadioFM ect. all not essential functions useless for many users. Instead of built in such functions taking space, weight and costing money, I would prefer several USB-C ports so that one could plug in accessories in dongle format of own choice. So that you could use a RadioFM dongle. (Btw. I have never listened to a radio outside of my car for the last 15 years)
Also HDMI port would be sweet. There was a mini HDMI on Nokia E7.
With a couple of USB ports and HDMI one would not need a docking station which is also huge. Because if I need to carry a docking station everywhere with me, then I would ask myself the question, why do I carry a phone and not a notebook instead. So with an HDMI port one could travel with Librem 5 and the charger and still enjoy convergence out of home.
So to sum up. My wish would be:
- more RAM
- 2 USB-C (one for charging and one for plugging in a dongle).
- HDMI or micro HDMI port.
- keep the opportunity to get rid of / exchange the WiFi/Modem modules. I read that this might drop and it would be a pity. As wireless technologies are the big weakness for any security device and it is nice if one could physically remove them.
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I don’t know the N900 Sim socket, but I have Sony Xperia 1 and their SIM socket is indeed better and can be opened without a pin, which is again a really good thing for security focussed device.
Opening the tray without a pin means that you can exchange/remove sim or SD card without an instrument in urgent critical situations. This makes totally sense.
So I agree on this one. The SIM tray can be improved.
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For on the go, i think is good the Passive Cooling to save battery. The Fan on Convergence More it is because the L5 it power feeding from Docking Station, so not worries for batteries saves.
It will help to cool down too, but fan built-in it better cooling the cpu from root to keep cpu run 100% stable.
It is not needed add aluminium. L5 already is smart engineered to passive hot sink.
I guess the L5 s.o.c only support up to 4GBs r.a.m.
Yeah current thickness is not bad, but i see room to reduce thick.
I agreed some user do not matter this funtions, but believe others user is whishing this cool funtions like me.
Many usb-c port on L5 will look a dock station not a phone, but this is just my perspective. We already have dock-hub station for the purpose.
HDMI is not good instead L5 already has a built-in DisplayPort onto usb-c. You just need THIS CABLE
Sound good.
I guess purism it working on this.
Yes you right that sony xperia sim socket it very good, but Nokia N900 sim socket it more cool.
I assume that Fir will have a more modern generation soc.
People have huge problems with finding a suitable docking station. One is not delivering enough power and L5 discharges, other flicker the display from time to time. And it is a bulky additional device.
I am talking about 1 additional USB-C. And one micro HDMI. That is not too much.
Currently we have only 1 USB-C port. So if you use such cable, you will have rapid discharge of L5.
So you would need at least 1 USB-C for charging and 1 USB-C and/or micro HDMI for the display.
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Not if they install that fan you’re talking about.
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