I basically use a phone to make phone calls, I’m not interested by having high video/photo quality for example, or other high standard hardware on it. So even if the price is lower than other smartphones, 599$ is too much for me (as you add 20% importation tax in Europe :s)
Never the less, I have a strong concern with the possibility to use my phone with high privacy and respect for digital rights…
My question is simple : do you plan to make a Librem 5 with ‘basic hardware’ so the price can be more affordable ?
Our policy will be the same as for our laptop line, we are trying to be competitive to high-end laptop companies. We will see what the future will bring.
I too, cannot afford it because of price. However, I don’t want Purism to come out with lower-end phones just yet. Simply because I feel the non-believers will take Linux, security, and privacy more seriously.
I understand this from your perspective, it makes sense for the current development of Librem company.
Also, Librem is not an ‘ordinary’ company, with ‘ordinary’ ethical and development values.
From my perspective it is a bit like claiming that democracy and freedom are only possible in ‘high developed countries’. Of course there are some common sense in that statement, but showing also on a practical level that privacy and respect of freedom and user rights is highly compatible with any budget is I think very important to make everyone of us concern of this critical subject, specially now.
PureOs like other Opensource projects are showing the way.
So if in the near future, Librem 5 or others devices are getting more affordable to anyone, the high value of freedom and respect of human rights will become more and more popular and practical. It will be then easier to convince others to join us in this matter.
But I’m sure you are at Purism all aware about this.
I bet they are. See, the math is simple. I take an educated guess that the actual hardware cost of the phone is at the most $300. But if you replace some components with cheaper ones, you will probably not even save $100 of that. Especially if you do two versions. Synergy gone.
However, if they order a second batch, the hardware price could very well drop by $100 just by ordering in higher volume. And with higher volume Purism can cut their own cost. So, the same phone could very well cost $200 less with the very same hardware.
But again, if you use cheaper components, the price would probably (then) just drop from $399 to $349. To get the price really down to maybe $200, you need mass production. I don’t expect that for the next 3-5 years. So, I’m confident, they know very well what they are doing
