Hello - I am very interested in buying the Librem 5. I live in the U.S. - I am currently implementing an internally controlled home automation system so I can get rid of all the “wonderful” connected devices. When I found out about this phone, I was stoked. For sure a great addition to persons that respect their own privacy.
Anyways, here is my question. What are the chances of the Librem phones turning into modular devices? That is, instead of needing to buy a brand new phone…customers could order the upgraded camera that was released and simply pop out the old one and put in the new one?
Well, there’s nothing stopping you from taking a soldering iron and heat gun to it and replacing the components yourself.
If you’re asking if Purism is going to throw out their current design in favor of a design like Phonebloks then that seems unlikely. They’ve invested a lot into one idea at which many companies have tried and failed, and they probably aren’t eager to take on a second one at the expense of most of the progress they’ve made on the Librem 5v1.
If you want a modular phone like that, you should buy the Fairphone 3, since it has a pogo pin connector for adding attachments. The upcoming PinePhone will also have a pogo pin connector for adding attachments, but its processor is so antiquated, that most types of upgrading aren’t really possible.
There is some possibility that Purism will follow the SHIFT5.X model where future models have parts that are backward compatible. See this post and this one for more info.
No, just curious if something like this was in the idea bin. I love this phone already, haven’t even thoroughly looked at the specs or ordered one, but I love it anyways
