It did for me – for example I learned about GPS being combined with modem in the pinephone.
That’s part of it, yes.
I didn’t notice anybody being mad here… some did make the point that if you buy a librem you’re supporting crucial software development work. I don’t see any contradiction.
True, if the feature you want is to have accessible kill switches that you can use normally in the everyday usage of the phone, then the Pinephone does not have that. So it’s a unique selling point for the Librem 5 and some people may be willing to pay a lot for it.
Of course it is sad that the price of the Librem 5 is so high, because it means it will be available to fewer people. But in the end it’s a business decision, supply and demand and so on, it is what it is.
And this is not the only unique selling point: https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/community-wiki/-/wikis/Frequently-Asked-Questions#11-why-buy-the-librem-5 and https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/community-wiki/-/wikis/Frequently-Asked-Questions#15-how-innovative-is-the-librem-5.
I have the latest pinephone and its challenging to regard it as a daily driver. It has numerous issues and quirks, and that’s not counting similar quirks with different operating systems. It will improve for sure, but its a curio, for me, at the moment. I’m hoping for a much smoother experience with my L5, which I may get sometime in 2022. The Pinephone is something I muck around with. I don’t expect my L5 to be in this category.
Me too, but I think that at $1200, interest in the L5 will be limited.
Yeah, I have fun tinkering with the Pinephone, but using it as an actual phone? Nowhere near ready for that. I am surprised how poorly Ubuntu runs on it and those at UBPorts seem more focused on old Android devices than trying to get a real Linux device to work. I get its like a volunteer community and they do a good job and are very helpful, but the Pinephone with a serviceable Ubuntu Touch could be legit.
As it is now, Pinephone is not ready for primetime and not sure the Pinephone Pro will be either. I like Pine64 has announced some sort of partnership to make Manjaro KDE Plasma mobile the default OS, its promising, not that functional yet. Phosh on Pinephone has potential also, but nowhere near as good as what Pusism has done with the LIbrem 5 as of writing this. All the other OS’s you can flash to a Pinephone, as of now, are all novelties, not realistic to use as a real daily driver phone. Really disappointed that Ubuntu Touch isn’t better on Pinephone.
Librem 5 might not quite be ready for primetime yet either, its not even certain things not fitting the mobile screen or not functioning yet, most things I can adapt to, but my big gripe is the battery. Battery life will not last me more than 4-5 hours with moderate use and then charging it could take 8+ hours to get a full charge. Overall though, Librem 5 with a little tweaking and if there is a way to improve the battery, its almost there.
When I ordered my Librem 5 from Purism it was $800, that was a bout a year ago and still don’t have it. Earlier adopters I think was like $700 or maybe even cheaper a couple of years ago? I got my Librem 5 from Ebay, paid over $1100 a few months ago, it had a European modem, which fried my American SIM card, so I ordered the proper US Modem from Purism direct, got it in less than 2 weeks and now I have a functional phone.
Have to wonder if the price will continue to go up? I do not write code or apps on Linux, so I am not contributing the functionality of this device, so I am somewhat of linux noob, but my biggest gripe is the lack of batery life and how long it takes to charge. Its almost like keeping a laptop plugged in all the time, thats how I use my Librem 5. Someone who has more of a background in writing code/apps could do a lot with this device. But even me as a noob, its a promising device that I want to reach its full potential.
Crowdfunding price: $599.
I believe that it was $549 before that.
Yeah, I think the $599 price on the crowdfunding site must have included a certain amount of tax for U.S. purchasers.
Maybe overseas purchases were $549 + whatever the local tax was?
I think I paid 599 USD too, without the taxes. Definitely nothing ending with 49.
I’ve also paid $599, but in January 2018 that was € 501.78
I’m not sure what the exchange rates are now, but that could explain the difference.
I paid $599 in Jan 2018. My used one was $700 but I really wanted one in my hands now. When the new one arrives it will be worth $1199! Not too shabby! Kind of an investment!