Librem Phone Request

Hardware Librem 5
1

It’s most likely too late to bring this up, but I have to try.

I would like to see the phone feature a flexiable screen and case. This will ensure longevity and durability. I’m not asking for a phone that can be folded, I mean just just enough flexiability to keep the screen from breaking. It’s sad to see how many phones get dropped and need a new screen.

I know the techology already exists, so it’s not like I’m asking for the impossible. LG, Samsung, and Lenovo are building flexiable phones.

In addition, I would like to see a waterproof phone. So all in all, I’m requesting a semi-flexiable waterproof phone to ensure longer life.

3 Likes
2

It would be great, and will probably be considered, but I don’t know how doable it is at that price point. I have no idea how expensive that technology is, but I think especially waterproof is very difficult to achieve without making the fabrication process and QA a lot more complicated.

2 Likes
3

@mladen’s previous statement: Librem 5: Phone Quality/Feature - Waterproofing?

2 Likes
4

all these feature are nice, but at the moment looking the campaign my only concern is to meet the found goal, because the human freedom need this phone, and if purism doesn’t reach the goal i hope they will consider to develop it in any case.

I know people who don’t spend money before the prodouct is avalaible and i have a couple of them who did not preordered just because of it, then i saw on the web alot of people think the campaign will fail just because of jolla and ubuntu phone, and don’t wanna risk to not be refunded, even if purism wrote they will, then there is alot of people who will not buy it before someone else have the phone on his hand, but i think purism know it

considering purism became a social purpose company i hope if they will not meet the goal they will continue to this project as the roadmap shows, and let the preorder opened for the entire 2018 keeping raising more money, and/or looking for a sponsor, because as i already wrote this project is important expecially for people who live in not free country who are monitored in every aspect of their life

1 Like
5

To be honest I don’t think Purism will reach it’s funding goal. It’s just too high. Don’t get me wrong, I really hope they do, but I don’t see it happening.

I think in today’s market, you need the following things to draw investment by consumers(maybe not all, but preferably all):

  • Flexible Hardware
  • Waterproof Hardware
  • Digital Assistant
  • Convergence
  • Solid App Ecosystem
  • Privacy
  • Security
  • Pressure Sensitive Pen/Stylus For Art
  • Easily Repairable Hardware
  • Long Battery Life
  • Decent, But Not Necessarily Powerful Hardware
  • Standard Phone Features
  • Sexy Design

I think these are the things consumers are looking for at a fair price point. Then consider how many of these things does Librem Phone cover?

I believe in what they are doing with all my heart, but the average consumer gets what everyone else has; what is cool or productive. They don’t care about the direction that the world is going in with privacy & security and how serious it really is at this point. They are only going to care about how it saves them money, how productive it will help them be, and how cool it will make them look in front of friends.

I’m trying not to go on a giant cooperate privacy/security corruption monopoly rant, so I’ll just stop here.

I hope Purism succeeds, but it will take alot more to succeed then just with a privacy/security phone. The people that actually care about privacy and security is a small niche, ergo; a small investment community.

1 Like
6

i think there are different market share, if you want the latest shiny box usually you dont care about anything else, if you care about privacy and security you just want them, of course more feature you have, more chance you have to sell it, but the price will rise, then you will have less chance to sell it

in my opinion they could add newest “hardware” feature in future revision of this smartphone, because more stuff you have more appealing the product is, but do a big jump at the beginning is like to be dead before to born

i think they are doing everything in the right way, i just hope if (when) they dont meet the goal, they will understand that’s because too much people are skeptical about ios/android alternative, they saw too much failure firefox os, jolla, ubuntu touch, win mobile, that’s why alot of people will not support it from beginning, they need to have it on their hands and after a while i think this project could rise up alot.
i think if this project will fail no one else will try it again in the future and the chance to an open and privacy focussed smartphone will die with this project, i think purism have a big responsability on this

i’m not an business expert but i can just think the big fail intel done with the mobile when apple ask to them to make the cpu for the iphone, they was thinking there no market, the google guys tried to sell google when was almost newborn and no one bought it, and now is one of the biggest company in the world
what i’m trying to say is there is some project seems to be a failure, but this means nothing if the project is valid and there is no alternative on it, like the librem phone is
if they will not fund the goal is just because of other project failure, too much people are skeptical because of it, then alot of people don’t wanna pay and wait more than one year before for a product they don’t even know. there is a reason if companies pay famous youtuber for show the last game or their shiny product, because they need people see it before buy, and i’m talking about famous company, and purism is not famous, so there is alot of people interested but they know nothing yet about them or this project

that’s a kind of message for purism crew, i really love what you do because is important more than you can think, because not everyone live in a democratic state and have the right tools for fight the “bad guy” it’s about life or death for activist and journalist have the right or the wrong tools, and this tools will help to build a better world
that’s why i really hope they will meet the goal, but looking the numbers seems to be impossible, that’s why i’m writing this and i really hope they will be able to do it even if the goal is not reached, i think they will raise more money they got with the laptop (400k usd) and i hope will be enough for the project

3 Likes
7

the (initial?) crowdfunding on crowdsupply also did not reach it’s funding goal (in time), it was extended to not fail.

I guess they will find a way to get things done. Even if not everything is as I had it on my wishlist when they first asked months ago.

1 Like
8

I’m a happy owner of a FairPhone2 and I don’t see the necessity of a flexible screen. When it will break, i will order a new one and replace it in 87" just like that.
Maybe Librem5 can learn from FairPhone2?

1 Like
9

So you would rather pay about $100 every time your screen broke to fix it yourself?

Personally, I’d rather not have it break to begin with. However, if purism cannot come up with a flexible screen, then I reckon I would prefer the replace it myself option I reckon. Even though that is about the same cost of an insurance replacement phone altogether.

10

I have the FP2 more 1.5 year and the screen has not broken yet, although I’ve dropped it several times.
So yes, I prefer to pay 87,5€ IF i break the screen, than pay 200€ to have a flexible phone.

Also I prefer an upgradable phone. I can already upgrade my camera from 8 to 12MP, and probably they will make other screens soon.

Having a flexible phone but not upgradeable is not a good choice imo.

1 Like
11

But, can you run GNU/Linux with Plasma/GNOME on your Fairphone? :slight_smile:

1 Like
12

I can run Ubuntu Touch (LineAgeOS, SailFish, and FXOS), without voiding the guarantee, but that’s not my point.

When i’ll buy a Librem5, i’d prefer if it’s modular and upgradable.
I don’t need a flexible phone, I don’t put it in my pants when I do gymnastics.

3 Likes
13

i’m pretty sure they will do everything is possible with the budget and i’m also sure they got the modularity&fairphone suggestions, and if this project will be fully backed they will do their best, and what will not be done on this, will be on a future revision of phone

i saw you have retwitted this

https://twitter.com/KapPustolov/status/908363646799052801

this mockup is awesome you should consider it for the UI with the killswitch software indicator that’s a briliant idea

14

Tee hee, I’ve currently got an s3 that looks like I’m a time traveler every time I pull it out of my pocket. Gawd I hope the Librem 5 gets made !! Seriously though, as a consumer and only a consumer, software Freedom is what’s most important to me.

1 Like
15

There’s a couple of things I would like:

  1. If the kind folk at purism can try to drop Replicant on a test model and see what happens, that be cool. I’ve been running into “It should be running Replicant!” a lot elsewhere. I get these are the same people that would whine “It should have stripes!” if you made casing that had polka-dots, but I am curious for fun. Obviously wi-fi, 4g, etc. etc. are not going to work as they don’t work with any Replicant phone but if you could get Replicant running on the hardware as well as it will run on an s3 or other phone on their supported list, that’d be cool. It may even inspire the kind folk over at Replicant to get excited about the Librem 5 and start looking into making plans for creating a port for it (one of the things I’ve always loved about Free software is the diversity and that you needn’t necessarily do ‘deals’ or form alliances to be working towards the same goal :)).

  2. You know those obnoxious people who blare music out of their crappy cell phone speakers on the bus, in the break room at work, on the patio at the pub, etc. etc. ? Oh hi :wave:, that’s me :slight_smile: There’s nothing I can do about New Order having to be listened to while I’m drinking on a patio during “the last days of summer Somner”, but I guess I could be more considerate with my cell phone speaker. I don’t expect you to make a change like that this late in the process, but perhaps a small groove on each side (like the covers for the old casio calculators had), clip “holes”, or some other method that would allow third parties to make attachable phone cases with modular “goodies” for the Librem 5 (like, say, if Bose wanted to make one with a kickass speaker), that’d be amazing! Other phones (i.e. essential) are exploring modularity as a gimmick, but I could see modularity as some pretty tasty icing on the software Freedom cake too :slight_smile:

Please :smiley:

1 Like