A lot of us, the backers, made this project (a Purism Linux phone L5) to be possible at all. Why Purism can not just ship the L5 US to the backers who spent (and risked) our money 3+ years ago? Without us, the L5 US would not exist at all. Don’t you (Purism) think that we do not deserve this now?
Matthias
As a backer, I find this suggestion ridiculous. Librem 5 USA costs three times more not because Purism is greedy. It’s actually harder to develop a phone in the US. How much alternative phones from the US cost?
As a backer, I want Purism to thrive and don’t want to make them bankrupt by unreasonable actions like this. Also read this:
https://forums.puri.sm/t/i-feel-betrayed-by-purism-over-the-librem-5/13660/33?u=fsflover
I assume from what Purism stated in its recent article about the Librem 5 USA that another American company is fabricating the PCBs, but Purism had to buy its own solder paste printer, pick and place machine and vapor phase reflow oven to do the PCB assembly (i.e. populate the PCB with components). Plus, it had to buy some solder rework stations to fix any misplaced components. From what I understand that is a large investment in both equipment and training personnel to use the equipment. It probably costs Purism significantly more to produce the Libre 5 USA than the Librem 5.
The bigger problem is that Purism probably only has parts in stock for a couple hundred of the Librem 5 USA, which would be enough to get through a month or two of the normal Librem 5 orders, but then it would have to stop and wait until October to get more processors. I guess that would make the people happy who ordered in October and November of 2017, but it won’t change the situation for the rest of the pre-orders.
Another issue is that Purism is probably going to have a hard time getting new orders until October, and having the Librem 5 USA will probably bring in extra orders for the company from people who don’t want to wait. I don’t know what is Purism’s financial situation, but I assume that the reason why it changed its refund policy and reduced the number of developers of the Librem 5 from 15 to 10 in 2020 was because of financial constraints.
And I would check that figure because at that specific time, it might be that “a couple hundred” gets you part way through October 2017.
Wouldn’t that be robbing Peter to pay Paul? That would simply substitute one set of unhappy customers for another set.
Keep in mind that even if all components put into producing L5USA would be moved into producing regular L5s, the waiting line for L5 would only slightly move and most of people would still have to wait for their phones. The L5USA is a premium version with much lower demand and it was always supposed to be produced in parallel.
This is the best post I have seen on these boards. Great companies provide great customer service. Don’t bite or upset the hand that feeds you. FIFO - Accounting principals. First in First out. Give working phones to whomever gave you the money first. Anything else is asking for problems. It is a slap in the face to see Librem 5 USA available NOW… when we have been waiting 3 years. It isn’t even a USA phone… it is just assembled there. Part’s are from all over.
Why? Pay for a Librem 5 USA if you want the phone sooner. No one is stopping you.
Hi,
a question about your answer. Are you sure that is possible for a backer to change his order to a LIbrem5 USA? I don’t remember to have read something ‘clear’ about.
If it’s possible, I’d like to have a 100% granted shipping date, before to pay a balance
Another great post, appreciate the perspective, thanks for keeping up with the great info.
I am an eternal optimist which is sometimes as useless as an eternal pessimist, so the balance in these forums is really great.
If they actually are investing in their own assembly line, from a long term perspective I am now even more invested in the L5 idea. If they can get through the current economic situation, we are looking at a very bright future indeed, as I will not only be buying parts for my current order, I will be buying many more units of the US made units going forward.
This is very exciting.
I remember someone on this forum doing so, but not whom. Regardless, it’ll require an email to support, so you might as well just go ahead and ask them.
Yes, I’m sure because I contacted Purism, they sent me a voucher code to order the L5 USA based on one of my normal L5 order. I will not do the change because the shipping information I got on my question says “Your Librem 5 order will be shipped in about two months from now.”.
https://puri.sm/products/librem-5-usa/
You can upgrade your current Librem 5 order to the Librem 5 USA order and you would not lose your place in line. To do this place an order for Librem 5 USA and discount your current Librem 5 order by using your existing order number as a coupon code during checkout.
Thank you for the info. With 2 months to wait anyway has not sense for me too. I’ll wait to receive my ‘backer’ one.
Thanks for info
They say “you would not loose your place in line”, which I understand as “you will not have to wait as if you purchased just now”.
This is your form to interpret it. You can also read it as “you will stay at your place in the line and when it’s your turn, you will get what you’ve paid for”.
I don’t understand how you can see such interpretation. It says “not loose your place in line”. You already have some place in line with your Librem 5 order. And you will not loose it if you switch to Librem 5 USA. It means you should get your phone much earlier.
Did you just interpret “not loose place in line” as “get new place in line”?
Ambiguous wording and playing with words, again. 
Yes
Possibly overreach by you. It could be, you know, just poorly worded.
Yes it’s possible. initially I had a PRC model then the USA was available with financing. I used the original order code as a coupon code for the discount/price difference.
I got an e-mail the other day asking to verify my shipping address along with suggesting I look at available accessories and a promo code to get free shipping on them as they’ll ship with my handheld PC soon. 
Soon meaning in a few weeks. Also asked to wait until FCC certification was finalized and changed the modem that comes with it.