I like at least 1 device that actually works without issue. Like missing calls for a job interview for example is pretty bad and where I live google maps for public transit and cars are essential. OSM is horrible btw, a good 25% or more of places aren’t on OSM where I live, and I can’t just add them on the fly every time I need to go there.
Dreaming about this since more than a decade. My issues are banking apps, health related apps and basically anything somewhat official. A lot of them won’t even work on a rooted Android device. How are things looking in that regard with Linux phone projects?
I’m not really sure the state of things, but what if Linux phones containerized Android apps so they’d appear to be on a non-rooted device?
The GAPPS image on WayDroid is pretty alright. I’m using it on my Linux desktop to play some mobile games. I understand it should be able to support MS Authenticator. But getting the camera to work is pretty hacky so certain functions don’t work for me yet.
Genuinely interested, but any time I look into it it requires hardware that’s expensive to import or many years out of date.
The oldest phone I still have lying around is my Pixel 7 that was my initial jump into GrapheneOS, I haven’t found any distros that are compatible with a Pixel newer than a 4a. If anyone knows of a compatible distro I’d make the jump.
Linux phones don’t even really exist right now. Wonder why Ubuntu has never tried again.
So who is the strongest contender here? I hear stuff about pinephone, then nothing. Fairphone, more silence. Purism, so much silence.
I will happily pay someone now for a half decent phone so that by the time android is fully enshittified we all have a place to go.
As far as I know, the most useable pure Linux phone right now is the Furilabs FLX1. They’re currently out of stock, and doing preorders for their second batch. By “pure Linux” I mean “a distro pretty close to what you can use on your laptop.”
There’s also several phones that can run Sailfish OS, including an official device. Sailfish OS isn’t quite vanilla Linux, but it might the most useable and supported non-mainstream option. I can’t find a clear answer about if you can run regular Linux applications on it, though.
I used Sailfish OS on a Sony Xperia smartphone for about a year until my carrier switched to VoLTE, and Sailfish OS at the time didn’t support VoLTE. It does now, though, so I plan on trying it again soon.
Briefly looked into it, and Sailfish OS looks like it’s getting closer to reasonable for an average user. The Aptoide store seems to have major apps (WhatsApp), but it still requires some tinkering, like going into several settings screens manually to do things that pop-up automatically in Android. Not too bad, but definitely only for someone who’s okay with a bit of tinkering.
WhatsApp is a “must” for most users globally as it’s the defacto messaging protocol standard used most places. Probably more important than SMS/MMS for most users. At least until everyone starts to switch over and something better (Signal, probably) starts to get a big enough install base that people use it.
In Canada, I frequently tell people they can Signal, text, or Whatsapp me, but the only people who ever use Signal with me are family I installed it for.
Games are probably a big deal, too. tbh, it’s not a “must”, but I’d be annoyed if I couldn’t play Minion Masters on my phone. (But I could probably set up Sunshine/Moonlight streaming, if needed.) I’m guessing a lot of people have games that they wouldn’t accept not being able to use.
Furilabs has my attention simply because you can “seamlessly” run android apps on FuriOS in a container called Andromeda. Might be next after my Pixel 9 /w GrapheneOS is used up.
There’s also a grapheneos phone coming out soon which gives a bit of hope
If they at LEAST have SD card expandable storage I’m all about it let’s freaking go.
I went with a Motorola over a Pixel just because of those user-considerate features and a (warranty voiding :( ) unlockable bootloader. I’m really hoping something happens for this hardware.
Are you referring to just the rumors that they will partner with an OEM, or did I miss an actual announcement or something?!
I’m not sure FLX1 counts as a full 100% Linux phone. It uses the android driver stack in order to then boot to Linux. But I guess this might get them stuck with old insecure drivers? Not sure this is the best long term approach.
I thought it was basically Debian with Waydroid preinstalled.
No. the FLX1 uses a project called Hallium, which as I understand it, basically runs an Android container and the original Android kernel to interface with the hardware
Here are the big Linux phone contenders that I’ve found:
I think the only promising one these days is the Furilabs FLX1, but it’s definitely good to keep an eye out for how things progress from here.
$550.00
Fast, performant and cheap
It may be fast and performant, but it’s not cheap.
If I had $550.00 to spend on a new device I would spend it on a good and powerful computer, for video editing and 3D modeling, not on a phone.
For comparison an used business laptop, costs about $120, an israeli spyware loaded phone costs about $150.
Going from that to $550 is a big jump, and not affordable for most internet users.
I had not heard of furi labs until now. I do have some concerns that they operate out of hong Kong, have no published corporate structure or stated ownership and that they are able to produce something so far ahead of any competitors.
It smells like its got a lot of money and resources into it and I’d really like to know who is funding it.
They show one employee on LinkedIn and no job postings. Company size is 2-10 people.
When something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Purism sells their phones for 2x the cost, theyre huge and half-done. I would wager that they are a more realistic representation of where the market really is.
One of the developers used to work (maybe a lead?) on Droidian(/maybe Waydroid; I don’t remember, unfortunately) so part of the advancement probably has to do with already having familiarity of the problem-space.
Also, Purism is trying to serve up entirely libre hardware whereas FuriLabs is using Halium to simplify how well things work in the hardware.
So of course Purism is having a much harder time with things.
I support this so much, however due to work, I can not get away from Android/iOS. Many companies want you to install Microsoft Authenticator with this generally wanting to prompt you for MFA authorisation when accessing company resources. On top of this they often want you running Company Portal on your device too if you’re accessing resources such as emails or IM
Then they need to give you a work phone.
My personal phone is rooted. I couldn’t access anything work related (beyond authenticator) on it even if I wanted to.
Android is already the linux phone. It already exist, there is no need to recreate something that exist, it is much easier and more efficient to improve an already working base project.
Every android kernel takes Linux and makes it closed source when the code is included to make it work with the hardware.
And? Do you want a Linux phone or an open hardware phone. One might happen the other not in anything people would want to use.
not really sure what the argument is here, this is a problem about manufactures not publishing their source code for their drrivers and firmware,
having another linux based mobile os would do nothing to solve this issue.
furthermore i doubt grapheneOs would describe their kernel as closed source
We’ve been ‘setting up the ground work’ for Linux on Desktop and Phones for decades. It’s not the groundwork that’s the issue, it’s adoption.
bruh Linux phones don’t even standby working ffs.
Now, why not just fork AOSP a la grapheneos?
Why we always have to invent something new? Why not just take the fork in the road and go build something better from it?
Thinking modern os, not even google has been able to do it (fuchsia).
IMO one of the greatest parts of a pure linux phone is that nothing is new. It runs the same apps as my desktop and works in the same way, so I don’t have to learn two sets of apps. Other than stuff like call management and Phosh, the desktop environment I use that’s tailored for small screens, I run all pre-existing software like systemd, wayland, firefox, nautilus, etc. IMO the biggest hurdle is hardware support, since only a few phones are able to run pure linux, and even on those few, there are still many parts of the hardware that are not supported.
I assume, part of the changes Android has, would be more ways to reduce standby battery drain, tuned to mobile phones?
And maybe their alternative for systemd is more suitable for mobile phones.And since I irrationally favour Linux, perhaps we can come up with a
systemd-mobile, tuned for RISK and ARM based mobile-phone systems, which keeps in mind, power used by cell-radio, WiFi modules, etc.
But of course, first and foremost, we need to have a standardised pre-boot system, like we have for PCs, making it much easier to manage development, without piling up plastic and Silicon paperweights.
Google is becoming more and more a pain the as releasing AOSP. And they’re migrating towards more and more proprietary. I think the worry here is having the work power to keep it updated and maintained.
I’m guessing the idea is that with this effort, it makes more sense to migrate to Linux phones instead.
Pretty much. Google does a lot of heavy lifting, and they have a lot more pull with companies, which is why Android works now.
It really is too bad that Google didn’t have to move Android to the Linux Foundation and make it a true community project.
