Alternative to Android phones – Microsoft could have created the most dangerous competition for Android and iOS mobile systems dominating the market, but everyone knows how a smaller version of Windows ended. This does not mean, however, that others have not tried to create alternatives to Google and Apple platforms. They still do it, the best example of which is Librem 5 by Purism. What is hidden under this name?
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A new alternative to Android and iOS hardware
Purism is a company that deals with the market of secure laptops on a daily basis. Its offer now includes Librem notebooks (models 11, 13 and 15), which are normally based on a simple-to-use Linux distribution called PureOS . Users can also use the more advanced Qubes OS solution, which is based on virtual machines.
Details about them are not important now. It is important that the company wants to expand its range of secure solutions to include smartphones, but it needs the support of users in a crowdfunding company. How does Purism convince those interested?
The Americans (founded in San Francisco in 2014) present an old and well-known song. Their goal is to create a secure smartphone that will not be tracked as Android or iOS devices, and users will be able to do with it almost anything they like. Purism wants to reach, among others:
- Linux enthusiasts who would like to use the mobile versions of their selected distribution on a daily basis;
- people who are very restrictive about privacy and do not want to use “equipment that tracks their every step”;
- employees of companies who care about secure solutions with connection and message encryption;
- developers of applications and websites who would like to be able to deeply interfere with the smartphone software and modify them on their own.
Will this work out? About this in a moment. Before that, it’s worth taking a look at the smartphone itself, which may be marketed under the name Librem 5 .
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What lies under the name Librem 5
Purism has not yet revealed specific data on the specifications of its smartphone – it only revealed what users can expect, stipulating that the final equipment may still change. At the moment, it looks like Librem 5 is to have, among others:
- 5-inch screen with unknown parameters;
- 3 GB LPDDR3 RAM;
- 32 GB eMMC 5.1 memory;
- microSD card slot;
- main camera with light emitting diode;
- front camera for video calls;
- headphone jack 3.5 mm;
- Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi 802.11;
- USB type C with USB Host function;
- sensors, such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, digital compass;
- proximity and lighting sensor.
The equipment will operate on a SoC (system-on-a-chip) solution from the i.MX line, which were developed by Freescale Semiconductor and are currently developed by NXP Semiconductors. Initially, microcontrollers from the i.MX 6 line were discussed, but now Purism is talking about the possibility of using a newer i.MX 8 system .
However, the specific model was not disclosed, so you can expect at least four Cortex-A53 cores , an auxiliary Cortex-M4 unit and the Vivante graphics system . This does not sound particularly promising, the more that you should not count on the latest communication modules – mention of Bluetooth 4.
Cellular modems will be added separately (not part of the SoC ) as in many older systems. The most interesting option when it comes to hardware is to be able to turn off the camera hardware, Wi-Fi modules, Bluetooth and cellular connectivity or microphone.
Many possibilities of using the Librem 5 model
Americans tell a lot about the software used in the Librem smartphone. This equipment is normally based on the PureOS mentioned above . The mobile version of this system at the start is to give access to basic applications such as a dialer, email client, message program, camera application or web browser.
Other native programs are to be created after the equipment enters the market. This applies not only to Purism solutions, but also to applications created by independent developers or third parties with whom the Americans intend to get along. PureOS also supports HTML5 technology , which allows the use of popular web services in the form of applications.
The manufacturer also promises the option of encrypting phone calls and sent messages, which is to be prepared in cooperation with Matrix . Approximately 2 million users around the world are expected to use its solutions.
There were also options for more advanced Linux fans.
Purism promises that other Linux distributions can be installed on Librem 5
In addition to PureOS, you will probably be able to bet on the phone, among others Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Suse, Arch Linux (for ARM systems) or SubgraphOS with KDE and Gnome desktop environments.
It is also worth mentioning the possibility of connecting a monitor and peripherals to Librem 5 , which is to turn the equipment into an alternative to a desktop computer. Canonical has boasted a similar solution in mobile Ubuntu, so it’s not surprising that Purism is following a similar path. It is a pity that the company does not reveal any details about this solution.
Purism can still be lucky, thanks to which it will launch Librem 5 for sale. This does not mean, however, that it will manage to arouse more interest in the product or find regular partners, which will allow you to calmly develop smaller mobile devices.
I will not even write about the opportunities to compete with the androids or iPhones of a product that does not yet have a clear form. There is still no more information about Librem 5 than is known, so it can only be treated as another curiosity based on the eternally vivid idea of smartphones on mobile Linux.
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