[PLUG-TALK] Librem phone?

[John Jason Jordan]

On Thu, 28 Feb 2019 13:43:00 -0800
Dick Steffens <dick at dicksteffens.com> dijo:

>Okay. So that's showing my ignorance around SIM cards and such. But I 
>get the general idea. It remains a product worth looking in on from
>time to time.

I spent some time perusing their user forums, where there are
occasional official insertions from staff. Some additional facts:

1. Everything will have visible screws and modular components so you
can make repairs. The whole philosophy is to be a phone that you won't
have to throw away in a few years because of a need for repairs or the
advance of technology.

2. The modem will be on an M.2 card and user replaceable, so when 5G
becomes readily available you can upgrade your own phone. Ditto for
needing to change the frequencies that it can use, in case you need to
move to Europe, etc.

3. Initially the North American version will be GSM capable only. For
North American users this means T-Mobile and AT&T, and other carriers
that use their cell networks, e.g., MetroPCS. It will not include
Verizon or Sprint, but that is planned for the future.

4. Initially it will come with a complete suite of apps for things that
most users will want (web browser, e-mail, SMS, Facebook, Twitter,
etc.) You will not be able to run regular Android apps, but an
abstraction layer is planned that will allow you to run Android or
iPhone apps inside a secure shell.
    This may be a hangup for many people, including me. I have apps for
three different banks on my Note 3, plus apps for Kaiser Permanente and
other health issues. One of the bank apps is for a small, local credit
union. I doubt they have the resources to port their app to the Librem
phone, and I have a hard time believing that the current Android app
will work in the abstraction layer. 

5. The size will be 5.7" diagonal, with smaller and larger versions to
appear later, including a tablet.

6. The initial release is slated for Q3 2019. The final price will be
$700, but you can get a discount with a paid pre-order. I didn't place
an order, but 3500 people already have. I remember Shuttleworth's
failed attempt at crowd-funding the Ubuntu phone, and this looks more
likely to succeed.

I echo Dick's comment, it's 'worth looking in on from time to time.'
But I'm not holding my breath.