... | ... | @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ This [article](https://amosbbatto.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/decide-pinephone-vs-l |
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* One of the goals behind the Librem 5 is to [drive change](https://youtu.be/3sus1_7FJ4E?t=490) up the [supply chain](https://youtu.be/z3q6qPEtiYE?t=987) by working with good component suppliers that [take feedback](https://puri.sm/about/manufacturing-and-sourcing/) and will work for free software compatibility.
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* Buying the Librem 5 helps pay for development costs of Phosh and the adaption of existing GTK desktop apps, so that the GNOME ecosystem can be used on mobile devices, and many people want to be able to use standard Linux software on their phones.
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* Buying the Librem 5 helps pay for new components ([i.MX 8M](https://puri.sm/posts/purism-linux-5-3/), [LM3692*x*](https://wp.puri.sm/posts/purisms-contributions-to-linux-5-5-and-5-6/), [MAX17055](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=bc90705bbb570b2507353ba10d6b6788cfb119b1), [LSM9DS1](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=52f4b1f1967984b118efeda9d3694c57cf089415), [BQ25890](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=5c35ba9b4743ac82613e8ff306287c8837f21f24)) to be added to mainline Linux.
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* The Librem 5 was designed to avoid planned obsolescence with lifetime software updates, upstreaming code to parent projects for long-term support, using a well-maintained GTK/GNOME stack that will provide future updates, replaceable WiFi/BT and cellular modem on two M.2 cards, and an SoC manufacturer that promises 10 years of production and contributes to the mainline Linux kernel for future updates.
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* The Librem 5 was designed to avoid planned obsolescence with lifetime software updates, upstreaming code to parent projects for long-term support, using a well-maintained GTK/GNOME stack that will provide future updates, replaceable WiFi/BT and cellular modem on two M.2 cards, and an SoC manufacturer that promises 15 years of production (till Jan. 2033) and contributes to the mainline Linux kernel for future updates.
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* The Librem 5 provides better privacy with accessible hardware kill switches, [software switches](https://wp.puri.sm/posts/lockdown-mode-on-the-librem-5-beyond-hardware-kill-switches/) to turn off GNSS and individual sensors, [customized web browser](https://wp.puri.sm/posts/an-epiphany-regarding-purebrowser/) preconfigured for privacy, and optional [Librem One](https://librem.one/) web services.
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* The Librem 5 should offer better convergence for use as a PC, because it has a faster USB 3.0 port, better graphics performance and better video out than the PinePhone, and it uses the standard GNOME desktop and GTK software, which is better than upsizing mobile apps.
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* The i.MX 8M Quad processor in the Librem 5 [offers](Benchmarks) 35% better integer performance, 50% better floating point performance and 140% better GPU performance than the Allwinner A64 in the PinePhone, plus the Librem 5 uses a 160% faster RAM standard (LPDDR4-3200 vs LPDDR3-1104), should have 4 times the USB speed (150-170MB/s vs 40MB/s), and has 3 times the number of camera pixels (13/8 MP vs 5/2 MP).
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... | ... | @@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ Some innovations prove to be unimportant and others have huge impact on the mobi |
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\* The Librem 5 was first to release a development batch, but PinePhone was the first to reach mass production, so it can be argued which was the first to introduce hardware kill switches. The Librem 5's kill switches are *easily accessible* on the side of the case, whereas the PinePhone contains DIP switches that can only be reached by removing the back cover, and some of them don't have good software integration to handle being turned on/off while using the phone and inform the user of their status.
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† The Librem 5 [uses proprietary code](https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurdle/) to do the training of the RAM's DDR4 timing which is stored on a separate SPI NOR Flash chip and executed by U-Boot on the separate Cortex-M4F core. In addition, there is proprietary firmware in many components such as the [BM818](http://www.broadmobi.com/en/module_show.php?id=18)/[PLS8](https://storage.pardot.com/128881/202595/Thales_Cinterion_PLS8_Datasheet.pdf) cellular modems, [RS9116](https://www.silabs.com/wireless/wi-fi/rs9116-wi-fi-transceiver-modules) Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, image sensors, etc.
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† The Librem 5 [uses proprietary code](https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurdle/) to do the training of the RAM's DDR4 timing which is stored on a separate SPI NOR Flash chip. U-Boot is executed on the separate Cortex-M4F core, which sends the proprietary code to execute in the RAM controller's ARC core in the i.MX 8M Quad processor. In addition, there is proprietary firmware in many components, such as the [BM818](http://www.broadmobi.com/en/module_show.php?id=18)/[PLS8](https://storage.pardot.com/128881/202595/Thales_Cinterion_PLS8_Datasheet.pdf) cellular modems, [RS9116](https://www.silabs.com/wireless/wi-fi/rs9116-wi-fi-transceiver-modules) Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, image sensors, etc.
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### 1.6. How does the Librem 5 compare to other Linux phones (PinePhone, Volla Phone, Cosmo, etc.)?
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... | ... | @@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ For more info, see the article, "[The strategic advantages of Phosh for mobile L |
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Purism has made an unprecedented promise that the Librem 5 will get lifetime software updates. Some people have expressed skepticism that Purism can fulfill this promise, but Purism has designed the Librem 5 and its software stack in ways that will make it much easier and more economical for Purism to provide future software updates.
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The integrated mobile system on a chip (SoC) used in most mobile phones, like the Snapdragon, Exynos, Helios, Tiger/SCxxxx, Kirin and Surge, are only produced for 1 - 2 years and only receive firmware and driver updates from the manufacturer for 2.5 - 3.5 years. Once the chip manufacturer stops supporting a mobile SoC, it is difficult for the phone maker to keep providing software updates, and most of the mobile industry runs on planned obsolescence to generate more sales, so there is little economic incentive for phone makers to support old hardware. [Over 40% of the Android devices](https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/03/more-than-one-billion-android-devices-at-risk-of-malware-threats/) in use are no longer gettting security updates, so over a billion Android devices are at risk of being compromised by recent security holes which are not being patched.
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The integrated mobile system on a chip (SoC) used in most mobile phones, like the Snapdragon, Exynos, Helios, Tiger/SCxxxx, Kirin and Surge, are only produced for 1 - 2 years and only receive software updates from the manufacturer for 2.5 - 4 years. Once the chip manufacturer stops supporting a mobile SoC, it is difficult for the phone maker to keep providing software updates, and most of the mobile industry runs on planned obsolescence to generate more sales, so there is little economic incentive for phone makers to support old hardware. [Over 40% of the Android devices](https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/03/more-than-one-billion-android-devices-at-risk-of-malware-threats/) in use are no longer gettting security updates, so over a billion Android devices are at risk of being compromised by recent security holes which are not being patched.
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Even when the maker of an Android phone wants to keep providing software updates, the mobile industry often prevents it. Fairphone had the goal of providing at least 5 years of software updates for the Fairphone 2, which contains a Snapdragon 801 processor and was first released in December 2015 with Android 5.1 Lollipop. None of the Android phones with the Snapdragon 800/801 that were released in 2013-4 [got upgraded to Android 7 (Nougat)](https://www.androidauthority.com/android-7-0-snapdragon-800-801-712930/) in 2016-7, because Qualcomm decided that it wouldn’t release updated graphics drivers for the Snapdragon 800/801 because it was too old. Others say that the reason the Snapdragon 800/801 couldn’t be officially upgraded to Nougat is because it lacked hardware AES encryption and full disk encryption was mandated by Nougat’s Android Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) and it couldn’t pass the encryption speed requirements of the Android Compatibility Test Suite (CTS). Because Fairphone needs to provide its users with access to the Google Play Store and Google Web Services (such as Google Maps), it can only provide upgrades to Android that meet Google's standards.
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... | ... | @@ -1248,7 +1248,7 @@ Because all the drivers used by the Librem 5 are free/open source, the community |
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Purism designed Phosh to be a thin overlay on top of a Linux + Wayland + wlroots + GTK + GNOME middleware stack, so it can be easily incorporated into existing distros. Phosh is already included in Debian, Arch, Manjaro, Fedora, openSUSE, postmarketOS, Mobian, NixOS and PinePhone's PureOS fork. Libhandy, Calls and Chats (i.e. Chatty) have been included as official GNOME projects. Two thirds of PinePhone users report using Phosh and postmarketOS and Mobian developers already commit upstream to Phosh. As mobile Linux grows, Purism can expect to receive more outside help in maintaining its software.
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Purism created the libhandy library so that it could adapt the interface of existing GTK/GNOME desktop software to work in a mobile environment. Because Purism chose to adapt existing desktop GTK/GNOME software, rather than making new mobile apps, it can count on the developers of those desktop applications to keep providing software updates in the future. Because Purism is upstreaming many of its code changes to these desktop applications, it should be able to use their future versions inside Phosh with little or no modification.
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Purism created the libhandy and libadwaita libraries so that it could adapt the interface of existing GTK/GNOME desktop software to work in a mobile environment. Because Purism chose to adapt existing desktop GTK/GNOME software, rather than making new mobile apps, it can count on the developers of those desktop applications to keep providing software updates in the future. Because Purism is upstreaming many of its code changes to these desktop applications, it should be able to use their future versions inside Phosh with little or no modification.
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Unlike other mobile desktop environments (Ubuntu Touch, KDE Plasma Mobile, LuneOS and Sailfish OS) which rely on mobile stacks such as Halium and Mer Project, PureOS/Phosh is based on using the existing desktop software stack of GKT/GNOME, which is well maintained and has a lot of corporate support from IBM/Red Hat, SUSE, Canonical and Google, so it can count on future software updates.
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... | ... | @@ -2043,9 +2043,11 @@ The mobile industry is based on planned obsolescence to generate increased sales |
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* _The increasing use of sealed cases makes it more difficult and expensive to repair mobile phones, making it more likely that a damaged phone will be junked rather than fixed._<br>Sealed cases are usually held together with glue (rather than plastic pressure tabs and screws) and they require the use of heat guns, suction cups and plastic spudgers to be opened. It takes longer to carry out repairs and it is more expensive because new seals and glue have to be reapplied each time the case is opened.
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* _Changing the back case material from plastic or metal to glass has increased the probability that the back cover will be damaged in a drop._<br>43% ([75](https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2020&nYearMax=2020&sBodyBacks=3&sOSes=2,3,4,5,6,7,9) out of [174](https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2020&nYearMax=2020&sBodyBacks=1,2,3&sOSes=2,3,4,5,6,7,9)) of the new smartphone models introduced so far in 2020 have glass backs, according to the gsmarena.com database.
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* _Changing the back case material from plastic or metal to glass has increased the probability that the back cover will be damaged in a drop._<br>38% ([119](https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2020&nYearMax=2020&sBodyBacks=3&sOSes=2,3) out of [313](https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2020&nYearMax=2020&sBodyBacks=1,2,3,5&sOSes=2,3)) of the new smartphone models introduced in 2020 had glass backs, according to the gsmarena.com database.
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The Librem 5 avoids all these design changes which promote planned obsolescence. It is designed to be easy to open and fix. The battery can be replaced without using any tools and it only uses standard Philips screws. Purism promises to [sell replacement parts](https://forums.puri.sm/t/battery-for-librem-5/6643/5), so it should be repairable. The only drawbacks in its design are:
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* _Use of non-standard aspect ratios, specialty OLED screens, and under-screen components, which makes it difficult to source replacement screens and raises the cost of screen repair._<br>Before the Essential PH-1 in 2017 started the trend to use taller non-standard aspect ratios, most phones had a 16:9 aspect ratio. Rather than using 18:9 as the new standard, the phone makers are using all sorts of aspect ratios, and many phones are now using specialty OLED screens that can only be made by a single supplier (like Samsung, LG, BOE or Japan Display). The introduction of under-screen fingerprint readers by the vivo X20 Plus UD in 2018, in-screen speakers by the LG G8 ThinQ in 2019 and under-screen cameras and light sensors by the ZTE Axon 20 5G in 2020 is making screens significantly more expensive to replace.
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The Librem 5 avoids all these design changes which promote planned obsolescence. It is designed to be easy to open and fix. The battery can be replaced without using any tools and it only uses standard Philips screws. It uses a 9:1Purism promises to [sell replacement parts](https://forums.puri.sm/t/battery-for-librem-5/6643/5), so it should be repairable. The only drawbacks in its design are:
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* Its 4500 mAh battery uses a custom form factor, so it can only be obtained from Purism and will likely be expensive due to its low manufacturing volume.
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* Its screen will be fused to the frame, so it will be more expensive to replace.
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