I dont want that of a beast but only a cheap and decent smartphone that will supported by most of the Mobile Linux Distros to use a phone completely privately instead of using android
this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2025
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So a Pixel? Cause every distro I look up Pixels are on it since they are open.
But yea same boat I'm trying to replace my Samsung 21u with something like the pixel and Graphite OS or Lineage OS.
I would like to have the real Linux phones Not just a pixel running a alternative android
Looks expensive... Ugh
The market is saturated with 'high end' smartphones. We need fresh competition for budget options.
"linux phone"
Don't make me tap the sign
What sign?
The one that says that Android is Linux therefore every Android device is a Linux phone (or tablet, etc).
This is often dismissed as a technicality but as every thread on so-called "mobile Linux" demonstrates, so-called "Linux phones" are judged basically on how well they can run Android crapware... just as "desktop Linux" is more or less judged solely on how well it can run Windows apps. Unlike Windows, however, Android is open source(-ish) and already a Linux operating system.
Most people who want to "switch to Linux" don't actually care about Linux, they just want Windows that doesn't suck. I imagine most people who want "mobile Linux" similarly want a non-sucky Android... which actually exists, unlike Windows.
If what you want is "Mobile Linux that can run Android apps" go install GrapheneOS or LineageOS or whatever.
A few points:
- LiberuxNexx sounds like a medication's marketing name.
- It says "2TB storage" then in the details it's actually 256GB + microSD support, which IMHO is very different.
- To me, this just sounds like a new version of the PinePhone Pro or Librem 5. Yes, it's got newer & better hardware, but there's no release date or even price.
What happened to librem anyway? They used to be all the rage, now it's nothing.
They’re still available for sale and they post development updates every month.
It’s just not a popular device.
With the first model costing 2K USD for a mediocre device (4GB RAM, 128GB storage) it's not surprising that they're not that popular. Their 700 USD model only has 3GB of RAM.
I want this to be good, but I agree with all these points, right down to the possibility that we may never even see this thing released.
No it doesn't, when have you ever taken LiberuxNexx two times daily? It sounds like some guy's username on X
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I'm all for it but it's in the cowdfunding stage. We'll have to see what becomes of it.
This feels off. Just the hardware configuration doesnt make any sense. The soc will be over 5 years old when this thing releases. Those four a76 cores @ 2,4 Ghz wont wow you with their performance and would be a downgrade compared to a flagship with a SD865 released 5 years ago. Which is alright by its own tbh. But why the fuck combine it with 32gb of ram? Thats just excessive and apart from hyper specific edge cases this just doesnt make any sense. Especially when looking at the eMMC storage. Personally i already find UFS 3.1 painfully slow when it comes to desktopish usecases sometimes. But eMMC is just pure ass.
This is like buying a pre built with a 12100f with 128gb of ram and only harddrives as storage. Like there is probably a really small market for that. But for everybody else it would be just such a bad choice.
The new eMMCs are 400MB/s (so SATA-ish level) with random writes about there as well, it depends what specifically they'll be using. It's also more power efficient than SSDs, however it can't address more than 256GB (so consider SD speeds too).
There also isn't anything wrong with having a lot of RAM if it doesn't impact the battery considerably. Which it prob does.
Interesting, didnt know about the current state of eMMC. That would be certainly useable if its the new stuff.
Regarding the ram: Yeah, a lot of ram isnt bad. But it also costs money and i dont feel like that amount of ram in combination with the rest of the hardware is too beneficial. Maybe i lack the creativity but i dont see applications where you need that much of ram and wont be bottlenecked by that 5 year old mid tier mobile SOC. Like my desktop gaming rig has 32gb of ram and current flagship phones still use sometimes just 12gb and go up to 24gb in very rare cases. 32gb just feel imbalenced with the rest of the hardware.
Don't forget that Linux isn't isn't nearly as aggressive as Android in killing background processes, which means RAM is far more likely to stay hanging, and you probably don't want to be swapping on the eMMC.
fair, but we're still talking about 32 frigging GB of ram in a phone. not that it should count as a best practice baseline but apple sells 16gb laptops as the entry point and tbf at the moment its just enough and their performance is sitting in a completly different league
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Bus already pointed out about actually having the chance to use the RAM.
In regards to cost - I would be confident they chose what was optimal, you can't compare this to retail PC market, these are specific b2b deals, they could have literally gotten the 32GB chips significantly cheaper than 16GB.
What I'm not confident is battery usage, 32 giggies will use twice the power (which isn't a lot but it is all the time, you don't really turn off RAM) of the exact chip in 16 giggler flavour.
CPU bottlenecking isn't really RAM related. And I wouldn't say nowdays 5 year old CPUs are outdated (like a 5yo chip 10 or 15 years ago). I would use my phone much as my PC, so an old CPU but plenty of RAM sounds about what I want.
Also it's Linux, not some bloated megacorp OS, so it's a bit better, tho apps remain much the same (eg browsers & web pages).
fair enough, maybe i'm stupid(which i am) but give me a usecase for 32gb of ram. completly disregarding the fact that this thing is a phone. Using it as an desktop device via an usb-c hub. when do you need 32gb of ram involving software which isnt bottlenecked by a 5 year old mobile chip? My 12 core AMD 3900X and my 5800X3d ramp up their cooling fans before my RAM gets maxed out with eg Firefox. C'mon i already admitted that there are edge cases. But this configuration is weird man. Especially considering that linux in itself isnt a ram hog in general.
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This has been tried a few times now. Why will this one succeed?
It won't outside small niches. If people can't use their banking apps, it's dead before release.
I agree, Android phones will not have a chance at being successful unless it has a translation layer to run Android apps.
I know things like that exist, but I don’t think it’s anywhere close to having a high compatibility.
Unfortunately with security apps like banking, being able to run android apps is only one of the roadblocks.
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It bugs me how, within a month after Apple releases a new iPhone, small-time manufacturers put together the hardware, custom ROMs, and tooling to pump out bespoke knock-offs of the latest model. Which sell for maybe $200. While we're stuck worrying that the development of a new Linux phone, with completely ordinary hardware by today's standards, might get mismanaged to hell or ends up costing a fortune.
i think that's not a great way to think about it. when is the year of the linux desktop? its a slow build until its a viable ecosystem.
if companies just stopped making linux phones, the ecosystem would wither up and die (not counting postmarketos)
every new linux phone will inspire new people to try linux on a phone, and eventually we may have a viable alternative to ios and android.
If it was going to be any year, and yes I know this is said a lot, it would be this year. With Win10 support ending, a bunch of Millennials are going to install it on their Boomer parent's computers. You have the German government installing it on every computer they run. Major companies like Lenovo releasing handhelds with it pre-installed.
I have absolutely no faith in this project whatsoever, there is a 99% chance itll fail like all Linux phones and tbh they all deserve to. Not a single mobile Linux OEM has even the slightest idea what the average person wants, hell im a highly technical Linux enthusiast and it doesn't even do what I want. The average person wants:
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- A good screen
- Decent performance
- A good camera
- Software good enough to tie everything together in a cohesive experience (this one especially they lack in)
Meanwhile more technical people (such as myself) want:
- Good security (both hardware level security and software level security)
- A relockable bootloader (with it being locked from shipping)
- Extended software support (including firmware and microcode updates)
- The ability to seamlessly work on multiple different sim networks
- Longevity (I should not need to get a new one once every three years)
- Reparability
- Software that can accommodate technical usecases without falling apart
Meanwhile Linux phones:
- Can be a portable programming station (why???? No genuenly why would anyone want to do this???? Just get a cheap Thinkpad)
- Can run desktop software (ok thats neat I guess but not neat when all the software is optimized for desktops, the downsides to this completely overshadow any tiny benefit this may provide)
- Have support for multiple mobile Linux distros (congratulations, you have multiple choices and they all suck)
- Have support multiple WMs/DEs (and they're all either under maintained, not maintained at all, or they just suck)
- Have extensive software customization (its a phone, why on earth would I want that???)
- Are cheap (sometimes, also I can just get a cheap used Google Pixel 7)
- Run faster (except not when you take into account the significantly worse hardware)
I hope the emphasis on wireless display tech doesn't mean they are skimping on usb-c video out. That is the only bugger I currently see.
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Bookmarked, will definitely give this a look.
@KarnaSubarna it needs to be able to run Netflix, banking apps and McD app (has very high security requirements - hard to get working on LineageOS f.ex.
If it solves those - I think it could be hugely popular - as the first fully useable phone, for those wanting to regain control over their phone and data.
It needs to run the McD app... JFC....
Is running the McDonald’s app the “can it run doom” of FOSS Linux phones or are you just morbidly obese?
@ocean LOL. we almost never eat there - but I've just noticed its the one app that has the highest security requirements (and my kids ask if I have an offer from mcd they can use when we pass it :) - so its the only app I never made run on LineageOS (netflix etc. I got working fine). So its a good test.
That’s quite funny that’s the case :) How’re you enjoying the OS? Do other fast food apps like BK work?
@ocean and yes - its really absurd that my bank apps "just work" - but netflix (I get that with DRM crap requirements) and then McD has so high security requirements. really annoying MicroG can't implement this - afaik because of google's proprietary "security level" whatever check.. but managed to "fix" enough for everything but mcd last time.. haven't solved it on latest LineageOS unfortunately :(
Annoying Chromecast is proprietary, really hope @EUCommission would look into monopoly of it
@ocean I've been using LineageOS for 7+ years. Always preferred full open source. got 99% working (all except that mcd app :)
I'd be able to move many to an open source app - but only those of us who can live with stuff like this - is going to use it, if it can't support it. We really should fix these silly things, so we can run open source on our phones too - instead of our laptops only.
What phones have you been using it on? I’ve been interesting in a FOSS phone. I also don’t like that only my computers and servers can run Linux.
@ocean my oldest was a google nexus 5 - worked great. Latest is a fairphone 5 - haven't gotten lineageOS working with the "latest edition" of magisk. LineageOS has a long list of phones it works on. Pick any.
If anyone wants to win a bigger market they need to make a phone that can run ALL android apps.. I'm sure there's legal threats holding lineageOS from doing so though :(
I thought this was the first usable linux phone?
Wao, this is not bad at all. I wonder how it behaves as a daily driver. It would probably be easy for me to adopt as I don't have a single mainstream app in my phone at all.
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