Your daily dose of not-linux-gaming news, with an announcement for fans of Linux gadgets and tech as KDE has teamed up with Pine64 to bring out a PinePhone - KDE Community edition.
Sounds like it's going to be quite a nice device for enthusiasts, especially if you're after a proper Linux phone that isn't Android and will respect your privacy - something I've tried to become more conscious of myself over the last few years. For extra privacy and security, and something I wish more phones had, there's hardware kill-switches for the modem, WiFi/Bluetooth, microphone and cameras.
Just as awesome though is that it's been designed for mobile / desktop convergence. So you can hook up a USB-C dock to connect it up with a mouse, keyboard, monitor and more to provide a more desktop-like experience using this useful little device.
I absolutely adore the little Pine icon on the back!
I have to admit, I've always loved the idea of being able to just hook up a tiny portable device like this into a full desktop like environment. While you can build your own using the likes of a Raspberry Pi and other tiny boards, having a ready-made all in one specially made solution is great too.
Here's the specifications they sent over:
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According to the folks at Pine64, the phone will be running mainline Linux and there's open source drivers for all main SoC components. It will be running Plasma Mobile, which is a developed by free software volunteers and you can follow the progress of Plasma Mobile on this dedicated site.
They said that pre-orders will be open on December 1, with "all proceeds" going to the KDE e.V. which is a non-profit that represents the KDE Community in legal and financial matters.
If interested in this Linux phone, you can follow it on Pine64.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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This is the PinePhone CE that I've been holding out for ever since PinePhones started shipping! I will try to get one as soon as I can. In particular, the Convergence variant since it is the higher-end model and comes with a USB hub which could be useful for other devices too.
3 Likes, Who?
I wonder how good the main camera is? The budget android phone I'm currently using is reportedly 12MP, but the pictures are so dreadful I'm convinced it actually uses some kinda horrid 3MP sensor and pushes the image data through a crappy upscaler. The images always look smeary, and in low light scenes (anything besides direct sunlight) additionally look blotchy and blurry. If the PinePhone is a honest good quality 5MP sensor, it might outclass my current device quite easily. Though that isn't hard to do, I swear the Sony Mavica I used in the mid-2000s pumped out better looking pictures more often than my current Android device.
0 Likes
Any word on the price? I would like that but with a bit more ram...
https://pine64.com/product-category/pinephone/?v=0446c16e2e66
Guess same price ? That seems pretty damn cool. I´m itching to get one too. Something that is privacy friendly, cheap AND can plug with keyboad/mouse/screen AND kill switches ? That's seriously great.
2 Likes, Who?
Any word on the price? I would like that but with a bit more ram...
16GB eMMC/2GB of LPDDR3 RAM = 150$
32GB eMMC/3GB of LPDDR3 RAM + HUB = 200$
2 Likes, Who?
Well, I have a braveheart edition, and it's pretty good, but it has its quirks and is most likely not ready as a daily driver yet. It's improving quick, though, and should be mostly there by ~january.
For now, it's quite cool to plug on my USB-C docking station, switch ttys, ans start sway using my laptop/desktop config. Works pretty well, but hangs the phosh interface until a reboot. Maybe I should try Plasma Mobile again.
See Martjin's (from postmarketos) series on the pinephone camera to get a general idea.
It isn't top-notch, but it's passable. It also reflects the improvements that have come in multiple areas for this device: power consumption, audio quality, etc.
For now, it's quite cool to plug on my USB-C docking station, switch ttys, ans start sway using my laptop/desktop config. Works pretty well, but hangs the phosh interface until a reboot. Maybe I should try Plasma Mobile again.
I wonder how good the main camera is? The budget android phone I'm currently using is reportedly 12MP, but the pictures are so dreadful I'm convinced it actually uses some kinda horrid 3MP sensor and pushes the image data through a crappy upscaler. The images always look smeary, and in low light scenes (anything besides direct sunlight) additionally look blotchy and blurry. If the PinePhone is a honest good quality 5MP sensor, it might outclass my current device quite easily. Though that isn't hard to do, I swear the Sony Mavica I used in the mid-2000s pumped out better looking pictures more often than my current Android device.
See Martjin's (from postmarketos) series on the pinephone camera to get a general idea.
It isn't top-notch, but it's passable. It also reflects the improvements that have come in multiple areas for this device: power consumption, audio quality, etc.
2 Likes, Who?
Arehandoro Nov 19, 2020
I have been very unlucky with my PostmarketOS CE Edition. By unlucky I mean; phone won't boot/start from first week, got some component after much battle with Pine to fix it, the component doesn't fix the issue, and probably now repeat the back and forth emails to see if we find the solution.
At this rate, I guess Librem 5, already started shipping, will arrive before I fix the Pinephone hahaha.
At this rate, I guess Librem 5, already started shipping, will arrive before I fix the Pinephone hahaha.
0 Likes
This is the PinePhone CE that I've been holding out for ever since PinePhones started shipping! I will try to get one as soon as I can. In particular, the Convergence variant since it is the higher-end model and comes with a USB hub which could be useful for other devices too.
Interesting! Does it run upstream Mesa and kernel? Also, are there any plans for Plasma Mobile to use gestures, similar to SailfishOS (and to hide navigation buttons like "Home" and etc.)?
Thanks!
0 Likes
I was just looking at some PinePhone videos last night after learning that the Librem 5 was shipping soon and it seemed really slow. I hope the Librem 5 will do better in this regard but there aren't as many videos showing it off.
Still too rich for my blood either way :(
Still too rich for my blood either way :(
0 Likes
slaapliedje Nov 19, 2020
I was just looking at some PinePhone videos last night after learning that the Librem 5 was shipping soon and it seemed really slow. I hope the Librem 5 will do better in this regard but there aren't as many videos showing it off.Still waiting for my Librem 5... sadly the PinePhone isn't really supported in the USA... :( Much like the SailfishOS phones. I miss using my Nokia N9 and N900... Amazingly didn't feel like I was constantly being spied on / advertised to with them....
Still too rich for my blood either way :(
0 Likes
As someone who doesn't currently own a cell phone, I almost feel like buying one of these things and then never getting a phone plan, just to have something to fiddle with like everyone else. Download apps, games or what at home via wifi but continue not having a monthly bill.
Almost.
Almost.
2 Likes, Who?
For those wondering about the PinePhone, here's my 2¢. When the Brave-Heart Edition (1st iteration PinePhone) was announced, I couldn't have been more excited. I refunded my year-late Librem 5 (credit to Purism, the refund was hassleless) and put the funds towards buying what was OS-less phone at the time. Fast forward to November 2020, I just received my Convergence Manjaro PinePhone and placed an order for a replacement mainboard for my Braveheart Edition (hardware bugs on the original board). In that time span, I have played with most major FOSS distributions and mobile shells.
The PinePhone brought back to me that same level of excitement I experienced when running Ubuntu for the first time over a decade ago. The beautiful ability to have "choice" throughout the whole software stack, to be able to dig deep into the core of my computing device, and to be apart of a community who is actively sharing solutions to solve technology challenges. That's the energy surrounding the PinePhone. Everyday the Manjaro sub-forums for Phosh, Lomiri, and Plasma-Mobile variants are a buzz with people posting software successes and failures on their PinePhones. I have seen the same on the Mobian, Postmarket, and UBPorts communication channels. People are pulling together, voluntarily, to make this $150-$200 hardware function. That's exciting! Will it ever be super fast, take eye-popping gorgeous photos, or even last longer than 10 hours on a single charge? Most likely no. However, there is a better than average chance it will it change the way you look at smartphones.
For the first time in my life, I have a smartphone where I can personally replace every part (wish me luck on that mainboard!). I can flash and restore operating systems with such convenience and ease, it is like waking up from a dream. Lastly, there is a subtle and peaceful sense of trust when I see my phone boot to the same OS that powers my daily work and play. If this post resonates with you, it's safe to say you won't be disappointed in purchasing a PinePhone. If your considering this as replacement to your daily driver, I would cautious you away. We're at least a year out from stability, and FOSS app support will take longer. Even once stability is within reach, the performance will only go so high with the Allwinner SOC. However, I will personally see this as a blessing. My smartphone has "taken" too large a role in my life, perhaps this is an opportunity to reclaim some of myself by embracing a simpler way. Time will tell.
The PinePhone brought back to me that same level of excitement I experienced when running Ubuntu for the first time over a decade ago. The beautiful ability to have "choice" throughout the whole software stack, to be able to dig deep into the core of my computing device, and to be apart of a community who is actively sharing solutions to solve technology challenges. That's the energy surrounding the PinePhone. Everyday the Manjaro sub-forums for Phosh, Lomiri, and Plasma-Mobile variants are a buzz with people posting software successes and failures on their PinePhones. I have seen the same on the Mobian, Postmarket, and UBPorts communication channels. People are pulling together, voluntarily, to make this $150-$200 hardware function. That's exciting! Will it ever be super fast, take eye-popping gorgeous photos, or even last longer than 10 hours on a single charge? Most likely no. However, there is a better than average chance it will it change the way you look at smartphones.
For the first time in my life, I have a smartphone where I can personally replace every part (wish me luck on that mainboard!). I can flash and restore operating systems with such convenience and ease, it is like waking up from a dream. Lastly, there is a subtle and peaceful sense of trust when I see my phone boot to the same OS that powers my daily work and play. If this post resonates with you, it's safe to say you won't be disappointed in purchasing a PinePhone. If your considering this as replacement to your daily driver, I would cautious you away. We're at least a year out from stability, and FOSS app support will take longer. Even once stability is within reach, the performance will only go so high with the Allwinner SOC. However, I will personally see this as a blessing. My smartphone has "taken" too large a role in my life, perhaps this is an opportunity to reclaim some of myself by embracing a simpler way. Time will tell.
4 Likes, Who?
It is not easy to completely avoid Google/Apple on mobile phones.
In the EU, the best I have achieved so far is using lineonageOS+gapps pico on android phones. But I still don't think that is good enough, the main problem is the financial apps like BankID. I feel like it is a serious privacy issue that you practically can't pay bills or taxes without an Android or iOS phone.
To me the PinePhone is very interesting for experimenting with things, I would buy one if they had a version with dual-sim slots, or even better I would like quad sim slots myself
In the EU, the best I have achieved so far is using lineonageOS+gapps pico on android phones. But I still don't think that is good enough, the main problem is the financial apps like BankID. I feel like it is a serious privacy issue that you practically can't pay bills or taxes without an Android or iOS phone.
To me the PinePhone is very interesting for experimenting with things, I would buy one if they had a version with dual-sim slots, or even better I would like quad sim slots myself
1 Likes, Who?
It is not easy to completely avoid Google/Apple on mobile phones.
the main problem is the financial apps like BankID. I feel like it is a serious privacy issue that you practically can't pay bills or taxes without an Android or iOS phone.
I'm not understanding the issue. Do you have to pay bills with a cell phone? I do not have any software on my cellphone that deals with financial transactions. I have a financial app on my computer that I use * it is run through https and a VPN. What am I missing?
As for the dependency on Google, it has taken me a while but I am a 100% there except for Google maps. I suggest checking out KolabNow.
3 Likes, Who?
@ronnoc The problem is basically that in some countries at least here in the Nordics, you often have to use a "BankID" application to verify your identity to use various services. It is an electronic identification app that has been adopted by various government, health and financial services.
So for example to pay bills, even though on my computer I would still need to use the app on the mobile for identification. And that is the problem, because it is only supported on Android and iOS. And the security measures of the app require some core google and location services running on the phone for it to work.
So that is my complaint about it, the functionality of the app itself should be secure/safe. But what I don't like is needing to have any Google services on the phone snooping around
Btw I use MAPS.ME as an alternative to google maps
Last edited by awesam on 20 November 2020 at 11:38 am UTC
So for example to pay bills, even though on my computer I would still need to use the app on the mobile for identification. And that is the problem, because it is only supported on Android and iOS. And the security measures of the app require some core google and location services running on the phone for it to work.
So that is my complaint about it, the functionality of the app itself should be secure/safe. But what I don't like is needing to have any Google services on the phone snooping around
Btw I use MAPS.ME as an alternative to google maps
Last edited by awesam on 20 November 2020 at 11:38 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
That’s pretty crazy. What do you do if you don’t have a smartphone?
0 Likes
That’s pretty crazy. What do you do if you don’t have a smartphone?
:D
Well, it worked for decades (or thousands millions of years, whatever you want to count). The same still works, at least here.
I didn't buy one for a long time, but finally felt I had to because some people were hard to reach by anything but WhatsApp (and yes, I still wanted to reach them).
0 Likes
That’s pretty crazy. What do you do if you don’t have a smartphone?
Well it will be miserable, for example:
Banking: You would have to switch to a bank that still offers an alternative identification solution, or has manual physical handling of bill payments (at additional outrageously high fees of course)
Filing Taxes: You could do it by sending traditional paper work, but that comes at a penalty of getting tax refunds several months later than anyone who signed them digitally.
Basically you can still work around not having an electronic identification in most cases, but it is getting increasingly harder and more expensive to do so.
0 Likes
More Linux phones! The more the merrier!
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Banking: You would have to switch to a bank that still offers an alternative identification solution, or has manual physical handling of bill payments (at additional outrageously high fees of course)Wait?! Your country cannot filling or banking via web browser? That's weird.
Filing Taxes: You could do it by sending traditional paper work, but that comes at a penalty of getting tax refunds several months later than anyone who signed them digitally.
3 Likes, Who?
@tonR You can do it via a web browser, but the app is needed to be able to login. Instead of typing username and passwords, you instead are asked to enter social security number, and then on have to launch the app and enter a pin code. So in practice it works like any 2-factor authenticator application, just that it is tied to your social security number.
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