this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2025
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Linux Phones

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The Discussion on Linux-based Phones.


Benefits:

  • Hardware freedom.
  • Perfect operating-system competition.
  • Full utilization of specs.
  • Phone lifespan raises to 10+ years.
  • Less e-waste.

Linux Mobile Distros:

  • Postmarket OS
  • Ubuntu Touch
  • Mobian
  • Sailfish
  • Manjaro Arm
  • Pure OS
  • Plasma Mobile
  • LuneOS
  • FuriOS
  • Nemomobile
  • Droidian
  • Mobile NixOS
  • ExpidusOS
  • Maemo Leste
  • Tizen
  • WebOS

Linux Mobile Hardware:

  • Fairphone 5
  • Volla Phone
  • Librem 5
  • PinePhone

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Apple and Google will gladly erase the works of developers to chase profits.

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[–] cryptix@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Hopping Linux phones gets a spot this decade.

[–] Bullerfar@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

I Hope you are right. A european "Android" would be nice.

[–] Sunshine@piefed.social 10 points 1 day ago

We need to talk about them more. A lot of the time when developers go through the efforts of actually building apps rarely do they receive attention. It causes the feelings of “why continue this if nobody else cares.”

Artists want their works appreciated.

[–] BrinkBreaker@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What about dumb phone hardware that can be connected to micro PCs? Like literally a basic as basic can be phone. Then jack that into a basic small computer to supply data/SMS connection. Think the size of a clutch, wallet or smaller?

I know it's not the most practical option, but it would be a literal computer. Linux, Windows or otherwise. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Could be cool. Idk. Like a gun shoulder holster or something.

Or maybe I'm dumb.

[–] IronBird@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

i'v been considering just getting a steam deck and carrying around some gsm router or something to turn it into my own hotspot/phone

[–] horn_e4_beaver@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I'm beginning to think that my next phone will be a (relatively) dumb phone that can do bluetooth + wifi tethering to a small linux tablet.

[–] maximumbird@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It’s hard to find even a flip phone that doesn’t have a GPS antenna that you aren’t allowed to shut off.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

You know you have to connect to cell towers right?

[–] maximumbird@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

Yea I get that. But we control the things we can. The cell signal is pretty far out of reach to try and control.

We used to have phones without a gps chip in them at all, we don’t even get that choice anymore. That’s the point I was trying to make by my comment.

[–] rsolva@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Some tablets and laptops have a SIM-slot, which makes it possible to use a dataSIM. Then it has access to internet independent of your phone.

[–] cryptix@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why not much development with newer hardwares? Most devices are 2021 or older

[–] Sunshine@piefed.social 9 points 1 day ago

I think because how the older devices function is more well documented.

[–] MITM0@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago

First of all we need a way to install linux on android phones. They're literally souped-up Raspberry-Pis with battery backups.

[–] Kalon@lemmy.world 102 points 2 days ago (14 children)

Please let me know viable options.

[–] schwim@piefed.zip 114 points 2 days ago (6 children)

There are no realistic linux options for your phone. These memes are pipe dreams by people that haven't actually looked at how utterly incapable linux currently is at powering a smart phone for normal daily use and how these apps that they're complaining about android and apple are removing won't run on the linux phone in the first place.

[–] sorghum@sh.itjust.works 61 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Sounds like switching will mean we will lose everything we're already losing. Might as well go ahead and quit cold turkey.

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[–] Wahots@pawb.social 27 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's been years, and I still miss windowsphone so much. I knew we were fucked when they axed it and iPhone and android were already starting to stall out with a duopoly.

At one point, we had blackberry, some form of meego, Windowsphone, android and iOS, as well as niche things like jolla and sailfish.

[–] poVoq@slrpnk.net 25 points 1 day ago (20 children)

Eh? Microsoft and Windowsphone basically killed the only real alternative to Android and iOS when they did their hostile takeover of Nokia, and Windowsphone itself was an atrocity that luckily died rather quickly.

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[–] Maiznieks@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Is pinephone still an option? I never got one, any alternatives?

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Lol no, the pinephone had an allwinter processor that would have been fine in ~2014, cant speak to the specs of the pinephone pro, but I would imagine they were better.

The issues with the model I had were mostly hardware related. The expectation of "it just works" are being completed for the linux desktop enviroments now-ish. I have not played with my pinephone in a long while, but linux phones should still be a few years behind.

[–] Ramenator@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I have the original PinePhone lying around, it was honestly already a piece of crap when it came out. Laggy to all hell for me with horrible battery life. Maybe it's gotten better since then, but I can't recommend it

[–] Bahnd@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I had to re-solder my battery contacts. Ended up embedding it into a pipboy like project right after I got my first 3d printer. Its been collecting dust since.

Really, the only thing on it I would like for anyone else to adopt is the hardware switches under the back case. Looking at you Fairphone, steal that. Given the nature of mobile design in [current year], its a wonderful piece-of-mind feature that the nerds who want/can move away from apple and google would really appreciate.

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