Hello,
Was just wondering if /E/ plans on releasing their own branded smartphone in the future. I know that there is going to be a name change in the spring of 2020 with the release of V1 along with a new brand for more “consumer-oriented devices”.
HI @opensource that would certainly be the ideal situation for us. Unfortunately we have not been able to get vendors who are willing to produce devices with /e/OS on them. Google has most major manufacturers on what it calls anti-fragmentation agreement which prevents them from selling phones with an OS other than google’s version of android. Even OS forked from AOSP - which will cover lineageOS and /e/ are not allowed. This in a way narrows the scope of possibilities for us. The search continues…
Hi Manoj, I guess that explains why there’s such interest in making /e/ portable to devices like the PinePhone. A pity but let’s see if there’s better luck coming up this year.
On a similar note, would you mind sharing how is the of selling refurbished phones going? Is it a viable alternative for now until /e/ gains some momentum, and hopefully in the future arrange a partnership with some manufacturer?
Thanks,
The last time I checked we had sold about 500 ‘ephones’. We are looking and actively talking to various vendors to support on more refurbished brands . The discussions with manufacturers are also on. Lets see how it all turns out.
Yes, this is the type of releationship /e/ is going to need if it is to go anywhere large (i.e. the third major operating system).
(and, to be honest, probably the largest mobile OS in 15 years, right?? 
) I hope /e/ can establish this relationship with at least 4 manufacturers in the coming year.