It says on the roadmap that smartphones pre-loaded with /e/ were meant to start selling this month. I’m just wondering if that date has changed and when I can expect to see these get released. I’m really looking forward to buying an /e/ smartphone!
Discussions are on to make this happen ASAP. Once we have something concrete it will be announced.
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Oh nice. I was close to buy a Pocophone to install eelo but i will wait a little bit. Hope it won’t take too long 
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That’s good news! I am also waiting for a smartphone pre-loaded with /e/
Looking forward to it I hope that selling smartphones will give some financial traction to the e-foundation team.
I also wonder how the device’s warranty will be affected, but honestly I wouldn’t mind to have one without. The only times a smartphone failed on me was due to some sort of accident
Do you have any updates?
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@Jkbains unfortunately as yet there are no updates. One option we are looking at is starting a ROM Flashing service wherein the users send their phones to us and we flash the ROM on them…through post. Still under discussions though.
The issue with getting smartphone manufacturers to directly flash our ROM on new devices is as you may be aware, Google has got most of the big names under the Android Anti-Fragmentation Agreement which forbids them from flashing ROM’s other than Google. Even forks of Google are not allowed.
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@Manoj @GaelDuval @patrick
Would it be possible to develop software that would allow to install ROM / e / more easily directly by users.
The current procedure is tedious.
It will scare the novice or uncomfortable with this kind of procedure.
A simple software to install on a windows or linux PC that would install the prerequisites on the computer and just a button to install the rom after plugging the phone into fastboot mode. Then the software does the work of unlocking the bootloader, installing the custom recovery and flash / e / rom.
With adb command, it is possible to unlock the bootloader without having to ask the manufacturers unlocking the phone. I use the adb command to unlock and lock the bootloader of my Xiaomi phones without problems.
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It seems have changed last october :
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/google-android-changes-eu-ruling
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@Manoj @lcjmle This is an idea I totally support…
I got this idea too, was searching the forum on this topic and found @lcjmle already posted this.
It’s currently way too complicated, we need something better!
Really nothing to add, @lcjmle’s idea is excellent.
One install, plug in the phone, one click, and wait for /e/ to be installed. 
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Dear all, regarding the “anti-fragmentation agreements” by Google as discussed above, please see Status on new phone roadmap
I think /e/ OS on Shift devices would be awesome!! Tablets, Phones, Convergence…!!!
What’s not to like?
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I agree.
Especially the 5" version, considering it’s pretty hard to buy a small phone these days.
Mediatek SoCs are not to like, because Mediatek don’t have a good track record when it comes to possible LineageOS support, which is the base for /e/.
(For what it’s worth, they don’t seem to have a good track record for long stock Android support either.)
SHIFT promise support to Custom ROM communities for their 6mq phone, but not for their 5me/ 6m phones … spot the difference 
.
By the way, having their 5me/ 6m shipped with Android 8.0, thanks to Mediatek they are stuck at 8.1 according to their own support.
And a LineageOS 15.1 (Android 8.1) try for the 5me/ 6m went into trouble shortly after its start and looks abandoned for a while now (see here ).
Their Qualcomm-based devices could have better chances for LineageOS and /e/ support, though. Supposedly LineageOS for the 6mq is in the works.
Mediatek SoC, I’m not holding my breath.
The Gigaset GS290 has a Mediatek SoC as an /e/ device sold by the e foundation, for instance, it will be interesting to see how far they can take it, software-wise.
@AnotherElk @dotcoma
Mediatek doesn’t have a good track record eh? Clearly, not so encouraging 
But if MediaTek is bad, then what SoCs would you recommend?
I always thought that the MediaTek Helio SoCs were meant to address the issues of the old chips.
But if anything the takeaway from Shift, Fairphone, & Teracube is that a modular phone can be practical and worth the time.
In the case of /e/ …if they partnered with shift it would be just that. Not to mention I would imagine /e/ would have some input as to what hardware they would choose in any /e/ variant. This would definitely be in reference to the SoC. As for software support that would be on /e/, not shift.
I like the idea of a long last partnership like Fairphone but it seems Fairphone is not global, as of yet. Teracube seems to fit the global aspect but there is only one option. Shift seems to have greater potential in the choice of modular phones as well as being global.
However that is the point of the forums page. To get feedback on ideas.
What would you suggest? What other companies do you think could fit the above areas of interest?
I answered that already.
Although ideal for the future would be open hardware.
I have Fairphones 2 and 3, so I can say you are right with that .
That would remain to be seen.
Software support for e.g. the Fairphone 3/3+ isn’t entirely on /e/ currently.
Fairphone get Qualcomm software updates for the Snapdragon 632 SoC of the Fairphone 3/3+ and incorporate them into their Fairphone OS. /e/ import those updates into /e/ for the Fairphone 3/3+ (for an example look for the “we imported” part here).
The “Vendor security patch level” in the Android settings refers to these SoC vendor software parts.
Would software support be possible without SoC vendor support?
Fairphone are doing it for the Fairphone 2 this way with their official Android 7 and Android 9, and it seems to be a pain in the behind, eat considerable developing resources, and there seem to be limits of what can be done within the limits of Google certification for the official OS (which
Custom ROMs like e.g. LineageOS can ignore).
The Fairphone 2 is not a project Treble phone, however. Newer (and thus project Treble) phones supposedly should be in a better position, so let’s see how software support will play out for those.
You gave no recommendations. All you said was:
That’s not a recommendation as much as giving a possibility of something being better. That gives no definitive answer as to what you would really and truly endorse as a superior option. I still do not see why the Helio SoCs could not be an option. If you have more information to clarify as to why they are just not a good move please share. I am all about learning here 
Glad we can agree there. But to reach a global market we need something in line with that. The Teracube phones seem to achieve that, and they are doing it with a Helio SoC. But the current iteration does not seem to offer the quality of the Fairphone. So there has to be a space where furture /e/ phones would be the merging of the two; A quality phone which is sustainable like both the Fairphone AND the Teracube. AS WELL as offer 2 or 3 model options ALONG WITH a global reach.
It would be ideal. No question. However…if we were to work with what we do have, what would that be?
Are there SoCs out there that are global? Would something like an Exynos SoC be an option…or something to that effect? What other options are there besides Qualcomm?
Only of /e/ could collaborate and make it’s own custom SoC right? Imagine an Exynos chip tailored to /e/'s needs for long-term support! Like Google did with Samsung! 
That is already understood. We know the firmware is for the SoC comes from the manufacturer. I was mainly referring to the OS itself.
This definitely is worth keeping and eye on yes. Just trying to brainstorm here.
If you have more thoughts keep them coming.