The Linux phone Librem 5 from Purism is shipping

After a long wait, there is now a shipping schedule for the Linux-based Librem 5 from Purism! Although this is probably not what most supporters wanted when they were told “delivery in Q3 of 2019” (after being delayed twice already), it is a start. Read about it here.

The phone will run on PureOS, a Purism-managed distro that they have been working hard to modify for a touchscreen/phone interface, both building on earlier Linux phone attempts, and starting initiatives of their own. They have a goal of upstreaming everything they do as well.

The hardware is the real kicker – all firmware is open-source. Gael has expressed an interest in running /e/ on it.

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https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/pureos-mobile/
The first Non-Android smartphone, so the only truly Google-free smartphone.

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There have been Ubuntu touch and Firefox OS phones earlier also.
The question of open source hardware is important though.
We are looking at the Pine phone too.

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Ubuntu Touch has come a long way, though its only available officially to flash on a few devices. And there’s also Sailfish OS, though outside of having the built in browser set to goolag as the default search engine I’m not sure how much other goolag is in it…

UB-ports (formerly Ubuntu Touch) and Sailfish OS are Android too, and Android = G00gle. /e/ is the best ungoogled mobile OS so far and that’s why I am using it.

How is Sailfish android? And UB-ports for that matter?

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afaik sailfishOS is not android, but linux based (meego) with an android compatibility layer to install apps.
https://sailfishos.org/info/
Only drawback I found regarding the project is the limited device compatibility which is why I ended up getting /e/ instead

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My link to /e/ on the Purism forum is evidently quite popular. I think that even after I eventually have an operating Librem 5, I will still have need for an Android phone, and /e/ will be my OS. Others may be thinking the same!