[ad_1]
The Purism Librem 5 is one of the few smartphones designed to run free and open source GNU / Linux distributions like Purism’s custom PureOS software. It’s also one of the most expensive, currently selling for $ 899.
But it will become again Following expensive soon. In a move announced earlier this year, Purism recently announced that prices would rise this fall due at least in part to rising supply chain costs due to the global chip shortage. Customers who place an order after November 1, 2021 will be charged $ 1199. And in March 2022, the price will drop to $ 1,299.
By comparison, the cheapest Linux phone on the market is the PinePhone from Pine64, which sells for between $ 150 and $ 200 depending on configuration.
Today you can buy 6 PinePhones for the price of a Librem 5. Soon a Librem 5 will cost around 9 PinePhones.
To be fair, the Librem 5 has a slightly more powerful processor and better graphics than the PinePhone. The cameras are also better. But with a 1.5GHz quad-core ARM-Cortex-A53 processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage, it doesn’t really compete with other phones in its price range.
Purism, however, has been a leading innovator in the Linux telephone space. The company, which has been making Linux laptops since around 2015, first announced plans to develop a Linux phone a few years later. It wasn’t until late 2020 that the phone finally started shipping, and some early customers still haven’t received their Librem 5 phones.
From a software perspective, Purism developed the mobile-friendly Phosh user interface that is now used by a number of mobile Linux distributions, including the company’s Arch, Manjaro, Fedora, Mobian, openSUSE, and PureOS.
So you could certainly argue that buying a Librem 5 is not just an investment in a smartphone with poor specs and ongoing software, but also an investment in developing Linux for phones in general. But with prices going up to $ 1,299 in the coming months, it’s a Major investment.
That said, if you have even more cash in your pocket, you can currently order a Librem 5 USA edition smartphone for $ 1,999 and receive a phone within two months. This model has the same specs as the regular Librem 5, but it’s made in the USA and Purism promises tighter safety through a “secure supply chain”.
via TuxPhones
| Free 5 | |
| Display | 5.7 inch 1440 x 720 pixels IPS LCD |
| Processor | NXP i.MX8M Quad 4 x 1.5 GHz ARM Cortex-A53 processor cores Live GPU GC7000Lite |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage room | 32 GB eMMC microSD |
| Wireless | WiFi 4 (dual band) Bluetooth 4.0 GPS (Teseo LIV3F GNSS) 4G LTE (Broadmobi BM818 or Gemalto PLS8) |
| Ports | USB-C 3.0 3.5mm audio Smartcard |
| Cameras | 13MP rear 8MP before |
| Drums | 4,500 mAh (removable) |
| Sensors | Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Compass / Magnetometer Ambient light |
| Buttons | Power Volume |
| Hardware stop switches | Wi-Fi / bluetooth Cellular base band Cameras / Micro (Disable all three to also disable IMU + Compass, GNSS, Ambient Light, and Proximity Sensors) |
| Dimensions | 153x75x15.5 mm |
| Weight | 263 grams |
| Price | $ 899 (until November 1, 2021) $ 1,199 (after November 1, 2021) |
Latest news from Librem 5
[ad_2]
