purism

The Librem 5 is Purism's re-envisioning what a smartphone could be and should be. It runs on Purism's own Linux distribution PureOS, which is certified by the Free Software Foundation to be free of non-transparent, proprietary code such as many commercial products use.

The "Evergreen" batch of Librem 5 phones is the first official production model, and possesses unique qualities not found in most smart phones:
* Hardware switches to turn on/off camera, microphone, WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular connection.
* Easily removeable battery for easy replacement.
* Easy access to replace the cellular modem and the WiFi/Bluetooth circuitry
* Updates to the PureOS operating system for the long term, not just a few years.
* Connection via USB-C to an external monitor.
* Does not inherently track customers' usage of the phone and apps.

As of December 2020, this "Evergreen" batch of phones does not have a sleep function, so battery life is very short. The microphone of this particular Librem 5 is described as sounding "muffled" and "under water" compared to other smart phones. Purism promises continuous improvements to both the phone's operating system and the Linux kernel that interacts with this promising hardware. At this time, the phone is not usable as a "daily driver".

Useful links about the Librem 5 including video tours:

https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/

https://puri.sm/posts/why-fsf-endorsing-pureos-matters/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaRf8JBL7tE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aQp3twe7D4

Michael and Ryan from Destination Linux join me to tease a huge announcement slated for September 15, then we settle in for a discussion about Purism's Librem 5 delay, and the overall landscape of alternate mobile operating systems. Plus a Discovery of the Week that archives the webgames of the past, Manjaro levels up. then some sweet electronica from open source musician Ten Of Eleven! POST-RECORDING UPDATE: In this episode we were puzzled over Purism not posting any actual photos of the Librem 5 that was shipping. Apparently they did post more than a mockup of the Librem 5, but curiously, they only posted it on Mastodon. Here's the link for you to check it out: https://social.librem.one/@purism/102740815257018934 Special Guests: Michael Tunnell and Ryan (aka DasGeek).

We react to the "ship date" of the Librem 5, and look back at when it was first announced. Then our take on what steps Pursim could take to turn this situation into a net postive.