The Purism Librem 5 Linux smartphone has had a long and storied journey. Purism was one of the first companies to announce plans to release a smartphone capable of running software based on a mainline Linux kernel… but it took years for the company to actually begin shipping phones to customers who had placed pre-orders, […]
linux phone
Purism found a way to make its Linux phone even more expensive: meet the $2,199 Liberty Phone
When Purism first announced plans to build a smartphone that would run mainline Linux, the company set a launch price of $599 for the Librem 5 phone. But it took another two years for the phone to begin shipping in small batches. By then, it had received a $100 price hike. In the years since […]
Purism Librem 5 Linux smartphone is getting another (big) price hike
The Purism Librem 5 is one of only a handful of 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’s going to get even more expensive soon. In a move foreshadowed earlier this year, Purism recently announced […]
PinePhone Beta Edition Linux smartphone is now available for pre-order for $150 and up
Most modern smartphones ship with Android or iOS operating systems. A few run something different. And fewer still give you the option of picking your operating system, or coding your own. The PinePhone from Pine64 is an inexpensive phone that falls into that latter category. Priced at $150 and up, it’s designed to run GNU/Linux […]
Lilbits: Hackable handhelds
Another day, another Raspberry Pi-based handheld computer. This time the developer of the YAHR.IO MK1 has created a system with a 5 inch, 800 x 480 pixel resistive touchscreen display, a tiny keyboard and touchpad, a 5,000 mAh battery, and a 3D printed case. But the device features a modular design, which means you can […]
PinePhone Manjaro Community Edition coming soon for $149 and up (Linux smartphone)
Most smartphones are designed to ship with a single operating system, usually Android or iOS. But the PinePhone is a smartphone designed to support a wide range of GNU/Linux distributions — so far there are 17 different operating systems listed on the PinePhone Software Releases wiki. But if you’d rather not have to load your […]
Lilbits: Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 leaks, Intel’s reorg, and Apple’s $129 Thunderbolt 3 cable
Samsung is holding an event on August 5th, where the company is expected to officially introduce the Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and several other products including new earbuds, a new smartwatch, and two new tablets. But thanks to a series of leaks, it’s not like we don’t already know most of the […]
PinePhone Convergence Pack: Use a $200 Linux phone as a desktop PC
The folks behind the $149 PinePhone Linux smartphone have introduced a new version that’s designed to work not only as a mobile Linux device, but also as portable desktop computer. The new PinePhone Convergence Package is a new $200 bundle that includes a version of the smartphone with souped up specs, plus a USB-C docking station […]
Lilbits 7-10-2020: More OneGx1 mini laptop performance notes
It’s been nearly two weeks since I published a preview of the upcoming One Netbook OneGx1 mini laptop with the design of a gaming PC and optional support for 4G and/or 5G networks. But I’ve continued running tests since that article was published, and so now I’ve upgraded the article from “preview” to “review” status. […]
Sxmo brings a simple Unix-inspired UI to the PinePhone
While Android and iOS dominate the smartphone space these days, there are multiple projects underway to create free and open source, Linux-based operating systems. For the most part, developers have focused on making touch-friendly operating systems that resemble Android and iOS in some ways. But Sxmo is a new project that makes a Linux smartphone […]