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You Can Help Purism Build the Secure Open Source Linux-based Librem 5 Smartphone (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the phone-of-your-dreams dept.

BrianFagioli writes: Thankfully, consumers are starting to wake up and become more aware of security and privacy, and some companies, such as Purism, are designing products to safeguard users. The company's laptops, for instance, run an open source Linux-based operating system, called "PureOS" with a focus on privacy. These machines even have hardware "kill switches" so you can physically disconnect a webcam or Wi-Fi card. Today, Purism announces that it is taking those same design philosophies and using them to build a new $599 smartphone called Librem 5. The planned phone will use the GNOME desktop environment and PureOS by default, but users can install different distros too. Sound good? Well you can help the company build it through crowdfunding. "Purism, the social purpose corporation which designs and produces popular privacy conscious hardware and software, has revealed its plans to build the world's first encrypted, open platform smartphone that will empower users to protect their digital identity in an increasingly unsafe mobile world. After 18 months of R&D to test hardware specifications and engage with one of the largest phone fabricators, Purism is opening a self-hosted crowdfunding campaign to gauge demand for the initial fabrication order and add the features most important to users," says Purism.

4 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. Needs removable battery. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I won't crowdfund it unless it has a removable battery. And it needs to work on Verizon. A plug-in keyboard would be nice, too.

  2. OpenMoko 2.0? by Narcocide · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I would have bought an OpenMoko phone too, if they'd you know, supported America. Another Euro-networks-only Linux phone isn't gonna help us at all over here though.

  3. Re:How about a hardware keyboard? by BlueStrat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    (How about a hardware keyboard?)

    Anyone? Bueller?

    [crickets]

    More important than features is the distinct possibility that any truly "secure" phone won't be allowed on US carrier's networks either through carrier restrictions or by US legal decision. Can't allow the plebs to talk among themselves without the ability to eavesdrop and install whatever spyware US TLAs roll out. For the children, of course.

    Strat

    --
    Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
  4. Absolutely! by blind+biker · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I won't crowdfund it unless it has a removable battery. And it needs to work on Verizon. A plug-in keyboard would be nice, too.

    Yes, one million times this - please make the hardware repairable, with components easily replaceable, especially the battery!!!

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.