Librem 5 – A Security and Privacy Focused Phone

Phone brand
Librem 5
Phone model
Version 5
Phone unlock
Security & Privacy Apps
None
Browser
Firefox

ZeroDay

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Hi, All! Someone in the open-source community told me about this device and gave me the links so I thought I'd share it for those who aren't already aware of it.
Librem 5, the phone that focuses on security by design and privacy protection by default. Running Free/Libre and Open Source software and a GNU+Linux Operating System designed to create an open development utopia, rather than the walled gardens from all other phone providers.
A fully standards-based freedom-oriented system, based on Debian and many other upstream projects, has never been done before–we will be the first to seriously attempt this.
The Librem 5 phone will be the world's first ever IP-native mobile handset, using end-to-end encrypted decentralized communication.
Note: This was an “all-or-nothing” campaign, but we crossed well over the $1.5m goal, and will be delivering on the Librem 5 phone. If you would like a Librem 5 you can simply pre-order one of the appropriate rewards now, and we will add you to the shipping queue!

Freedom of Choice
We believe phones should not track you nor exploit your digital life. We are in the middle of a digital rights revolution where you get to decide the future. We at Purism are building a phone that does not run Android nor iOS, but runs PureOS or any GNU/Linux distribution where all the source code is available.

Peace of Mind
Our phone will not wholesale gather your data for profit. It will not lock you into an ecosystem that controls you. It will not require you to enter banking details to simply get an app from an app store.

Does Not Track You
Our phone will be built to protect you by default. It will never exploit you for profit. It will be a phone for the people, by the people.

High Quality
We know how to build products that are convenient, privacy and security focused. Our phone will give you peace of mind knowing it does not track you.


Quick facts

  • Does not run Google Android
  • Does not run Apple iOS
  • Runs PureOS by default, can run most GNU+Linux distributions
  • World’s first ever IP-native mobile handset
  • End-to-end encrypted decentralized communications via Matrix
  • 5″ screen
  • Security focused by design
  • Privacy protection by default
  • Works with 2G/3G/4G, GSM, UMTS, and LTE networks
  • CPU separate from Baseband
  • Hardware Kill Switches for Camera, Microphone, WiFi/Bluetooth, and Baseband

Source
 

ZeroDay

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This is a brand new phone with a brand new mobile Operating system based on GNU/Linux and the Libre kernel. I checked the Android box in the info because there was no choice for 'Other' under OS. The device hasn't been released as of yet, but it is coming.
 

ZeroDay

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Sounds good, hope it really gets going unlike other OS based phones which are out of the market.
Me too. I can't wait to try one of these. I'd still use my Android phone for a while, but if this new phone ran well I'd gradually migrate to it. They are way past their funding goal so we should start to see them for sale soon ish.

For me, personally this new phone is just very nice to have as an option. Once I'd set up my own hosted next cloud, and my own hosted SearX search engine, plus my own hosted email and VPN with a few other bits it would be an incredibly strong phone for privacy and security, well it's extremely strong by default so we wouldn't really need to do much, but adding the self hosted services too would put us way.....Of the NSA and GCHQ's view. And anyone else who wanted to track us to sell targeted advertising etc.

It's still going to be a niche product isn't it, but UBuntu and other GNU/Linux OS's and software are niche but they still continue running. I actually really like that it will be a niche product because it attracts a lot less attention that way too. It will be interesting to see what other projects pop up off the back of this phone. I do enjoy my Google products and services, but I also like having the option to steer clear of Google if and when I want to. With this phone and the above mentioned self hosted services as well as a few other bits we would basically be our own ecosystem. I'm really looking forward to trying this device.
 
Last edited:

HarborFront

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A phone is still a phone. Does it supports

1) WPA3? I doubt so.
2) WiFi 802.11ax. I doubt so too
3) Gigabit LTE? Unless we know which processor it is using I have to assume it does NOT.
4) How often does it updates its security fixes/firmware....monthly??
5) Where to find other security apps?
6) How fast does it run as compared to say Android Oreo/iPhone X etc
7) What's the battery capacity? How's its battery performance? How fast to charge the battery?
8) Any larger size screen? 5 in is a bit small. Nowadays, phones are going beyond 6 in
9) Using LCD, OLED or Super OLED screen?
10) What screen resolution? FHD, QHD+ or 4K?
11) Water resistant certified?
12) How many front/back cameras? What type? Any OIS/EIS/Slow-Mo/4K video?

....and many more
 

ZeroDay

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A phone is still a phone. Does it supports

1) WPA3? I doubt so.
2) WiFi 802.11ax. I doubt so too
3) Gigabit LTE? Unless we know which processor it is using I have to assume it does NOT.
4) How often does it updates its security fixes/firmware....monthly??
5) Where to find other security apps?
6) How fast does it run as compared to say Android Oreo/iPhone X etc
7) What's the battery capacity? How's its battery performance? How fast to charge the battery?
8) Any larger size screen? 5 in is a bit small. Nowadays, phones are going beyond 6 in
9) Using LCD, OLED or Super OLED screen?
10) What screen resolution? FHD, QHD+ or 4K?
11) Water resistant certified?

....and many more
Why so many doubts without hard facts to back them up? This phone isn't meant to compete with Android or iOS devices at all, it's a phone for people who really want privacy and security. With that said I'm only sharing the information to make other people who might be interested in a device with this level of security and privacy I didn't make it so my feelings about it are neutral although I am really looking forward to it. You could email them regarding your doubts, although your doubts don't seem to have any foundation in reality. Like I say this phone is NEVER going to compete with Android or iOS and it's NOT meant to. It's for people who seriously value their privacy and security and want an open source platform. As I said above this phone is ALWAYS going to be a niche product. It is a fully open source device with security and privacy taken to the next level. This is an amazing achievement. The questions you're asking are what the average Joe consumer would ask and this phone is definitely NOT aimed at the average Joe consumer unless they go looking for something this secure and private. Any questions you can contact them. Again just to be clear: This phone is in no way meant to EVER compete with Android or iOS it's a security a privacy based phone and it's fully open source. As such the phone is aimed at people who take security and privacy to the next level and prefer open source wherever possible. I'll be buying one, but, again as stated above I'll be keeping my Android phone too, and if I find myself using this phone more I'll switch to it. But you're never going to see lots of people with this phone and you're not going to hear much about it really. What they have achieved with this device is amazing in my eyes. You can't compare it to an iPhone or an Android that would be like comparing an Aston Martin (The Android and iOS) to a tank (this device)

If you really know and love open source software you'd respect what they've done with this phone just as an achievement. In the day and age of spying and tracking and data mining they've created something free from that, you're not locked into an ecosystem and that's fantastic. But, again this device was never and is never going to go mainstream. Look at LInux Mint, a LOT of people love it and use it daily and it continues to thrive, but! Only in a niche market which is where this device will be.

I have no investment in this phone I came across it and thought 'Oh, this looks great a free and open source phone with heavy security, I''ll share it on my favourite SECURITY site in case there is anyone on there that wasn't aware of this phone and would be interested in reading up on it'

I'm buying one out of pure curiosity and to support the team that have created this, but I'll still be keeping my Samsung Galaxy S8 for a while maybe I'l never switch fully to this new device but it's nice to know that something so private and secure is available.

Anyway, I'm glad I shared this information because I can pretty much guarantee that other members will be interested if only to read up on the device and follow it's progress.
 

ZeroDay

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Just to be clear to everyone, although I'm guessing most people already know that this phone is NOT meant to ever compete with Android or iOS. It is an open source, privacy and security focused niche phone and that's what it will always be. And I imagine there will be a lot of privacy and security focused people who will be interested in watching the progress of this device. But it is NEVER going to and was never meant to compete with Android or iOS. But, Android and iOS arte NEVER going to be able to compete with this phone's privacy and security because, again Google and Apple don't aim their products to the same people as this device is aimed at and that's cool. This is not a case of either or, you could have both to segregate you personal life from your work or online life without being tracked and spied on.
 

ZeroDay

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