List of open-source mobile phones

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File:Librem5 phone convergence - screen keyboard mouse.jpg
Mobile/desktop convergence: the Librem 5 open-source mobile, when connected to a keyboard, screen, and mouse, runs as a desktop computer.

This is a list of mobile phones with open-source operating systems.

Scope of the list

File:Ubuntu Phone 3 devices.png
Phones sold with Ubuntu Touch

Cellular modem and other firmware

4 USB ports, headphone jack, MicroHDMI
The Dragonbox Pyra contains only one proprietary blob (GPU driver), but the Mobile (phone) Edition has more

Some hardware components used in phones require drivers (firmware) to run. For many components, only proprietary drivers are available[1] (open source phones usually seek components with open drivers.[citation needed]) If these drivers are not updatable and do not have control over any other part of the phone, they might be considered equivalent to part of the hardware. However, these conditions do not hold for cellular modems.[1]

As of 2019, all available mobile phones have a proprietary baseband chip (GSM module, cellular modem),[2][3][4] except for the Necuno, which has no such chip and communicates by peer-to-peer VOIP.[5][6] The modem is usually integrated with the system-on-a-chip and the memory.[4] This presents security concerns; baseband attacks can read and alter data on the phone remotely.

The Librem 5 mobile segregates the modem from the system and memory, making it a separate module, a configuration rare in modern cellphones.[3][4] There is an open-source baseband project, OsmocomBB. There is a project based on illicit leaked source code for the Calypso modem called FreeCalypso.

Operating system: middleware and user interface

Family tree of Maemo

Generally, the phones included on this list contain copyleft software other than the Linux kernel, and minimal closed-source component drivers (see section above).

Note that it is often possible to install a wide variety of open-source operating systems on any open-source phone; the higher-level software is designed to be largely interchangeable and independent of the hardware.[11]

List

Organization Model Mobile operating system Operating system support Date released
(or cancelled)
Current state
OpenPandora GmbH[12] DragonBox Pyra Mobile Edition[13] Debian[13] Yes TBD[13] Taking preorders[13]
Purism Librem 5[14] PureOS PureOS is a Debian derivative developed by Purism for their mobiles; lifetime support guarantee 2019-11 Birch, Chestnut, and Dogwood batches shipped;[15][16] Evergreen batch delayed due to COVID-19, but taking orders[17]
Pine64 PinePhone[18] Multiple operating systems.

Beta "Braveheart" Edition had a choice of user-installed OS;[19] "Community" Edition pre-installed with UBports was available June 15, to be followed by further OSs.[20]

Community-driven 2019-11 Shipping Community Edition
Necuno Solutions Necunos NC 1[21] Multiple operating systems Community-driven 2019 Summer[22] Cannot be ordered right now, first batch is awaiting manufacturing[23]
Neo900 GTA04 based motherboard, fitting inside the shell of a Nokia N900. QtMoko, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Replicant 2018-03 (last updated) Stalled[24]
Meizu Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition Ubuntu Touch UBports, community-driven[25] 2016-02 In stores in Egypt, Russia, Ukraine, and Asia Pacific; online in Egypt, Russia, India and Sri Lanka.[26]
Meizu Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition Ubuntu Touch UBports, community-driven[25] 2015-07 In stores in Egypt, Russia, Ukraine, and Asia Pacific; online in Egypt, Russia, India and Sri Lanka.[26]
BQ BQ Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition Ubuntu Touch UBports, community-driven[25] 2015-06 Not currently orderable, but company is taking a list of interested parties[27]
BQ BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition Ubuntu Touch UBports, community-driven[25] 2015-02 Discontinued
GeeksPhone Revolution Firefox OS Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS 2014 Discontinued
GeeksPhone Peak+ Firefox OS Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS 2013-11 (cancellation)[28] Cancelled[28]
Alcatel One Touch Fire Firefox OS Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS 2013-07 Discontinued
ZTE Open Firefox OS Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS 2013-07 Discontinued
GeeksPhone Keon Firefox OS Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS 2013-04-23 Discontinued
GeeksPhone Peak Firefox OS Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS 2013-04-23 Discontinued
Golden Delicious GTA04 QtMoko, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Replicant 2012-04 "Currently not in stock"
Aava mobile Developer phone MeeGo Discontinued 2011 Discontinued (available to developers only)[29]
Nokia N950 MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan Discontinued; formerly hosted by the Linux Foundation 2011 Discontinued (available to developers only)
Nokia N9 MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan Discontinued; formerly hosted by the Linux Foundation 2011 Discontinued
Nokia N900 Maemo 5 (Fremantle)
(some proprietary components until Maemo Leste)
Discontinued 2009-11-11 Discontinued
OpenMoko Neo FreeRunner (code name GTA02) Openmoko/QTMoko Linux, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Gentoo (all Linux-based), Inferno[clarification needed][citation needed] 2008-06-24 Discontinued
OpenMoko Neo 1973 (code name GTA01) Openmoko Linux (Linux-based) 2007-07-09 Discontinued

Features

Model Hardware kill switches Management Engine System-on-a-chip (Soc) Baseband cellular modem Wi-fi firmware Boot firmware Other proprietary firmware Hardware licensing Obsolescence Modifiability Security Certifications Other
DragonBox Pyra Mobile Edition
Librem 5 3: Cameras and the microphone, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and baseband processor. All three also shut off sensors (GPS, compass, accelerometer etc.).[11] Remove over 90% of the binary using me_cleaner, and set HAP bit to "disable".[30][31] 2017 NXP arm64[11][32][33] On replaceable m.2 card. Proprietary firmware isolated from CPU with a USB bus (like a USB wi-fi dongle)[11] Originally, proprietary firmware isolated over USB, no downloadable/modifiable firmware;[34] subsequently, Purism paid Redpine Signals to create open-source Wi-fi/Bluetooth firmware for the RedPine hardware.[35][36] proprietary DRAM init code loaded on separate CPU[11] for RYF cert compliance[37][38] none in /lib/firmware; some non-modifiable proprietary firmware in components.[35] schematics released under GPL 3.0+[35] User-replacable (but custom-sized[35]) battery, lifetime updates[39] Display and frame fused. Phillips-head screws.[35] Wi-fi and Bluetooth on replacable m.2 cards (the former custom-made).[35] m.2 card slots. Purism has traditionally had more time-limited parts availability.[35] slot for an OpenPGP card, planned Librem key support[35] Tentatively recommended by Free Software Foundation (FSF).[40]


Operating system PureOS is endorsed by FSF.[41][42]


Seeking FSF "Respects Your Freedom" endorsement.[43][44]

Convergence; will run as desktop.[39] Headphone jack. Carrier-free OTT service planned.[45]
PinePhone 5: Modem & GNSS, WiFi & Bluetooth, microphone, rear camera, front camera, audio jack[46] (DIP switches inside back cover[11]). No kill switch for other sensors.[35] 2015 Allwinner arm64 (Allwinner violates the GPL)[11] Quectel EG25-G. Proprietary firmware isolated from CPU with a USB bus[11][47] proprietary WiFi/Bluetooth firmware[47] in /lib/firmware[35] open-source boot software[11] proprietary schematics published[35] User-replacable battery, 5-year production run. Phillips-head screws.[35] I2C pogo pins, back mods can be added. Cannot be upgraded beyond USB 2.0. Bootable from a microSD card. Good parts availability.[35] GPS and modem on same kill switch; neither can be used while the other is airgapped.[35] proprietary code in /lib/firmware currently makes the mobile ineligible for RYF cert.[35] entire phone can be disassembled. Headphone jack. Convergence.[48][49]
Necunos NC 1 None None strong focus; most sensors omitted for security. Seeking FSF endorsement.[50] Ethernet port
Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition None
Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition None
BQ Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition None
BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition None

Distributions for existing phones

File:Plasma-mobile-hammerhead 01.jpg
KDE Plasma Mobile running on postmarketOS on the Nexus 5

postmarketOS, Ubports, and KDE Neon are open-source distributions running on existing smartphones originally running Android. Maemo Leste is available for Nokia N900 and Motorola Droid 4.

There exists a database listing which older phones will run which open-source operating systems.[51][52]

Custom-made phones

It is possible to home-build a phone from partially open hardware and software.[53][54] The Arduinophone[54] (touchscreen) and the MIT DIY Cellphone (segmented display)[55][56] both use the Arduino open-hardware single-board computer, with added components. The PiPhone[57] and ZeroPhone[58] are similar, but based on the Raspberry Pi.

The main components to make an open mobile phone are:

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  7. Android (operating system)#Licensing "drivers and firmware vital for the proper functioning of Android devices are usually proprietary"
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  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. Librem 5 – A Security and Privacy Focused Phone. 15 November 2017.
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  18. PinePhone website. 2019-10-02.
  19. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. Necunos for Community. 10 February 2019.
  22. NC_1 Shipping Update. 1 April 2019
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  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 UBPorts - UBPorts keeps Ubuntu Touch alive. 04 September 2017.
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  53. Making your own phone is easier than you might think, Lisa Grossman, Issue 2909, New Scientist Magazine
  54. 54.0 54.1 Arduinophone designer's description
  55. DIY Cellphone on the designer's MIT homepage
  56. David A. Mellis & Leah Buechley. 2014. Do-It-Yourself Cellphones: An Investigation into the Possibilities and Limits of High-Tech DIY. In Proceedings of the 32nd annual ACM conference on Human factors in computing systems (CHI '14).
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  58. ZeroPhone – a Raspberry Pi Zero based smartphone