F(X)tec Pro-1-X Launched With LineageOS & Ubuntu: Really Pro?
Remember the Pro 1 slider phone from F(x)tec that brought slider phones into existence once again? The same company has partnered with XDA to launch the next iteration of the phone, and they’re calling it the Pro1-X.
For starters, XDA is this gigantic developer portal for nerds and developers who always want to get the most out of their devices. Because of this partnership, the Pro1-X not only runs Ubuntu touch OS out of the box, but it is also the first phone to run LineageOS out of the box. Bear in mind that these two are going to be separate variants.
CyanogenMod Then, LineageOS Now
Remember CyanogenMod? LineageOS is built on CyanogenMod and offers lots of customizations. Most of the custom ROM developers also take LineageOS as a base to build ROMs on top of it because of the OS’s rock-solid stability.
The Pro1-X is targeted at power users, sliding keyboard nerds, and people who consider security above every other feature.
F(X)tec Pro1-X Specifications
Coming to the specifications of the Pro1-X, it features a 6-inch 2160 x 1080 pixel AMOLED panel with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 on top. Users can choose between two storage variants: 6/128GB and 8/128GB.
There’s a dual-camera setup at the back; the primary sensor is a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor with F/1.8 aperture paired with a 5-megapixel f/2.0 camera. There’s no mention of whether the phone supports OIS or EIS. There’s an 8-megapixel shooter at the front.
The phone rocks an almost four-generation-old Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (since Snapdragon 875 is around the corner). There’s a rather tiny 3200mAh battery with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. The device has dual stereo speakers and comes with a headphone jack. More importantly, there’s a charger in the box (which has become important to mention these days).
The Type-C port at the bottom is capable of USB Power Delivery and HDMI out. The fingerprint sensor is located on the right side and is embedded inside the power button. The phone also has NFC and has a hybrid SIM slot for memory expansion.
The phone runs on Android 9 (LineageOS 16.1) out of the box. An update to Android 10 (LineageOS 17.0) will also be waiting for you as soon as you finish setting up your phone.
One can run Ubuntu on desktop with the Type-C port’s help that supports HDMI out. The phone will also be able to support SailfishOS, Windows, and Debian in the future.
F(X)tec Pro1-X: Who Is This Phone For?
A hefty price tag of $899 puts the Pro1-X with contenders like the OnePlus 8 Pro and Asus ROG Phone 3, which rock the latest processors from Qualcomm, the latest Android experience, better cameras, and overall better specifications. Hence, we think you shouldn’t buy this phone.
Since most of the Android phones under $899 are powered by the latest Qualcomm’s Snapdragon SoCs, they’ll also have great third party ROMs on XDA, including LineageOS and many other ROMS based on the same.
Yes, you need to flash before using the ROMs; since Pro1-X is aimed at nerds, it is safe to assume that most of them already know how to flash and root their Android smartphones.
GHz Matters?
On the Indiegogo funding page, the company said, “The Pro1-X hardware runs both Lineage OS and Ubuntu Touch smoother and faster than almost every other competitor device. We don’t get caught up the GHz discussions.”
If they really didn’t want to get into the “GHz” discussion, one should buy the OnePlus Nord, flash LineageOS, and enjoy a better overall phone. Since most of the devices include OnePlus’ 8 Pro, ROG Phone 3, Mi 10/10T, and Nord support Project Treble, the chances of them getting an Ubuntu touch port via UBports is higher. More on UBports here.
What do you think about the F(X)tec Pro1-X? Would you buy it? Let us know in the comments section below.
