Librem 5 Final Specs: Will This Linux Phone Make You Dump Android & iOS?

The specifications of the highly anticipated Librem 5 Linux Smartphone have finally been released. The phone is made by a company known as Purism. If you’re a regular reader of Fossbytes then you might be aware of our support to companies dedicated to making a privacy-focused, secure, open-source, and an overall genuine product.

Purism, the company is the discussion today follows these principles as well. Moreover, their latest product, Librem 5 is a smartphone that runs an open source operating system. Purism has just released the specs of their much-awaited smartphone and from the looks of it, the company has a winner on their hands, at least on paper.

Librem 5: Linux Smartphone Specs

The Librem 5 smartphone from Purism runs on an operating system known as PureOS, which is based on Debian GNU/Linux. As PureOS is an open-source OS from the Linux community, hence one can expect security and system updates to be worthy of the term.

The Librem 5 is powered by i.MX8M Quad-Core processor with a maximum clock speed of 1.5Ghz. It is a fairly competent processor having Cortex A53 and Cortex cores.

The Quad-Core unit is capable of video output with 4K UHD resolution along with HDR. What makes this perfect for a smartphone is its capability for fanless operation due to low thermal output.

The onboard GPU in the processor also supports OpenGL/ES 3.1, Vulkan and OpenCL 1.2. So, it is safe to say that the Librem 5 Linux smartphone is a capable phone by today’s standards.

The processor is supported by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Considering PureOS will be optimized for applications, the three gigs of memory seem fine. However, the 32GB of internal eMMC storage is somewhat of a letdown.

The area where the Librem 5 Linux smartphone redeems itself is in terms of software and OS. Debian is one of the most popular Linux-based operating systems in the world. PureOS on Librem 5 keeps the trackers OFF and privacy protection ON by default.

PureOS comes with user-controlled source code and it also separates the CPU from the cell band. For smooth browsing, PureOS supports HTML 5 and all web applications run via a virtual sandbox to keep them from accessing user data. Neither Android nor iOS comes with this level of freedom and security.

Lots of popular apps including Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube will be supported by PureOS.

Librem 5: Linux Smartphone Main Features

The Librem 5 smartphone comes with a headphone jack, a 2FF card slot, a USB Type C port which doubles as a charging point and video out port.

Librem 5 comes with a replaceable battery. After years of use, the batteries tend to lose their performance. Hence, providing a replaceable battery is a great way to get the most out of your smartphone.

In terms of camera, the Librem 5 is equipped with a 13 MP camera up front with LED flash and 8 MP camera at the front.

Other sensors in the Librem 5 include an Accelerometer, a Gyro sensor, a proximity sensor and a haptic motor. The phone also has an RGB LED notification light to add a level of user customisation to the Librem 5 smartphone.

Librem 5: Linux Smartphone Preview

The Librem 5 smartphone based on Linux seems like a dream come true for every fan of Free and Open Source software. Over the years, both Apple and Google have shown time and again that users’ privacy isn’t their bottom line.

The Linux smartphone is currently available at a pre-order bonus price of $649. The price of the Librem 5 will go up by $50 after 31st July 2019. So, there’s a good chance to save a few bucks. The deliveries of the Librem 5 will begin in the Q3 of 2019.

Librem 5 from Purism seeks to challenge not just the market share of conventional smartphones but also to showcase that caring about user privacy is best for business.

Here’s to hoping that they actually succeed!