Librem 5 Review
Preface
After a 4 year wait my Librem 5 has finally arrived. My original date of order was Jan 6th 2019. So imagine my excitement to unbox my phone today on November 11th of 2022.
Whats in the Box
- Librem 5 Phone
- USB-C Cable
- Wall Power Adapter
- Headphones
- SIM tray extraction tool
Features
- Disk Encryption
- Hardware off switches
Versus my current phone
Originally this phone was purchased to replace my Iphone 6. Since it took 4 years longer than anticipated I was forced to upgrade to a Iphone 12.
Camera
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed was the long charge time when I received my phone.
The next thing once I started to use the phone I noticed how incredibly slow the processor is. The UI is being redrawn after you have navigated. Certain actions will take several seconds to complete, even if it is just as simple as clicking a button in the native UI.
Using the phone
Sharing Photos
While writing this blog post I needed to get files off of my new phone. I decided I would try to use Firefox to send the image over Gmail. I was able to login to Gmail successfully but was unable to compose an email. I then pivoted to the mail client pre-installed on PureOS. I selected the gmail option, but was unable to add my account due to a network error. My wifi appeared to have full signal.
PureOS
The operating system for the librem 5 is called PureOS and as far as I can tell is just a fork/reskinned ubuntu. It uses Wayland as its compositor by default.
Target Audience
In the end I struggle to find the consumer who wants this phone. Generally it can't do much besides make calls and send messages.. and slowly at that. Security enthusiasts certainly should be interested in this phone to see the ideas it brings with it for a more secure mobile experience. As far as the general public, I'd say we would be at least 10 years away from something usable, if ever.
In Review
I will not be switching to the Librem 5 as my primary phone. Unfortunately, it still has to stay as a misfit device in my collection.
Pros
- Hardware Off Switches
Cons
- Battery Longevity
- No watch Integration
Right now that most prohibitive downside to the phone is the battery. You couldn't reasonably take this phone on a long journey.
Another big downside for me personally is losing integration with my apple watch. Currently there are no replacements for this.
Conclusion
However, for those who want 'to put your money where your mouth is' it does indeed deliver. Between the hardware off switches, and an open source operating system.. all the tools that one would need are there. That begs the questions.. are you willing to make real sacrifices in the name of security?