this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2024
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    "But my friend runs a PinePhone as a daily driver" (lemmy.ml)
    submitted 8 months ago by pH3ra@lemmy.ml to c/linuxmemes@lemmy.world
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    [โ€“] HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

    How much did it cost, how long have you had it and what are the most obvious pros and cons?

    [โ€“] lemmeee@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

    In the US store it costs 200$ for the original PinePhone and 400$ for the Pro version. The EU store is a little more expensive.

    I'm not the person you asked, but I've had mine for 2 years.

    Pros:

    • free software and freedom (and with that increased privacy and security)
    • runs the same software that you can run on desktop as long as it has an ARM build (a lot of Debian packages do) or you compile it yourself - this includes not just apps, but also terminal programs and servers
    • killswitch to power off the proprietary modem for when you don't want phone carrier tracking you
    • like in other modern phones the modem is isolated (here it's connected over USB)
    • multiple distros to choose from
    • multiple desktop environments to choose from
    • replacable battery
    • headphone jack
    • replacement parts available in case you break something
    • there are some interesting addons that you can buy (https://pine64.org/devices/pinephone/#accessories)
    • microSD card slot
    • you can boot from the microSD card, so distro hopping is easy
    • can run Android apps through Waydroid

    Cons:

    • slow - you are running modern software on an old SoC (the Pro version is faster, but still slow compared to modern phones)
    • not all GNU/Linux apps have a responsive UI that works well on mobile
    • some old apps might not have touch support
    • short battery life - the SoC is not very energy efficient. Possible workarounds: get the keyboard addon with builtin battery (but it makes the phone bigger and heavier), carry spare batteries with you, or buy/3D print a bigger case and use a bigger battery
    • runs hot
    • GPS isn't super accurate
    • audio quality during phone calls isn't great
    • the non-pro version might not be able to run a mainline kernel, so you might not be able to install a desktop distro on it
    • the Pro version should be able to run a mainline kernel, but there might be things that don't work
    • experience with GNU/Linux is required
    • sometimes workarounds are needed - for me, on Mobian stable sometimes the modem or wifi don't wake up from suspend and I have to reset it with a script (I added it to the apps menu for quick access, but it's still annoying)
    • [on original PinePhone] bad camera and the default app can only take pictures - there is a script for recording video, but then there is no preview
    • I'm not sure if you can use the camera as a webcam in most software
    • [might depend on the model] video playback is not GPU accelerated, so it makes the CPU hot and drains battery and you might be limited to 1080p@30fps or 720p
    • you can run a stable distro with old software and old bugs (and sometimes things change very fast) or a less stable one with current software, but then things will sometimes break after update and you will have to fix it (probably more than on desktop)
    • on Mobian stable (old software) the proximity sensor acts weird during a call and sometimes you can't see the screen
    • no Xbox gamepad support in Mobian stable (but Playstation gamepads work)
    • they keyboard addon isn't perfect and requires some setup
    • with the keyboard addon I can't plug in any USB devices to the phone and I don't know why - charging works though
    • support for emergency broadcast is only just now being introduced in Phosh (https://phosh.mobi/posts/cellbroadcast)
    • [original PinePhone] uses micro SIM standard instead of nano SIM
    • sometimes there is screen flickering in non-pro version
    • killswitches could be a bit easier to flip (they are very small)
    • [on original PinePhone] poor 3D performance (even SuperTuxKart doesn't run smoothly), WebGL doesn't seem to work (at least for 3D)
    • not a lot of RAM, so you can't run too many apps at once or have too many browser tabs open - you can still run Electron apps, though (just not too many at once)
    • no push notifications, so if you want to be notified when you get a message in some app, while the phone is suspended, you would have to setup a script to wake the phone up periodically

    Edit: I corrected a mistake with the SIM card. I turns out that PinePhone Pro uses nano SIM and it's only the original PinePhone that uses micro SIM