List of open-source mobile phones
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of mobile phones with open-source operating systems.
Scope of the list
Summarize
Perspective
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 (or firmware) to run. For many components, only proprietary drivers are available[1] (open source phones usually seek components with open drivers.[citation needed]) If firmware is not updatable and does not have control over any other part of the phone, it might be considered equivalent to part of the hardware. However, these conditions do not hold for cellular modems.[1]
As of 2019[update], 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.
Operating system: middleware and user interface
Generally, the phones included on this list contain copyleft software other than the Linux kernel, and minimal closed-source component drivers (see section above).
- Android-based devices do not appear on this list because of the heavy use of proprietary components, particularly drivers and applications.[7][1][8]
- There are numerous versions of Android which seek to replace the proprietary components, such as LineageOS (successor to the now-defunct[9][10] Cyanogenmod) and Replicant, that can be installed on a large number of phones after-market. There are also devices using Ubuntu Touch, Droidian and FuriOs which are using GNU/Linux and Android hardware adaptation layer Halium.[11] Phones natively running these are included.
- There are multiple projects to implement mainline Linux on mobile phones. Mobian is an open-source project focusing on Debian GNU/Linux on mobile devices.[12] postmarketOS is based on the Alpine Linux.[13] Arch Linux ARM based Manjaro is focusing on PinePhone hardware.[14]
- WebOS (LG Electronics) was initially available only under a proprietary license but the source code was later released under a free permissive license by HP. Open WebOS will not run on all WebOS devices. LuneOS is Halium based fork of WebOS.[15]
- Firefox OS was released under a permissive MIT license but its KaiOS successor is proprietary; the former is included.
- All Maemo, Meego and Sailfish OS devices running open Maemo Leste or Mer middleware are included. Tizen devices are not included.
- Open QTMoko/OpenMoko phones of Qt Extended are included to the list.
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.[16]
There are also an increasing number of phones that come with a proprietary operating system pre-installed (usually Android), but allow the user to install mainline Linux (such as the Fairphone 5 and SHIFTphone 8). These are listed under #Devices with 3rd party support.
Devices with formal support
Summarize
Perspective
These are mobiles that can be ordered with the open-source software pre-installed. Some also have an option where they can be ordered with proprietary OS pre-installed.
| Release Date | Model | Organization | Operating system | OS Support | Current State | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02 | FuriPhone FLX1 | Furilabs | FuriOS (based on Droidian, Debian) | Yes[17] | Shipping | $550 |
| 2024-10 | Volla Phone Quintus | Volla Systeme GmbH | Volla OS (based on Android Open Source Project), Ubuntu Touch, multiboot option | Yes | Shipping | €719 |
| 2023-08 | Fairphone 5 | Fairphone | /e/OS, CalyxOS, IodéOS, LineageOS, postmarketOS, Ubuntu Touch | Yes[18] | Shipping | €549 (128GB Storage, 6GB RAM) €629 (256GB Storage, 8GB RAM) |
| 2023-05[19] | Volla Phone X23 | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS (based on Android Open Source Project), Ubuntu Touch, multiboot option[19] | Yes | Shipping | €524 |
| 2022 | Mudita Pure | Mudita[20] | MuditaOS (GPLv3, based on FreeRTOS)[21] | Yes | shipping used handsets[22] | $370 ($310 used from manufacturer) |
| 2022 | uConsole (mobile option) | ClockworkPi | Debian, Ubuntu, or Raspberry Pi OS;[23] Debian-based Clockwork OS,[24] OS can be swapped by swapping an SD card[25] | Yes | Shipping[26] | $139-$209 (1-6 CPU cores, 1-4 GB RAM), +$50 for mobile extension[27][28][29] |
| 2022[30] | Volla Phone 22 | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS (based on Android Open Source Project), Ubuntu Touch, Droidian[31] | Yes | Shipping | €452 |
| 2021-12[32] | PinePhone Pro[33] | Pine64 | Manjaro Linux with KDE's Plasma Mobile by default;[34] | Yes. 20+ other (mostly Linux) operating systems can be swapped[35] by swapping an SD card.[36] | Shipping | $399 |
| 2022-07[37] | F(x)tec Pro1 X[38] | FX Technology Limited. | Ubuntu Touch, Droidian, LineageOS or Android | ? | shipping[37] | $899 |
| 2021[39] | Volla Phone X | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS (based on Android Open Source Project), Ubuntu Touch[40] | Yes | Shipping | |
| 2020 4Q | Fairphone 4 | Fairphone | /e/OS, CalyxOS, DivestOS, IodéOS, LineageOS, postmarketOS, Ubuntu Touch | Yes[18] | Shipping | €529 |
| 2020-12 (started shipping pre-orders) | DragonBox Pyra Mobile Edition[41] | OpenPandora GmbH [42] | Debian[41] | Yes | shipping pre-ordered backlog[43] | €600/€626 (2/4 GB RAM) |
| 2020-11 | Volla Phone[44] | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS (based on Android Open Source Project), Ubuntu Touch, Droidian or Sailfish OS | Yes | Shipping | |
| 2020 3Q | Fairphone 3+ | Fairphone | /e/OS, DivestOS, LineageOS, Ubuntu Touch | Yes[18] | sale discontinued, but supported | |
| 2019-11[45][46] | Librem 5[47] | Purism | PureOS, a Debian derivative developed by Purism for their mobiles | PureOS has a lifetime support guarantee | Shipping[48] | $799[49] |
| 2019-11 | PinePhone[50] | Pine64 | Beta "Braveheart" Edition had a choice of user-installed OS;[51] Later "Community Editions" sold from June 15, 2020 to February 2, 2021, each of which donated $10/phone to the developer community that wrote the OS it shipped with.[52][53][54] Subsequently, Pinephones all shipped with Manjaro and Plasma Mobile. | Yes. Twenty-odd different operating systems[53] can be user-installed as of March 2021[update]; OS can be swapped by swapping out an SD card. | Shipping | $199 |
| 2019 3Q | Fairphone 3 | Fairphone | /e/OS, DivestOS, LineageOS, Ubuntu Touch | Yes[18] | sale discontinued, but supported | |
| 2018 | Gemini PDA | Planet Computers | Android, Debian, Sailfish OS | Discontinued | ||
| 2018-03 (last updated) | GTA04 based motherboard, fitting inside the shell of a Nokia N900. | Neo900 | QtMoko, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Replicant | Stalled[55] | ||
| 2016-11-01 | Pop Mirage Cyanogen | Alcatel Mobile | CyanogenMod[56] | Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2016-02 | Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition | Meizu | Ubuntu Touch | UBports, community-driven[57] | Discontinued[58] | |
| 2015 | Zuk Z1 | Lenovo | CyanogenMod[59] | Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2015 | Andromax Q | Smartfen | CyanogenMod[60] | Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2015 3Q | Fairphone 2 | Fairphone | Fairphone Open OS, /e/OS, LineageOS, Ubuntu Touch | Discountinued | sale discontinued, but supported | |
| 2015-07 | Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition | Meizu | Ubuntu Touch | UBports, community-driven[57] | Discontinued[58] | |
| 2015-06 | BQ Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition | BQ | Ubuntu Touch | UBports, community-driven[57] | Discontinued | |
| 2015-02 | BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition | BQ | Ubuntu Touch | UBports, community-driven[57] | Discontinued | |
| 2015 | BQ Aquaris X5 Cyanogen Edition | BQ | CyanogenMod,[61] postmarketOS[62] | postmarketOS, community driven | Discontinued | |
| 2015 | Wileyfox Storm | Wileyfox | CyanogenMod[63] | Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2015 | Wileyfox Swift | Wileyfox | CyanogenMod[64]postmarketOS[65] | postmarketOS, community-driven | Discontinued | |
| 2015 | YU Yureka YU Yureka Plus |
YU Televentures (Micromax Informatics) | CyanogenMod[66] | Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2015 | YU Yuphoria | YU Televentures (Micromax Informatics) | CyanogenMod[67] | Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2014 | OnePlus One | OnePlus | CyanogenMod[68] | Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2014 | GeeksPhone Revolution | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS | Discontinued | |
| 2013-11 (cancellation)[69] | GeeksPhone Peak+ | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS | Cancelled[69]Devices with 3rd party support | |
| 2013-07 | Alcatel One Touch Fire | Alcatel | Firefox OS | Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS | Discontinued | |
| 2013-07 | ZTE Open | ZTE | Firefox OS | Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS | Discontinued | |
| 2013-04-23 | GeeksPhone Keon | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS | Discontinued | |
| 2013-04-23 | GeeksPhone Peak | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | Discontinued; formerly developed by the Mozilla Foundation under the Mozilla Public License, later proprietized as KaiOS | Discontinued | |
| 2012-04 | GTA04 | Golden Delicious | QtMoko, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Replicant | "Currently not in stock" | ||
| 2011 | Developer phone | Aava mobile | MeeGo | Discontinued | Discontinued (was available to developers only)[70] | |
| 2011 | N950 | Nokia | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | Discontinued; formerly hosted by the Linux Foundation | Discontinued (available to developers only) | |
| 2011 | N9 | Nokia | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | Discontinued; formerly hosted by the Linux Foundation | Discontinued | |
| 2009-11-11 | N900 | Nokia | Maemo 5 (Fremantle) (some proprietary components until Maemo Leste) |
Discontinued | Discontinued | |
| 2008-06-24 | Neo FreeRunner (code name GTA02) | OpenMoko | Openmoko/QTMoko Linux, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Gentoo (all Linux-based), Inferno[clarification needed][citation needed] | Discontinued | ||
| 2007-07-09 | Neo 1973 (code name GTA01) | OpenMoko | Openmoko Linux (Linux-based) | Discontinued | ||
| 2006 | Eten G500[71] | E-TEN | GPE Palmtop Environment | Discontinued, developer phone | ||
| 2006 | Greenphone[72] | Trolltech | Qtopia | Discontinued, developer phone |
Devices with 3rd party support
| Model | Organization | Mobile operating system | Operating system support | Date released (or cancelled) |
Current state | List Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHIFT6mq | SHIFT | Shift-OS (Android), postmarketOS[73] | partial mainline Linux support | 2021 | shipping[citation needed] | |
| SHIFTphone 8 | Shiftphone | Preinstalled with ShiftOS (Android 14), but with mainline Linux support, allowing the operating system to be replaced by the enduser.[74] | Yes | 2024 or later[74] | pre-order | €599[74] |
| Fairphone 5 | Fairphone | Preinstalled with Fairphone OS (Android, not open-source), but user can replace it with CalyxOS, /e/OS (Murena), iodéOS, postmarketOS[75] | Yes | 2023[76] | Shipping | €699 |
| XFone Mobile Pro (re-launched Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro with Ubuntu Touch) |
SageTea | Ubuntu Touch | UBports, community-driven[57] | 2022-01-19 (originally 2019) | Shipping | |
| XFone Mobile (re-launched Google Pixel 3a with Ubuntu Touch) |
SageTea | Ubuntu Touch | UBports, community-driven[57] | 2021-06-19 (originally 2019) | Shipping | |
| OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T | OnePlus | multiple | partial mainline Linux support[77][78] | 2018-05-21 | Discontinued, used market | |
| Pocophone F1 | Xiaomi | multiple | partial mainline Linux support[79] | 2018-08-22 | Discontinued, used markets | |
| Snapdragon 410/412 based phones | multiple | postmarketOS | partial mainline Linux support[80] | Discontinued |
Distributions for existing phones
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.[81][82]
Custom-made phones
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It is possible to home-build a phone from partially open hardware and software.[83][84] The Arduinophone[84] (touchscreen) and the MIT DIY Cellphone (segmented display)[85][86] both use the Arduino open-hardware single-board computer, with added components. Circuitmess Ringo (previously MakerPhone) is another DIY Arduino phone with open source firmware[87] and available schematics,[88] focusing on education. The PiPhone,[89] ZeroPhone[90] and OURphone[91] are similar, but based on the Raspberry Pi.
The main components to make an open mobile phone are:
- Back cover
- Touch screen
- Battery
- Logic board
Another notable mention would be Paxo Phone at paxo.fr
See also
References
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