Framework Cell Phone

General Topics
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It sure would be cool to have a modular Framework cell phone to go with our modular Framework laptop. I hope the idea is worth at least exploring for the future of this company.

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Slow down there buckaroo, ever heard of Fairphone? :wink:

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If Fairphone ever came to the US (officially), it would be my next phone. I was very disappointed that Project Ara died as quickly as it did.

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I am also sad project Ara died too. One of the coolest concept phones I’d ever seen. Of course Google killed it.

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Fairphone will never leave Europe, so it is a moot point for the rest of the world.

I think something to look at would be the idea of Framework teaming with the Pine64 group for a modular phone. They already have their Pine Phone which, while underpowered a bit due to the rather dated chipset, shows what could be done by a small independent company.

It runs multiple versions of Linux OS pretty well as an alternative to Android.

One problem would be the CPU chipset. The Pine Phone runs the rather dated Allwinner A64 chipset. If something like a Qualcomm SD750 or 760 could be used, that would give a solid running chip that is still pretty power efficient. Even better would be the new SD480 series.

Mate it to a modular mobo that could be then conennected to the individual modules (camera, screen, touch ID sensor), and make it have physical switches for each module for privacy and security, and a removable battery like the Pine Phone, then you would have something.

I would think developing a modular phone here stateside would be do able with a bit of thought and research.

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I would love to see a Framework mobile running Android!
Qualcomm / Exynos based, with a security chip similar to what pixels do with Titan M, maybe starting with swappable mobo, camera, display,enclosure and battery + accessories.

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I’d love to see a new modular smartphone right now, but we need to understand why the others have failed before

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Yeah, I had such high hopes for Project Ara. :frowning: I suspect it will be a good few years before Framework is in a place where the level of development required could be survived - even if they want to take it on.

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Would be thrilled to the moon and back to see a framework mobile device that permitted any mobile OS

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Hello there,
back in the days there was a project named PhoneBlocks but it failed…

I would love to see a world in which I can assemble my own phone,
for example I also play Games on my phone, having something like a choice between display sizes, refresh rates and types like AMOLED or IPS etc would be so nice.

A phone is basically a ARM SBC (single board computer) with some extra features.

Android ROMs already exist, linux exists so I feel like I can say that all we miss is a phone.

There are for example phones like Prism or PinePhone but those can’t be upgraded or modified.

Is there maybe a plan or a thought to make phones?

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If you ever make a phone, my only request is for you to make one that matches the iPhone SE2 or a Google Pixel 5 dimensions too please. I had no other choice but to get a Google Pixel 6a which is the smallest Android phone from Google with promised security updates.

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