VoLTE Implementation For Google Pixel 3a/3a XL
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@atarilinux thanks for all the links! I just got back from vacation so will have a read through them soon and see if a way forward jumps out.
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Thanks for the information!
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Hope you had a great vacation!
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Just an update. I haven't really been able to find that much on Halium 12 and the Google Pixel 3a. Perhaps a mainline Linux build would be better? However, it looks like we may have some bad news on the way again. 4G may shut down in a couple of years or less, or at least T-Mobile plans on dropping it soon.
https://www.phonearena.com/news/t-mobile-4g-lte-shutdown_id174676
Overall, there is a lot to love about Ubuntu Touch...especially the Google Pixel 3a port. However, it increasingly seems more like a form of "Pocket PC" than an actual daily driver phone capable of making and receiving calls...mainly due to things outside of the work the Linux community has been doing, such as T-Mobile's decisions.
I'd hate to waste development time on something that might not last more than a year if we get everything up and running. Also, I'm not entirely sure "new phones" without an existing Ubuntu Touch partnership would always be a permanent solution either if the hardware is not replaceable and if development happens after the release date.
Supporting a phone with upgradable software and easily upgradeable hardware (modem, etc.) might be ideal for the Linux phone community to get behind. It seems we keep hitting a long development time and a short reward time as far as phone support unfortunately.
In this sense, Ubuntu Touch's partnership with Fairphone seems like a good match if it can be expanded upon and if development can happen on a phone before release. That way it works out of the box for the longest amount of time without many issues. It will also unite the community around similar hardware.
I'm unsure of Ubuntu Touch's plans for the US. With Volla and Fairphone, it seems European users will get the most support. If Fairphone and Volla decide the US is a good market for an "Ubuntu Edition" phone, I'm sure many users would be happy. However, as if currently stands with import fees, etc. I can't say this is a viable option for most US users. For those in the US, we may have to look at alternative phone providers that will have phones supported long enough for the development time to be worth it if we are looking for a daily driver.
Again, I appreciate everyone's hard work, creativity, thoughtfulness, and experimentation. I love Ubuntu Touch and still plan on using the Google Pixel 3a. I have learned a lot during this process and hope to continue learning more. With the recent news, it just seems like to me that the opportunity window for this device to be a daily driver or main phone has already passed. Instead, based on factors outside of the Linux community, I will use this as a Pocket PC/Media Player. I have decided that it might not become a viable daily driver or "main phone."
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@atarilinux I agree with a lot of your points. I tried to daily drive it for a couple of weeks but there are a lot of things that are unpolished and require workarounds, workarounds that I don't feel like doing as a user TBH. I am not a dev.
I keep my eye on the project every couple of days to see what is new, as well as the live q&A videos every second Saturday.
With the announcement of the "smooth edges" initiative, I'm hoping that it does get some polish in the 20 week time frame that is being proposed. Until then, I am back to my S24.
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A couple of thoughts:
The OP6/T was one of the successful models in the original VoLTE experiment. It did not receive the final version because the porter is in Ukraine and the port is effectively abandoned. The OP Nord N10 now has VoLTE (24.04-2 daily) and the N100 likely will (same porter). Perhaps an updated port for the 6/6T would be worth your effort, or one for the OP Nord N20/30 or 200/300 as they are 5G models
There is renewed effort to get SIP completely functioning and integrated into the dialer. If that effort is successful, the existing port of the P3a could still be useful as a VoIP phone.
Which brings me to heresy - use Droidian with SIP, or Mobian or PostmarketOS (patches needed with Mobian to match PMOS) as VoLTE is somewhat functional (a work in progress) with P3a and OP6/T.
And since Mobian/PostmarketOS is mainline, you could confer with Oren (Pinephone/tab porter) to see how to build a mainline UT port for either of those two models
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To be honest and perhaps more specific, a Linux phone can be a daily driver that can make and receive calls. I actually do have one that is a daily driver at the moment. However, the Google Pixel 3a with Ubuntu Touch can't be my daily driver as the phone system is too unreliable. As a Pocket PC/Media Player it is great! It is just not a great "phone."
Ubuntu Touch as a system is A LOT more user friendly than other systems I've tried so far. I can see where they are going with it, and I really like the direction for the entry-level Linux user. Similarly, it is good enough for a developer too...though some choices can be controversial to some. If I would recommend a normal user a Linux phone, Ubuntu Touch would probably be the first one I would go with.
The main focus right now would be to get the phone part reliable, not in the short term, but in the long term. If 4G goes down and 5G isn't working, we are back to where we were a couple of years ago with a Pocket PC and not a true smartphone alternative. I'd hate to see that happen again.
I think that is the main reason why I wrote what I did. I'd hate to see all the time, effort, and development go to waste simply because someone else decided to pull the plug. A Pocket PC is a fine thing on its own, and I love the idea with convergence, etc. However, I think most are going to judge it as a smartphone instead of a Pocket PC. They will look at it and say "It's a phone. Why can't I call, etc.?" A number of people will complain abut having 2 devices, etc. They will rate the operating system as a whole unfairly.
I'm definitely going to use the Google Pixel 3a. I'm going to test things out and see what what I can do with it. I'm still going to support Ubuntu Touch. However, development towards making it a daily driver seems like it would be a lot of cost for only a very short term gain. That is the most unfortunate part of this. If 4G was left running for a while or if the phone's hardware could be updated in some manner, we wouldn't have this issue.
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I was actually looking at the OnePlus Nord N10 port today. I was very happy to hear the news of the phone working with VoLTE.
I really don't see any of these Linux phone operating systems as mutually exclusive. Each OS has its own strengths and weaknesses. So, no heresy with talking about other OS's in my book. Hahaha
I'll probably be eyeing one port or another in the next year or so, and I'll continue to see how I can help. Not sure porting is something I can do at the moment. It might take me a while to get a hold of things. However, some things aren't always about a quick finish to the goal, right? Sometimes we are the hare and other times the turtle, but either way we make our own path. Just happy to do what I can at the moment, whatever that may be.
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@atarilinux said in VoLTE Implementation For Google Pixel 3a/3a XL:
To be honest and perhaps more specific, a Linux phone can be a daily driver that can make and receive calls. I actually do have one that is a daily driver at the moment. However, the Google Pixel 3a with Ubuntu Touch can't be my daily driver as the phone system is too unreliable. As a Pocket PC/Media Player it is great! It is just not a great "phone."
Ubuntu Touch as a system is A LOT more user friendly than other systems I've tried so far. I can see where they are going with it, and I really like the direction for the entry-level Linux user. Similarly, it is good enough for a developer too...though some choices can be controversial to some. If I would recommend a normal user a Linux phone, Ubuntu Touch would probably be the first one I would go with.
The main focus right now would be to get the phone part reliable, not in the short term, but in the long term. If 4G goes down and 5G isn't working, we are back to where we were a couple of years ago with a Pocket PC and not a true smartphone alternative. I'd hate to see that happen again.
I think that is the main reason why I wrote what I did. I'd hate to see all the time, effort, and development go to waste simply because someone else decided to pull the plug. A Pocket PC is a fine thing on its own, and I love the idea with convergence, etc. However, I think most are going to judge it as a smartphone instead of a Pocket PC. They will look at it and say "It's a phone. Why can't I call, etc.?" A number of people will complain abut having 2 devices, etc. They will rate the operating system as a whole unfairly.
I'm definitely going to use the Google Pixel 3a. I'm going to test things out and see what what I can do with it. I'm still going to support Ubuntu Touch. However, development towards making it a daily driver seems like it would be a lot of cost for only a very short term gain. That is the most unfortunate part of this. If 4G was left running for a while or if the phone's hardware could be updated in some manner, we wouldn't have this issue.
the definition of "phone" has broadened over the last decade. when your average user thinks of a "phone", they aren't just thinking of basic phone capabilities like making and receiving calls. our expectations of what a "phone" is capable of doing is so much more.
for the average user who is looking for another operating system to use rather than android or iOS, I would definitely NOT recommend UT in its current form exactly for the reason above.
when that user looks at what other "phones" are capable of our of the box, said user is gonna be like "why do i have to jump through these hoops just to do what so-and-so can do with their device?". for you and I, it might not be so much of an issue, as for other tinkerers, hobbyists, because we know how to deal with it.
UT lacks polish and the devs are aware of this (the "smooth edges" project, in fact, appears to be designed so that these rough edges and workarounds would be corrected so potential users don't get scared away). i am watching this initiative because that's what it needs to happen.
i would feel terrible recommending a new user to UT in its current state, even on a newer device.
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@zakafx said in VoLTE Implementation For Google Pixel 3a/3a XL:
i would feel terrible recommending a new user to UT in its current state, even on a newer device.
I would not, as long as the user has the right mindset and enough knowledge of the limitations and possible pitfalls. If someone is going into this adventure with open eyes and a clear view, I don't see a problem.
In fact I've helped two people transition to UT recently and they seem to be happy about the experience. -
@Moem yes, the average user doesn't have that in mind and wants something that just works out of the box. UT doesn't "just work" for this category of users without lowering expectations. i think i was pretty clear on this on my previous reply.
for myself: I went in full knowing that this is a work in progress operating system. for the time that I did spend with it, I did get used to the quirks and bugs, but then I started noticing that it takes me longer to perform certain tasks in UT compared to Android. this became tiresome and eventually switched to Lineage to test out. if waydroid integration was improved (waydroid notifications to UT notification window, always running, seamless app launching without having to wait for waydroid to boot), it probably wouldn't be that big of a deal in that aspect.
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@zakafx Since Waydroid seems to be important to you, maybe UT is simply not the best fitting OS for your needs?
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@Moem I think you are missing the point. I don't want to rely on Waydroid, but this is the offering we (the users) get in order to retain some sort of "compatibility" with what we know and with what works (and proves my original point that you seem to be deflecting on, that UT isn't ready for the average user, if we have to rely on workarounds just to use UT).
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@zakafx Or we may be different people with different needs. I'm not sure which of us is the 'average' user. We might both be. I'm not sure that I'm deflecting either... what I'm sure of is that UT meets enough of my needs to be daily driveable (for me).
