Volla phone (is back and) will be a new UT phone in 2020
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A new crowdfunding has just began on kickstarter.
Its aim is to launch in october 2020 a new smartphone and a new OS, volla OS : "The Volla OS is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) and contains neither Google Apps nor Google Play Service. Most Android apps can still be installed and used via an anonymous App Store. With our Stretch Goal we’re taking it even further: For your Volla phone you can choose a free open source operating system."And you know what, Ubuntu Touch might be one of the open source operating system ported by Volla to its new volla phone.
If you want to know more about the genesis of this project, look at :
https://volla.online/blog/files/community-days.html
https://volla.online/blog/files/hackathon-2019.htmlDonate anonymously 1€/$ by year to UBports, all Ubuntu Touch users can do it ! Demonstration:
https://forums.ubports.com/topic/1262/donate-anonymously-1-by-year-to-ubports-all-ubuntu-touch-users-can-do-it-demonstration/ -
@libremax 2 big problems I see straight of the bat.
First problem is that there's a camera notch, something which Ubuntu Touch doesn't account for, unless someone makes Ubuntu touch work well with a notch, which will be a very difficult task, then Ubuntu touch would be difficult to use on the phone if you use indicators.
Second problem is that we have to upgrade halium, we're currently on 7.1 if the halium team jump from 7.1 to 9.1 then it'll be portable when thats done, but there's a LOT of work to do before thats a possibility.
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Seems they have something running?:
Maybe they can provide updates here
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Wow - that looks like the version formally known as Edge!
So doesn't need Halium at all then?
(unless this is just a mock-up) -
@PhoenixLandPirat I had seen that and others numerous difficulties this project have to overcome.
I believed "might be a new UT phone" in the title, was enough to express it was not an easy and sure project. But, you are right, it's better to be more explicit. So I change the title to "might be (or not) a new UT".
I hope that clarifies what I mean. -
@tera The lack of indicators at the top, suggests to me, that this is a port rather than a "Mock up" or a picture of a screenshot from another device, however, I can't know that for sure.
I hope it is real, perhaps they might come up with some software solutions to deal with the notch, and if they can propose a solution thats acceptable to the ubuntu touch folks, it might mean a lot more devices will be able to be ported to!
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What I don't quite get about this is:
Why perorder/pay 300 Euro for a slight hardware upgrade of a normal, run of the mill Android phone build by Gigaset and available from their website for 170 Euro as of writing this?It doesn't look like they are actively contributing much to a non-android ecosystem and the software additions to Android that they are proposing seem on a quick glance trivial at best.
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@poVoq Models on Gigaset website doesn't match volla's phone specification. So you comparison is not fair.
Donate anonymously 1€/$ by year to UBports, all Ubuntu Touch users can do it ! Demonstration:
https://forums.ubports.com/topic/1262/donate-anonymously-1-by-year-to-ubports-all-ubuntu-touch-users-can-do-it-demonstration/ -
@libremax well, true. But it seems like they just took the 2020 upgrade version that Gigaset is working on anyways and that will likely be available for a similar price by the time Volla plans to release their phone as well.
Fairphone 5 (waiting for port)
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Latest news from Volla: "Today we are able to present the prototype port of Ubuntu Touch for the Volla Phone": https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/volla/volla-phone-freedom-through-simplicity-and-security/posts/2671739
At this step Ubuntu Touch seems already very fast on the Volla Phone prototype.
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For us who love UT, we'd always be happy to have an extra UT phone. But what could encourage us to go more to this phone than another and invest in this campaign? A fingerprint sensor ? a powerful processor for a fluid device? Good photo sensors? Will this be enough to make this product stand out from other phones and convince us to wait for the probable finished product in many months? As far as I'M concerned, I know where I'm going right now: Pinephone 1, but I hope that the fingerprint sensor technology will be implemented on the future Pinephone model, not because I really want it to be (I'm not entirely convinced of the safety of the sensor technology itself, but I wish Ubports UT could make it safe), but because this technology will be almost imposed on us in the fairly short term !
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The notch is the deal breaker to me. I would have considered this phone if it didn't have one.
But aside from the notch and the rounded corners, which I'm not a fan as well, it's looking good.
Apps start quite fast and seem smooth already. I wonder if it already use arm64. -
@domubpkm said in Volla phone might be (or not) a new UT phone in 2020:
But what could encourage us to go more to this phone than another and invest in this campaign?
Well, it would add one more new device to the list of supported devices that are not old and can be bought regularly. Which would increase the number of available new UT phones to choose from by 100% or 50% (depends on when Pinephone and Librem 5 are available).
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so it means anyhow that thode current gigaset devices might work with UT like their prototype. Their demo is impressive!
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@domubpkm Volla phone price is twice as high as pinephone. Their agendas are differents. For pinephone Braveheart edition before the end of 2019, end user availability, beginning of Q2 2020. For Volla phone, in best case October 2020.
So there is no way they can cannibalize each other.
It's the same for the librem5.There are tens millions of GNU/Linux users on desktop. In 2020, three new and very different smartphone models with free software could attract more users than two.
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@domubpkm said in Volla phone might be (or not) a new UT phone in 2020:
But what could encourage us to go more to this phone than another and invest in this campaign? A fingerprint sensor ? a powerful processor for a fluid device? Good photo sensors? Will this be enough to make this product stand out from other phones and convince us to wait for the probable finished product in many months?
Which ones? There hasnt been any new hardware for years. The only project I know of is the pinephone, which is really great - especially for developers - but I would prefer to spend some more bucks for 2gb addional ram, a better camera and processor.
The Volla Phone could reach another user group and I think thats not bad at all.
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litte OT: I appreciate more that the new hardware (that is always welcome) their UX. it remind me a little the dash with integrates lenses (or scope? I don't remember) plus a little the HUD in unity7...when I saw their presentation video I was wondering if is it possible to have something similar in UT...
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Yes, sadly it isnt taking of. I really appreciate, what the pine64 guys do for the communities. Nevertheless as an end-user, I would like to have a normal middleclass smartphone which has more px than e.g. 2/5mp the pinephone has. 2gb isnt much either.
The pinephone is a smartphone for devs not really for consumers, which is great for the different OS's. But we will see what the future holds for us. Pine64 showed there is a demand and you can do it if you do it right.
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@makeixo In my opinion, what causes the campaign to block, is not the product itself that is attractive: it is rather that we must still give ourselves a fairly long waiting time (even if it is normal) for a probable product, however good it may be. Because if the finished product was for sale now, the customers would already be there!!
