@rocket2nfinity

Thanks! Very helpful! I will look into those phones.

I'm going to throw in a "nice to have" feature. I wouldn't say it is a bug.

Having a filter to only show my native Ubuntu Touch Apps, Desktop Apps, and Waydroid apps would be very helpful. Putting them all together can cause some user accidents. Oops...I just accidentally opened a desktop app, but I don't have a proper screen near by to see what I am doing. Oops...I just accidentally opened Waydroid and I can expect some loading times and more battery usage, etc. I can see how that can be potentially frustrating.

Sometimes I want my phone to only be an Ubuntu Phone phone with native Ubuntu Touch phone apps. Sometimes I want to run Waydroid when I know I have enough battery, and other times, I want it to be a "Pocket PC" when I have a proper screen, keyboard, and mouse.

Being able to select what I want to show would be helpful, and if I want to show all, I could do that too.

Thanks for all this information. It makes me wonder what Ubuntu Touch phones will be supported as a proper phone in the next year or couple of years. Seems like it might not be enough just to have VoLTE working. We have to have 5G enabled, with emergency calling, and a phone that is supported by a carrier. Am I understanding correctly?

Glad to hear UB Ports is still looking at the US too.

@moem @zakafx

"Average user" and "Daily Driver" is a bit hard to define once we bring in apps. For my case, I'll just define it as can I use my phone as a phone with anticipating some app or web functionality. Similarly, I would also look at how easy is it to break the phone functionality or the OS.

For me, if the phone actually worked, the Google Pixel 3a Ubuntu Touch would be 95% daily drivable for me. The camera would be the only other main issue. I define "daily driver" if I can use the phone for personal, work, and travel.

I think this type of average user would be more aware of what life was like before smartphones or wants to detach from the current things whatever they may be. Maybe they just want something different too or are more developer focused? Ubuntu Touch meets most of these points.

Now, if I'm a person who needs a lot of apps because I grew up with apps and that is my expectation and what I am used to, any Linux phone could potentially be a hardpass....unless it is a Steam machine or latest social media thing or something I guess. Not sure what is all popular these days.

As for me, if the phone works, I know a number of people who may be interested in Ubuntu Touch. I may have to help them with general setup and how to use the phone to get what they need though. A number of the "main" apps people use have web-based ways to use them or have an alternative in the store, a way to use the app with Waydroid, etc. I think the smooth edges initiative could help with this.

In time, we can expect more apps, etc. However, that does not mean it can't be daily driveable for an average user. It just might be those who have to wait a bit more till it can meet their needs. Those needs kind of depend on the person and how they satisfy those needs can happen in different ways.

I can see both sides, and both sides are right. We just have to look at a target population first and then see where and how we can get population growth.

@rocket2nfinity

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.

@zakafx

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.

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."

I've been having some issues using Libertine running apps and searched the forum. It seems some others are also having issues setting up a proper Libertine container on the Google Pixel 3a. I'm placing a link to here.

https://forums.ubports.com/topic/11232/unable-to-create-libertine-container

@mr_growl

Hope you had a great vacation!

@rocket2nfinity

Thanks for the information!

@mr_growl

I also found this and thought it was interesting. It is regarding Mobian, but does mention the Google Pixel 3a working and receiving calls.

https://blog.mobian.org/posts/2025/02/early-2025-news/

Also, Droidian has a Halium 12 port for Volla Phone.

https://github.com/droidian-images/droidian/releases/tag/droidian%2F101.20250906

Looks like a headphone issue has been reported as well.

https://forums.ubports.com/topic/11291/earphone-problem-on-pixel-3a

@Linuxlite76

Thanks! This will be included in the list of things to look out for on 24.04 for the Google Pixel 3a.

@mr_growl

I've been searching, but finding a successful port is bit hard to find. I did come across these things if they may be helpful! If I find anything else, I will let you know.

Same Issue (But Unresolved):
https://xdaforums.com/t/halium-12-build-for-sm-t290-need-help.4605123/

Old Porting Method (Unfortunately):
https://forums.ubports.com/topic/11131/halium-12.0-lineageos-19.1-ubuntu-touch-focal-20.04-for-samsung-galaxy-s10-beyond1lte-build-rootfs-from-scratch

Another Halium Build with some Troubleshooting:
https://dev.to/ar2rworld/how-i-installed-ubuntu-touch-halium-on-the-xiaomi-redmi-4a-rolex-full-step-by-step-ubuntu-3l4m

Halium 12 Upgrades and Ubuntu Touch on Q&A
https://ubports.com/blog/ubports-news-1/ubuntu-touch-q-a-161-3956

@Eric-H

Thanks! I will check this out too!

@mr_growl

I'll see what I can find out!

@Eric-H

Your comments and insight are always appreciated! Thanks for all the help!

@mr_growl

To verify, you want me to see what I can find out on a Halium 12 stand-alone kernel method port. Is that correct? Again, thanks for all your hard work on this!

@JayH

Thanks for keeping an eye on the project! I likewise would like to make the switch. I'm sure others may be in the same boat. Definitely send your thanks to @mr_growl for all his hard work! I'm still learning, but helping when and where I can. Being new at this, I know I can't do this on my own in a resonable amount of time. There is a lot to read up on. With the community involved, I'm sure we can make something great!

@mr_growl

That makes sense, and it does seem like that's the error. The good news is that it booted to recovery! Let me know if there is anything you need me to look at or research. I'll try my best to assist in any way that I can!