@cr9c Interesting take on UT On Fairphone. I was wondering, how do phone calls and SMS/MMS work? Do they work? Like I have had issues on other devices with MMS and UT. Thanks.

@applee look, I am rooting for UT to take off and be the modern alternative to iOS/Android, the more the merrier. But imagine if say the Pinephone or Librem 5 could be daily drivers as true Linux based phones using UT? That would be something. I get it, Librem 5 has its own Purism support, but Pinephone is up in the air what could be the dominant OS on it. No reason it can't be UT.

@kugiigi just seems like the pinephone is a missed opportunity, it could be the first real linux phone for everyone. Instead rooting old android phones is the priority? The potential for Ubuntu Touch is there, but an independent phone would be more consistent with the idea of linux, IMO.

@ubportsnews great news, but I wish pinephone got some update too.

@lakotaubp might have to dig up my old Nexus 5 to test it. I mean other than MMS not working on it, it was a pretty serviceable smartphone with UT. Pinephone is nowhere near that.

@applee all I can give is constructive criticism as I am a Linux novice and just adopted it in the last couple of years, I do not write code, apps, and can barely get by in the bash terminal, so I am not one of the great volunteers that has made UBPorts what it is. But my main criticism with Pinephone support is the device is branded as a UBPorts version, I am a realist, I know its a beta product right now, but when I read about features in browsing I think to myself, I really wish UBports worked more on prioritizing communication features, as in making it work as an actual phone before it becomes a portable PC/tablet. If it worked with phone calls, texting MMS and SMS, and browsing, thats all I would need to make it my daily driver. Its really all that matters.

@kugiigi UBPorts has a lot of good work where the Ubuntu Touch OS actually works well on many tablets and older phones. I used a Nexus 5 for months as my daily driver but gave up on it when I couldn't do MMS and many friends that I keep in touch with did a lot of group texting, I would get notified, but wouldn't get the actual messages. But SMS, I would be able to text one on one, no problem. Also phone calls and the camera worked. And most of the apps in the app store worked.

Pinephone? Even the bare essentials or prerequisite for calling a device a phone, as in any communication features like phone calls or texting SMS, none work on Pinephone. Using it as like a mini-tablet to do browsing and linux type stuff, its not bad at all, an improvement over Nexus 5 due to newer hardware.

I am contributing nothing to the community other than criticism in that I don't write code, apps, etc. But constructive criticism, I wish the work on UBPorts started with getting the phone communication features to work as the priority BEFORE focusing on all the other computer web browsing, bash terminal, etc stuff.

I would like to see Pinephone be a phone first before a portable PC/Tablet, if that makes sense?

@phoenixlandpirat Nexus 5 actually runs Ubuntu Touch way better. Simple things like calls and texts actually work. Most apps on the app store work too where few work on pinephone. My only nitpick that stops a Nexus 5 from being my viable daily driver is I couldn't get MMS to work. SO any group texts, I would get a notification, but wouldn't get the actually message, I tried everything to see if there is a fix, doesn't appear to be as the interface doesn't allow for me to get MMS working on Nexus 5.

But back to the Pinephone, calls, SMS, most apps, don't work. Yeah Pinephone is a newer device than Nexus 5 and is more advanced hardware, but Nexus 5 plays way nicer with Ubuntu Touch, not even close. And when I speak of apps, I am not expecting iOS or Android levels of support as its just the great work of volunteers in the UBPort community, one of my favorites that runs on Nexus 5 and not Pinephone is Weber. It turns a webpage into an app icon, simple, but very useful app to create icons for your favorite pages.

Basically so far, Ubuntu TOuch Pinephone is useless as a commincations device or phone right now. Yeah, you can web browse and do some other linux stuff, but its currently nowhere near being an actual phone, sure as hell is nowhere near a daily driver.

I would have to agree with the OP, I appreciate all the work put into Ubuntu by so few people as like a passion project, but putting the UBPorts name on the Pinephone and doing almost nothing to support just seems wrong. If anything UBPorts should be focusing almost all their energy on an alternative phone like the Pinephone rather than old Android phones as it would create viable third option completely different than iOS or Android.

I mean Nexus 5 is good, but its a decade old, yet runs Ubuntu Touch well other than maybe MMS. Pinephone could be huge if only it was supported and developed. Pinephone should be a priority, the true linux based phone.