+++
title = "Phone usage and thoughts on Linux phone"
author = ["Michał Sapka"]
date = 2024-02-08T22:08:00+01:00
categories = ["blog"]
draft = false
weight = 2001
abstract = "I want Linux phone, but it doesn't seem ready yet"
+++

Recently, I've become very angry with my iPhone.
Not only Apple is actively trying to become the worse company in the business[^fn:1], but the UI of the phone is getting worse with each version.
This makes me sure that my next phone won't be an iPhone.

But then, what do I need the device for?
Do I even need an _Android_ and toy with de-googling it?

It seems that I primarily need:

-   phone calls
-   SMS
-   Browser
-   SSH Client
-   XMPP client
-   Email
-   Acceptable camera
-   Audio jack and local music playback.[^fn:2]

It isn't much, so it looks like _Linux_ phone, like _PinePhone[^fn:3]_ would be more than enough.

The one thing which stops me from ordering one (together with that amazing keyboard case[^fn:4]) are the not-great reviews, like the one [Zerwuerfnis](https://zerwuerfnis.org/daily-driving-the-pinephone-pro) recently posted.

Now, as listed above: I don't need a lot.
But I want the phone do those things great.
I can accept ok-camera (with sadness), as there still are great point-and-shoots on the market - often much better than the ones in phones.
I stopped taking lots of photos[^fn:5] some time ago.

What I can not accept is bad reception and bad battery life.
I am a father and therefore phone is primarily an emergency device.
I need to be able to call the doctor whenever I need to, and I need to be reachable by the daycare.
And, from what I read, _Linux_ fails here.
It is much better than _iOS/Android_ and being geeky toy, but it is not ready to be a phone.

Seems I will need to wait a while longer to surround myself with superior experiences, like SXMO[^fn:6]

[^fn:1]: [Software devolution in the hands of Apple](/blog/2024/apple-dma/)
[^fn:2]: iPhone, of course, looses this test.
[^fn:3]: [PinePhonePro on pine64.com](https://pine64.org/devices/pinephone_pro/)
[^fn:4]: [Keyboard on pine64.com](https://pine64.com/product/pinephone-pinephone-pro-keyboard-case/)
[^fn:5]: Which, itself, is a subject for a different day.
[^fn:6]: A tiling WM for a phone. Vide [official website](https://sxmo.org).