@ryujin470 Difference between ARM architectures, few standards, closed bootloaders, no interest for developing apps...
this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2025
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Because they aren't fully baked and they aren't properly backed by billion/trillion dollar companies.
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They're horrible
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So you designed an OS, nice, so, the apps are vertical to match, right?... r-right?
Hardware support.
If I have to own a specific phone or line of phones, that I otherwise would never buy, I'm not going to get one just to run Linux on it.
because phone manufacturers don't make them available without going through hoops.
I'm sure what I'm about to say has already been echoed by others, but there are a few factors working against them. This is from a US/Canada perspective. Other countries may have more or fewer barriers.
- Mobile hardware - Mobile hardware has higher security. Some of this is by design for the user, since mobile devices are more likely to fall into wrong hands than e.g. a desktop. Some of it is corps preventing users from using their hardware in ways they don't want you to, though. The level of locked down mobile hardware has only increased over time.
- Carriers - This one is particular to North America, I think. Carriers here have a long history of meddling in phone hardware - from bloatware to SIM locks and everything in between. One of the things they do since LTE is require device makers to pay them to get certified to make calls on their network. Linux capable devices are too niche to be able to afford this. This is why Fairphone, for example, even with its Android-based OS, only works on one carrier here.
Those are the main two barriers here. Things like apps can have workarounds for those that would be interested in early adoption of Linux phones. But there's no way around the combination of carrier certification costs and limited options of only very locked down hardware.
In terms of the mobile side, these OS's aren't very well polished, and the Linux phone is quite new. However, there are Linux phones being made, but this is more of a niche kinda deal, as people tend to use GrapheneOS or an iPhone (Stock Googled Android is a no-go anymore due to the malware that both Google and other malicious devs add to the Play Store). That's just how I see it, though.
A lot of technical answers, but consider a social driver: Linux users and developers are a lot more likely to prefer to do their computing on a "real" computer with a keyboard and large screen. Therefore, Linux as a desktop/laptop OS will always be significantly ahead of mobile offerings.
In my case it's because I can't get hardware that supports it without paying a fortune for importing. The other option is ancient hardware that most likely has a cooked battery that I'd have to hunt for in a used market.
Then there's the lack of VoLTE support on a lot of models which is becoming a non-starter as carriers are taking down the 3G towers.
That's before I've even gotten to try the software which I'm not hearing great things about.
It's not popular because it's an enthusiast niche at best. Linux mobile needs more time in the oven before it's ready, by my measurement another couple of decades.
Because they don't work as phones, at least not for practical use
No one has cracked it yet, some projects seem to be getting close, but the radio in a phone is a very complicated and poorly documented black box
Every review I've seen of them is really bad. Basic things like simply placing or receiving a call do not work properly.
Have you checked SailfishOS? Of course it might have bug once a while but generally they seem to be extremely reliable as phone
No apps => Nobody buys => No users => Nobody makes apps
I'd seriously consider if I at least got the bare necessities, like my bank.
Depending on your bank, you may be able to use their website.
The "no apps" isn't "that big of an issue" (at least for me), as there's Waydroid available, and it's just standard Linux with all the desktop apps right from Flathub. There's also plenty of webapps available.
There's tons of other issues with Linux mobile, like general usability, battery life, responsiveness (especially when receiving calls or notifications), and hardware support.
The biggest one I'm running into is sleep states. I can either have 4-ish hours of battery life, but if my phone is charged, I get notifications, alarms go off, and calls come in immediately. Or I can have about a day idle battery life, but have to check my phone before any of that stuff comes in.
There's also the fact I use my phone for media a lot (Jellyfin, Lemmy), and the experience isn't great on Linux mobile. "Apps" integtate less with each other, and video playback is kind of a mess. (For example, I can't "share" on a photo from Lemmy to send it to a friend on Matrix).
Are you using PMOS? Have you checked SailfishOS? It sounds like it would be quite a lot more polished and more usable
I'm running on postmarketOS, SailfishOS includes significant proprietary components, besides firmware. Like the user-interface. My Android daily driver is already running strict FOSS-only ROM and apps (with an exception in firmware), there's no reason for me to switch to sometbing proprietary.
That is definitely choice. In my mind SailfishOS is open enough as most of it is open. But of course it is good to have options. For me carrying two phones would be no-go, which leads me to be mostly interested as polished options that can meet my app needs --> don't know other Linux option (currently) in this case than SFOS
Check SailfishOS, there you can run even quite many banking apps: https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/banking-apps-on-sailfish-os/18438/183
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It’s banking:
https://slrpnk.net/post/28294479
The army of corporate boot lickers in the mobile phone context is largely composed of people who think banking on a smartphone is wise, despite the attack surface and despite the bank being empowered to monitor their customers more closely. Banking apps are the most significant culprit for gluing people to Android.
We may never see the day when more than 5% of the population realises the importance of FOSS enough to shake free of their addiction to convenience.
You know some of us don't have an option, right?
Every bank in México forces their app to use the 2FA, needed to transfer money and to pay the credit cards.
Some random told me I was limiting myself by only using mexican banks... Never told me what alternative I have when I live here, so I guess these kind of comments are only to feel superior over those of us who have to deal with it.
There are 35 million Mexican adults (38%) without a bank account. So living unbanked is at least an option, and more than ⅓ find it viable.
Nonetheless, it’s interesting to hear that all banks in Mexico are digital and that not a single one offers offline service. And that not a single digital bank offers logins w/out 2FA, or 2FA by SMS (which includes feature phones), or 2FA by using a card reader. If all that is true, consider posting about it in !smartphone_required@lemmy.sdf.org.
The army of corporate boot lickers in the mobile phone context is largely composed of people who think banking on a smartphone is wise
This is extremely reductive and oblivious to the actual realities of banking in various countries. If you think it's easy to be "unbanked" then I would suggest that you try it yourself first.
This is extremely reductive and oblivious to the actual realities of banking in various countries.
I think you will be hard-pressed to find a country that does not have a single bank that can serve those w/out smartphones. If you find such a country, plz post about it in !smartphone_required@lemmy.sdf.org and send me the link. Then we may be able to make a case for ppl in that specific country not being boot-lickers, if at the same time being unbanked is illegal.
If you think it’s easy to be “unbanked” then I would suggest that you try it yourself first.
I have been simulating an unbanked life for years now. 5 creditors are threatening lawsuits for non-payment after refusing my cash. One took me to court and it was an easy win for me. I just appeared without a lawyer and pointed to the law.
It’s also worth noting that unbanked is more extreme that simply choosing a bank that does not require a smartphone.
we are close to cracking 5% on desktop.
do you think it's gonna get corpos to support it?
Corporations certainly would bend to consumer demand if consumers were wise enough to boycott and make demands. But the question is whether consumer wisdom would ever advance on a scale to make that happen. I think I have little hope of seeing it in my lifetime.
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Because of very limited support for phone models, and many, many apps not supporting them.
I would recommend to check SailfishOS. Quite a few officials supported devices and even more community ports
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