costly Pixel phone (4a) repair / Linux Pine phone

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Michael L

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Apr 25, 2021, 4:26:08 AM4/25/21
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I'd like to know if anyone on this list has had any success with the Pine phone or another Linux phone, if you're able to make calls, send texts and emails and do internet searches.  Wondering if I can at least use it as a back up phone.

(If u own a Pixel) I replaced my old (still working) phone with a Pixel 4a in November for $350 and a $5 case.  I dropped it recently.  The exterior is in mint condition, but the LCD quit working, which costs $299; the repair guy said they're the worst for repairs.  It's supposedly under warranty, but I'm waiting from B&H for the warranty contact info.  If my old phone wasn't still working I'd be in a potentially costly situation of having to buy another phone till this gets repaired (a more rugged case may be appropriate for the Pixel phone).

Thanks to NLUG, I'm saving $600/month vs. being in Microsoft penitentiary😁
  MichaelL



Jackie Moore

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Apr 25, 2021, 7:35:06 AM4/25/21
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I have the postmarket OS Convergence Package and calls (using TING sim) are hit or miss. Texting works but sometimes hangs and requires a reboot.

Long story short I would not stake my life on it, YET. Improvements are happening almost daily on Ubuntu Touch. The Beta Edition has Manjaro with Plasma Mobile OS pre-installed. I have that one as well but have not tested as I just received it on Friday.

I also have UT installed on two other phones. A Nexus 5 (progress rank of 89.6%) but my sim is not compatible so I have not tested it for calls or texting. The other is a One+ One (progress rank of 93.5%) that I need to test more. 

For comparison the PinePhone is currently at 42.1% progress on https://devices.ubuntu-touch.io

I would be happy to flash the Nexus 5, Oneplus One or a Pinephone if you would like to try one or all of them with your SIM card.

My name is Jackie and I have an addiction…
Jackie Moore

On Apr 25, 2021, at 3:26 AM, Michael L <helpwit...@gmail.com> wrote:


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Jack Coats

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Apr 25, 2021, 9:03:36 AM4/25/21
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Pixel 2 I have been using is not unsupported by Google, so I upgraded to a $150 used Pixel3 recently.  Little pain (I hate changing phones).  But still
there is the $$.  I do run old hardware and am 'cheap', but for me, I think I get reasonable value for the $$.  I know if I had to do a 'broken phone' 
replacement, I am SOL and just get another phone.  I just means I keep a little extra cash around to pay for my own 'warrantee' anyway.
Just the way I think, warrantee and any insurance is always a policy that we hope 'they' win on any insurance bet.

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If you are not paying for something, you are not a consumer, you are the product. - Chamath Palihapitiya

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Ben Franklin

Csaba Toth

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Apr 25, 2021, 2:31:53 PM4/25/21
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Checking on eBay I see screens for the 4A (4G) in the range of $136-$145. The 4A 5G has even screens for $100. Does the fixing cost $160 on top of that to come out to $299? I'd check other 3rd party repair shops. For a repair shop which does that on a regular basis I think it takes them ~15 minutes. For me it'd take several hours for sure. All modern phones have a very bad iFixit score. One thing for certain: never buy any Apple if you care at all for Right to Repair (https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair/Intro) or would expect a possibility of a repair cost lower than an extortion. https://www.ifixit.com/News/45921/is-this-the-end-of-the-repairable-iphone Don't buy Tesla for the same reason (just in case if you are thinking of an EV) and don't buy any John Deere either.

What's that $600/mo save?

Michael L

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Apr 25, 2021, 10:44:42 PM4/25/21
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Thanks everyone for the excellent info.  This will help save more $ going forward and cure more headaches.

The $600/month we're saving my employer is just on useless "support" and "licensing" fees (aka extortion) for unnecessary software and hardware in LTO tape backup and firewall / VPN gear.  With help from NLUG we're able to use FOSS instead of proprietary wizardry and buy used instead of new.

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