Hello @vtracy
Good idea, we got in touch with e.foundation more than a year ago.
We will be happy to provide that, and put few resources to make it happen.
As we were planning for a better privacy features for our products.
However, such firmware doesn’t have Play Store, Maps, etc…
Convenience over privacy and vice versa.
Is that something you would use as firmware for your primary smartphone?
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Ahh, Firas, you put the finger in the weak spot. But, on the other hand, isn‘t that always so in life: you have to weigh advantage and disadvantage to arrive at a decision. I agree, the missing Maps function and in general, no app store, would be an inconvenience.
But I had not meant for the OS by eFoundation to be the only alternative. I am a (former) marketing man, I try to find ways and means for my product to be better.
So, maybe i should have said to look for alternative OS and not be tied to one that is popular but a data kraken. My suggestion would be to find ways now that will make it easier later to switch to a different OS.
Volker
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It’s hard for me to judge how far you would get without Google.
In any case, it would be time-consuming to deal with where and how to get the desired functions on such a “free” phone.
But maybe it would be worth it.
In the past, PCs had the option of a “dual boot”, and it might be possible to implement that on a smartphone as well.
You could then choose the OS depending on the situation, and possibly you would be able to do without Google at some point.
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Some years ago, I think Maybe 5 years, Ive had a bq aquaris with ubuntu as OS. Unfortunately they didnt update it anymore after 2018
Good point Achim,
Dual-boot is possible, but can be buggy. Requires really good engineering and development.
But I like the idea.
I can tell you, that life without Google Play store on Android is different, complete inconvenience trying to download apps from different no so authentic stores, MANUALLY (.APK files).
Then of course, you would give up on In-App-Purchase for apps and games.
Being political about it:
Google is really dominating worldwide, except for China. In China since the birth of Android, every company started building its own Store, that transformed later to be stable and good.
In Europe, it’s only possible through partnerships between EU funding and Sponsorship, Big Cloud integration (e.g. Duetsche-Telekom), Payment partner, and someone to integrate all of that as an experience and pilot it (Which can be Carbon Mobile) and then open source the “EU Store” to all other Brands/OEMs to use in their devices for EU, and potentially outside EU.
Big master plan up here 
.
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What do you think about the applications from Blloc or Volla Phone or rather how can they be assessed ?
That sounds real, real good. Yes, maybe a google-free platform made in europe would be the beginning. It’s possible to do that, but nevertheless… how to earn money (with comercials) when the os is totally unknown?
I would support this project!
I tried the eFoundation OS. I loaded it onto my Oppo R5 (R8105) a few months back. I really liked the idea of the OS, and I liked the idea of not being tracked by my 'phone everywhere I went. Once loaded up, I managed to install almost all of the Apps I use on a daily basis (not many admittedly, but I installed them without issue). Some I managed to download from the “e” store, some from APKPure, some directly from the developer. The OS ran reasonably well. It was a little sluggish but then the Oppo R5 is quite a few years old now.
The reason I uninstalled it after only a few days was down to two factors. Firstly the email client included would only download emails at the first setup. Once set up with my credentials, password, server details and so on it downloaded the current emails then collected no others. The only way I could get it to refresh was to delete all emails, all accounts and then set them up again. When it did exactly the same, no more emails after the first collection. It was a Gmail account I was trying to setup (on a Google free OS) but I have thousands of emails on that account, I’ve used it on all my varied devices since getting my first HTC HD Mini, I don’t want to lose it. The hostility on the eFoundation forum though when I asked if this was a known problem. Honestly, I was not expecting such rude dismissal of a clear failure in the email client. I expect email to work, no matter what the OS is, email should work. So, “e” OS lasted a week.
I have had much better luck with LineageOS. I’ve put that on a few 'phones. The Oppo R5 is running it (on Android 9). My NextBit Robin was installed with it as was my Wife’s NextBit Robin. My Essential Ph1 ran it too.
One advantage LineageOS has over “e” OS is that you can choose to go totally Google free, or just add the level of Google services you want or need, from minimum to get the Play Store, up to nearly every possible Google service. The choice is yours.
LineageOS also gets regular updates, you can elect to update daily, and it is rock solid. I found it to be very reliable, on all the devices I installed it.
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This smells like revulotion. That’s a good thing. 
But what about “Wear Os”, for example, is there an alternative that can be used to operate gagets on the market?
Das riecht nach Revulotion. Gut so.
Was aber ist z.B. mit “Wear Os”, gibt es da überhaupt eine Alternative womit man am Markt befindliche Gagets betreiben können würde?
From what I have seen here suggested, it seems to me that the best way to go with our product is to NOT EXCLUDE other OS‘s. That means
a. we can begin with Google Android,
b. we can offer (later) to switch to different Open Source Android,
c. we can choose a fixed OS after having gained some experience and user feedback.
The main issue is to not limit the OS to the Google one.
Volker
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Agree with everything and aligned.
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I just saw that Vaio has introduced a carbon fibre laptop:
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After watching the founders conference (sorry I could not participate live!), and seeing and understanding the revolutionary concept around the Carbon, I feel even stronger that we (=you, Firas and Jamie et al.!) absolutely must create a tablet! With the bigger body, the carbon characteristics would be visible and feelable even more than with the small phone. I have been ‚living‘ with the iPad from the first one available to the current one, using it every day for most of my ‚computer-related‘ tasks like, email, internet, fora, kindle reading, watchin and presenting photographs,… It has become an indispensable tool in my life (one friend, when introducing me as a speaker on Shakespeare, said „Volker without iPad in his hand is not conceivable“). I believe that a tablet as thin and as light as possible could be a real market niche as well.
And if you want to carry the idea even further: once the technology of a foldable device is mature, the thinness possible with a carbon body would make a foldable carbon tablet/smartphone possible. Today‘s foldables are (in my view) much too thick and unwieldy.
i would like to be one of the first founders of a ‚CarbonPad‘…!
Volker
Nice share…
Thank u
For me a laptop is more practical. strong, thin and light, with a powerful inside. Easy to carry around…
I used a dell ‘assembled in India’ all this time for about 10 years now. Since my work is mostly outdoors on vehicles I upgraded to an ASUS TUF series, powerful machine with semi metal body feels very confident, a bit on heavier side. It’s easy to carry around in a car, but I face problems when I choose to ride my super bike on a long ride with work.
So a light, Strong, thin and powerful laptop by CARBON I personally feel would b great and a good time to hit market along side with a good powerful tablet as mentioned by @vtracy.
What I learned here is VAIO has already worked on one Completely MADE IN JAPAN product. But I would still wait if CARBON has any plans anytime soon.
Also ACER ‘PORSCHE EDITION RS’ is option.
Thank u
Tejas,
of course a carbon laptop would be very good! I had tried to find a product for this company(!) that can be developed and manufactured based on as much knowledge and expertise as possible. That, I believe, is a tablet more than a laptop. I believe that that would be a good product strategy for our company.
As we all know, neither an iPhone nor an iPad/tablet can replace a desktop PC. I have all of them. But if I had to choose between a laptop and a tablet, I would choose the tablet, based on my experience with my own behaviour.
I also believe that the long-term trend in the world is towards ever thinner, lighter and ‚handier‘ devices, making them ever more easy to carry with you.
Volker
Volker,
I tune vehicles professionally and as a hobby, mostly covering PAN INDIA. Sometime have to visit clients.
Alongside i also design. Jewellery and mechanical bit of automotive. For which I have a powerful desktop.
All is good when I drive. Ample space and weight is no issue. Problem is when I ride my bike… specially super bike… where I have to carry my laptop in a backpack.
A light strong n powerful laptop is what I’ll do d magic for me.
My present ASUS TUF weighs about 2.3 kilos. Quiet heavy but enough power.
There are a lot of powerful n thin laptop in market no doubt… not sure about them being rugged n strong.
I Sure am carbon is also strong.
I am not comparing a tablet to a phone or a laptop… or to legendary irreplaceable desktop.
Just my thought
Thank u.
Tejas,to be quite clear: Every one of the devices you mentioned has its use!
As I wrote, I have them all, wouldn‘t miss a single one. Also, as mentioned elsewhere, I ‚grew up‘ with computers, have been in the business from 1965 (IBM /360) until early retirement, 1995. I had the privilege to do marketing in Germany for industrial use for the PCs and the ThinkPad laptops. I tested every model before recommending it to customers. If you are familiar with the types, you might remember the ThinkPad ‚Butterfly‘ with the folding keyboard? That way, it could have a very small footprint and yet a workable keyboard. I even had the first tablet, with Windows 3 pen edition; it worked! Only, it was too thick and heavy.
My current laptop is my trusted companion when I do a presentation using PowerPoint slides, and with a projector attached. I used to carry around the laptop could put it in my briefcase. Whenever I was underways, I felt the lack of a light tablet device that let me check my email, make notes for the presentations to come, maybe watch a video in the hotel room. The iPad gave me all that, and with a user interface that I could adapt to (after the long years of Windows variants).
Bothe my smartphone and tablet are there to have with me all the time, even when I go to a doctor snd have to spend time in the waiting room. So, my requirements for these commodity devices are different than for, say, gaming computers (I have an elaborate setup of a flight simulator, including VR).
Again, I am not negating the need for either laptops or workstation PCs. I just tried to ‚extrapolate‘ from what I perceive as the Carbonizer company‘s expertise, to what might be the next product that can use as much of the experience made with the smartphone.
Short term, I am very much looking forward to holding my carbon smartphone in my hands, try it out as much as possible, getting used to it in all ways.
Volker
Every device has its uses… absolutely… clearly mentioned no comparing…
Good to know your experience in d industry, even before I was born HATS OFF
I would conclude saying, like u expressed ur thought on a light n thin tablet which fulfils ur requirement. I expressed mine on a strong thin n light laptop. I’ll b happy to own a tablet if carbon comes up with one… I’ll b my first tablet… never felt a need for one… definitely handy entertainment device… but more practice to take notes and read.
But my preference is a carbon LAPTOP
With vaio already there in market, and with acre Porsche design not sure of its construction and tech specifications.
Again CARBON with its roots and exclusivity in carbon fibre, with all its patents will come up with product above all.
Looking forward to. Be it a tablet or a laptop.
Agreed @vtracy, really can’t wait for d Carbon to reach… has been a long wait for all am sure. N it’s finally coming to end.
U For sure I’ll get ur hands on one even before my carbon is shipped 