Crossposted from https://rss.ponder.cat/post/204768
Based in Madrid, Liberux is gaining attention with its Linux smartphones that run on LiberuxOS — a mostly open source operating system built from scratch, completely independent of Android and iOS. Their NEXX line of smartphones distinguishes itself as a Linux phone capable of running standard Linux distributions right out of the box.
Realizing that most people aren’t looking to spend a fortune on niche tech, Liberux recently announced that it was working on a more affordable version to make the NEXX accessible to a broader audience.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s exciting to see organizations working to bring Linux phones into the mainstream.
Liberux NEXX: What Does it Offer?
Let’s start with the original model, which is impressive for what it is. It looks like a legit attempt at creating a daily-driver Linux phone that doesn’t feel like a development kit.
The Liberux NEXX features an octa-core Rockchip RK3588S processor (4×Cortex-A76 + 4×Cortex-A55, up to 2.4 GHz), 32 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and a 6.34″ 2400×1080 OLED display.
It includes 512 GB of eMMC storage, which is expandable via microSD (up to 2 TB). Connectivity options include dual USB-C ports, 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Those are solid specs, and the price (~$1,485) shows it. 😲
Enter, The Budget-Friendly Alternative
The Liberux NEXX Community edition serves as a more affordable alternative to the original model while retaining many of its core features.
It includes the same 6.34-inch OLED display, Rockchip RK3588S processor, 32MP rear and 13MP front cameras, dual USB-C ports, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a 5,300 mAh battery, and microSD support up to 2 TB. Both versions run LiberuxOS, a Debian-based Linux operating system.
While the flagship model comes with 32 GB RAM, 512 GB storage, and 5G, the new Community version offers 8 GB RAM, 128 GB storage, and 4G LTE connectivity. There’s also a mid-range option with 16 GB RAM.
🛒 Getting the Liberux NEXX Community
As with any crowdfunding campaign, delays or changes are expected. Currently available on Indiegogo, the Community model with 8 GB of RAM is priced at approximately $900, excluding shipping costs.
Additional tiers such as First Backer and Golden Backer are also available, offering various perks. Shipments are expected to begin globally in July 2026, though availability may vary by country.
Via: Liliputing
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I know PinePhone will probably never be ready like this but Purism should step up to get something like this out. They have their heads too far up their bung hole to see it through despite having good potential. PureOS is also Debian based, but this is good news. Never heard of them until now but if they’re ethical about their hardware (they let us replace parts), then I wish them all the best.
At that price I’d rather take a chance on the furios phone.
To save money why are you not including 5g? What a weird thing to cut. How about cutting the extraneous second USB port first?
It’s too much money and too much risk. 900 is not affordable.
I’m interested in an alternative, but just to try it out, Ubuntu touch that I can install on an old phone.
What is this, a sick joke? “Budget-friendly” and “entry-level” means “price similar to a PinePhone” (i.e. $200), not $900!
And with no 5g, probably a shitty screen. I wish ubuntu would have their phone kickstarter again.
I could have missed it, but is there any mention somewhere of compatibility with existing android/iOS apps?
One of the reasons the windows phone died was a lack of apps as they entered the market too late and app devs weren’t very keen on building the app on yet another platform.
Linux phones can use waydruid to keep using Android apps.
That’s interesting! I hadn’t heard of that yet. I wonder how viable that is on a phone or if it would hog too many resources.
Laptops/ PCs are generally well equipped enough. But a phone? Maybe!
It works already pretty well but it does use a third more battery on Ubuntu Touch.
Most apps these days are just an html page disguised as an app anyways
This is very much untrue
Is this price a high for the punch it packs? You have to wonder if they’re subsidizing the development of an open source OS with a higher price of the phone.
I hope this becomes a product that can be sold at a reasonable price. If so, I might buy one. Won’t be holding my breath, though.
“budget phone” that’s more expensive than a new flagship iphone
and has ancient hardware
and doesn’t have 5G
i sure wonder why linux phones aren’t taking off!!!
Do you have a solution to these problems?
not really, at the end of the day im just an asshole with an internet connection
i get that products for niche markets will be overpriced because there’s little economies of scale, i just wish the product you’d get out of it was good
the framework laptops are pretty expensive for their specs, but the specs are still good, you’ll end up with a good laptop, and it’s repairable! to many people (including me), that makes it worth the price
but when your phone that’s more expensive than Famously More Of A Luxury Fashion Statement Than Tech Device phone has midrange at best specs and a soon-to-be-obsolete cellular connection, why even bother?
Because it’s incredibly difficult to port an OS ecosystem to a new platform …?
I mean linux phones are much more than this one example.
of course, you can run linux on other phones too (and big thanks to all the devs that manage to make that work!)
but most linux-first phones (and tablets) are either like this, super expensive with bad specs, or devkits from Pine64
The fairphone is pretty good and it’s new repairable hardware you can buy.
$900
$90.0 is good. $150 is… well, I might consider. $900 isn’t even funny.
This is a phone with the specs of a decent full laptop. And compared to other phones it’s a small-run luxury item: they aren’t Samsung or Google and won’t be making millions of these, so no economies of scale to lower the price like the big players have.
The price seems amazing to me. Almost too good to be true.
Cortex A55 is 2 generations old and from 2017. A76 is 6 generations old and from 2018.
Fine, I’ll grant that. But I still think it’s unreasonable to expect prices comparable to phones from trillion dollar companies.
