The development of the Liberux NEXX smartphone has begun, with creators aiming to combine a laptop-level hardware configuration, privacy features, and the open firmware LiberuxOS based on Linux into one device. The smartphone is currently in the working prototype stage, with the motherboard developed and fine-tuned. After resolving several existing issues, they plan to start distributing the board to developers within a few months. The delivery date for the finished device has not yet been determined. The initial production costs and market entry are planned to be covered through securing joint funding.
The software stack will be as open and accessible for modifications as possible. The system environment is based on Debian GNU/Linux 13, and the graphical interface is built using the GNOME Shell version for mobile devices. The smartphone will function as a portable workstation — once connected to a keyboard, mouse, and monitor, a full GNOME desktop environment will be accessible. There will be an option to run Android applications in containers, using layers like WayDroid. They plan to implement a five-year support period for the firmware.
To ensure privacy, three hardware switches are proposed that break the power supply circuits for the modem, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module, and camera/microphone. When all three switches are turned off simultaneously, GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and light/proximity sensors are also deactivated.
The smartphone features a modular hardware architecture, allowing for the replacement of memory, eMMC storage, modem (LTE/5G), and battery. For external connectivity, there are two USB-C 3.1 ports, a 3.5 mm audio port, an LTE/5G modem, and a module supporting Wi-Fi 5/Bluetooth 5. The device is planned to be equipped with an 8-core Rockchip RK3588S CPU (4× ARM Cortex-A76 + 4× ARM Cortex-A55 2.4 GHz, Mali G610 GPU), whose performance is sufficient for running typical desktop applications.
The smartphone will come with a 6.34-inch display with a resolution of 2400×1080, 32- and 13-megapixel cameras, and a 5300 mAh battery. The device can be equipped with up to 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal storage, plus optionally expandable storage of up to 2 TB via microSD. The estimated price of the device is €1300 for the configuration with Qualcomm Snapdragon X62 5G modem, 32 GB of RAM, and 512 GB eMMC, €890 for the LTE modem with 16 GB of RAM and 128 GB eMMC, and €790 for the LTE modem with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB eMMC.
Source: opennet.ru
