There are, for me, a few "holy grails" of smartphone hardware. Things I would love to see in my "perfect smartphone".
- Open Source Operating System (including drivers)
- Hardware killswitches (for things like the cameras, microphone, and networking)
- Hardware components sourced from verifiable, ethical manufacturers... and built (start to finish) in the USA
With that in mind, it would seem like the "Librem Liberty" smartphone from Purism would be the end-all, be-all for me -- the perfect device. At first glance, it checks all of those "holy grail" items.
Hardware killswitches! "Made in USA"! The website even talks about their usage of an "Ethical Supply Chain"! Huzzah!
Unfortunately, due to some critical issues, I will not be purchasing one.
I should point out that I have a long history with Purism, the company behind the Librem Liberty. Some time back, I was their Director of Marketing -- and, prior to that, was even the voice of their Librem One marketing campaign.
I know these people. I know their dedication to Free and Open Source Software. I know how passionate they truly are about wanting to build the best, privacy-respecting smartphone.
All of this is my way of saying: I should be the easiest person in the world to sell the Librem Liberty phone to. I am pre-built to want exactly what they are selling.
So why-oh-why will I not be buying one?
Is it truly "Made in the USA"?
To Purism's credit, they supply the following "Table of Origin" for some of the components of the Librem Liberty -- which shows which country each part comes from:
A few things to note, right off the bat:
- Note that the Chassis (the outer shell of the phone) is made in China.
- The M.2 communication modules are replaceable... with some various options. So the fact that some options are not made in the USA is not an issue.
- There are no key electronic components listed.
That last one is the critical bit here. Note that no chips are listed. CPU, GPU, memory, and the like are conspicuously absent from this list.
So, that begs the question, where do the various parts actually come from?
- The GPU, the Vivante GC7000Lite, appears to be produced in Shanghai, China.
- The CPU, NXP i.MX 8M Quad core Cortex A53, looks like it is fabricated in South Korea.
- The GPS module, the TESEO LIV3 GNSS, is produced by STMicroelectronics -- which has manufacturing facilities in France, Italy, Malta, Singapore, Shenzhen, and other locations. But not within the USA.
According to Purism, some chips are also fabricated in Taiwan and Japan (though which components those might be are unknown as there is not a detailed breakdown of each part used).
China. Korea. Taiwan. Japan.
I'm not here to pass judgment on other countries. But to call the Librem Liberty a "Made in USA" electronic is, in my opinion, more than a little misleading.
The team at Purism clearly understands that people are likely to reach this conclusion, as they make the following statement:
"chip country of origin is not nearly as meaningful as country of board fabrication"
That statement is utter and complete nonsense.
Do we know everything that goes on within those chips? Of course not. Likewise... they are not actually made in the USA.
"This is my new Made in the USA smartphone! With parts made in Japan! And Taiwan! And China! And..."
Are some parts made in the USA? Yes. Some. And the final assembly (putting all the finished parts together) is done within the USA.
Which is good! But not great.
I believe that the team at Purism is trying, very hard, to produce a fully-fledged "Made in the USA" phone here. And this, simply, is the best that they could do. Or, perhaps, the best they felt they needed to do.
Which brings me to the price...
If Purism had truly gone the extra mile -- and had sourced all components from USA based factories and fabricators -- that would warrant a higher than normal price. Without question.
Is everyone willing to pay a higher price for the luxury of having a smartphone that is "100% Made in the USA"? No, of course not. Some people -- perhaps most people -- simply won't care all that much. But, for those that do care, this would be worth a heftier price tag.
Unfortunately... this phone is not 100% Made in the USA. It simply has a slightly higher percentage of the manufacturing done within the USA than some other phones.
What would you expect to pay for such a phone? Maybe a small markup? And extra couple hundred bucks?
How about... $2,199 USD.
That's right. Over Two Thousand dollars.
That's a hefty chunk of change for a smartphone! Especially one which has specifications significantly lower than that of many $200 Android phones.
At that price, that phone better darn well be 100% made in the USA! But, you know, it's not.
Should you get one?
To be clear: I'm not saying this is a bad phone. Far from it. In fact, I think some of the design choices of the Librem line of phones is absolutely fantastic. Always have.
And, if you want a phone that is running Linux -- and has hardware kill switches -- it's not a bad option! Especially if you are prepared to do a bit of tinkering (as the software stack still has quite a lot of maturing to do).
That said... the Librem Liberty costs over ten times the price of a PinePhone (which is less than $200) -- which is the only other true competitor in the "Pure Linux Phone" space. You could, quite literally, buy 10 PinePhone's for the price of 1 Librem Liberty.
Granted... while the Librem Liberty may not be fully made in the USA (as they, in my opinion, falsely proclaim)... the PinePhone is even less made in the USA. So. There's that.
All-in-all, the Librem Liberty is an interesting smartphone -- one that I am glad exists -- but, until they can make a truly "100% Made in the USA" model (or significantly drop that price), I can't see myself picking one up.
