Fairphone should officially sell FP3 with a Free Software Only option

[Carsten Agger]

A small correction/mea culpa:

Matthias has (and thanks! :) )pointed me to this Mastodon post:

https://social.anoxinon.de/@bruno/105854405626581664

It provides some links showing that there's in fact an official between
Fairphone and the /e/ OS, and that the /e/ foundation is selling
Fairphones with /e/ pre-installed.

So that's great news! It may in fact be an important step for Free
Software on Android. Also, I did not know that when I wrote my post.

But, here's the thing which I still think they could improve: I read the
description on their own web page quite closely. I might have done more
research, but I'd have liked to see the free OS as an option on the shop
page - I wouldn't mind if the option came with a warning against the
missing Google apps, but it would be nice if that option were included
as just one more way to get this fairer phone.

Best,

Carsten

On 07.03.2021 17.26, Carsten Agger wrote:
>
> I just bought a new Fairphone 3, and the experience inspired me to
> write the following on their official forum. I think I was called to
> do this mainly because I really like th project and think it's a shame
> they focus so little on free software, now they've apparently got so
> many other things right.
>
> "I just received my FP3, and it’s a lovely device, following suit on
> FP1 and FP2, both of which I’ve owned (the FP1 is bricked, the FP2
> reboots randomly and needs a new mike - I suppose the mike could be
> fixed, but I dont know abt the restarts).
>
> Anyway, I really like the device and the work Fairphone is doing for a
> fairer production cycle and a fairer product in terms of repairability.
>
> However, in one respect I believe the phone is /not/ fair: It comes
> preloaded with Google’s Android including the full Google Apps suite -
> i.e., with a proprietary OS and a set of proprietary and very
> surveillance-heavy apps. Negatively, one might say it by default comes
> loaded with spyware. I don’t get how that is fair. As a long-standing
> free software activist and current member of the General Assembly of
> Free Software Foundation Europe (talking here, though, solely in my
> private capacity) I think that “fair” software is free - as in
> freedom, i.e. with all source code available.
>
> On the other hand, I get that many users want the comfort and
> efficiency in the Google App suite. The FP1 came with only free
> software from the AOSP project and a link to install Google Apps. I
> thought that was fair.
>
> Alternatively, you - Fairphone the organization - could sell FP3s
> preloaded with LineageOS or Sailfish OS or one of the other
> Google-free alternatives.
>
> I do realize that I can install one of those on the phone myself and
> will probably also end up doing so. But honestly, I don’t think it is
> reasonable by the standards of a project that declares itelf to be
> /the/ fair phone - to put it like that, I don’t think it is FAIR -
> that the general, non-tech-savvy public can’t buy a fair and ethical
> phone that doesn’t by default opt them in to Google’s global
> surveillance circus.
>
> All the best and congratulations with all the cool things in the project,
> Carsten"
>
>
>
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