By an incredible margin,
the best linux phone I've had
alaraajavamma
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The below reviews are from this website from verified owners.
The first truly working Linux phone that
I feel like I’ve waited for forever
samual norbury
I was an iPhone user before and find myself missing the
iOS ecosystem very little with this phone
Hman
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Furilabs
4
4 Reviews
A potential worthy Linux phone
The hardware of the phone is quite good, suffering from perhaps the ease of some features of thickness and of size which comes of an ability to change our batteries and to deal with retaining seals for water resistant functioning. It also sees limits yet of software which perhaps can benefit from a few tweaks in its early phases. Lastly, it has not yet figured out if it can bring along WFi calling or if it even wants to do so. The execution is rather good for a Linux-based phone still young and nothing of which I know in its comparison beyond Fair phone -or one cares to call that Linux - has 5G as this phone has. Support and forums could do with a tad less snark for those such as myself, often a good deal too untutored in some of the truly important fine points which we otherwise have not had the opportunity to appreciate or even to consider.
Top tier customer support for an actually working Linux Phone
A great device with an even better customer support. While Halium might be a deterrent for some people it's really nice some people care more about offering a working solution for the mobile OS duopoly
Very good device
Very good device. Perfect support on forum and telegram. I recommend.
I was an OG Pinephone / Pro user. It had many issues in the years and battery life was always the core one.
The FLX1s builds on everything I liked how the Pinephone Pro, Linux in my hands, app convergance; It also fixes all the problems. Now I can actually daily drive Linux!!!
I can also push code on it and update my apps on a random Tuesday in the park surrounded by ravens. The power it gives the user is immense and a small team achieved this great feat is truly inspiring.
Furilabs made a fork of waydroid that more integrated into the Phosh UI with countless tweaks that make it easier to use on a daily basis. Hungry Jacks and Macas apps dont work.. However one could say this is a plus as it helps me diet haha.
I use dozens of android apps and ive had a seemless experience. I am just hoping we get more gnome adaptable apps in the future to the platform. Native apps are often a lot more performant and less bloated than android by nature.
Overall, its an upgrade to the linux phone experience, and a great feat. It’s better for security and for data privacy. I recommend this device for someone who wants those things and doesn’t mind a little tinkering. The future is Penguin!!!
Yes, I’m in! Fully usable Linux phone at last.
As on the dropped feats, the choices made are quite OK for me.
* No headphone jack – there are a ton of USB-C headphones (external soundcards, not like we have to choose between Sound Blaster and Gravis Ultrasound in each app).
* No fingerprint – pff! that is securitywise impossible, was never using such “convenience” anyways.
* No RFID – well, too many types to choose from, would cover just part of needs – but I want Mifare, no I want MHz, no most important is kHz, so OK to not have, if someone really needs, get an external device for your purpose, surely could find something size of a phone to keep under and connected with USB-C.
* No DP ALT, but Displaylink, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to take as a customer, yes I will pay more for not so cheap USB hub.
* No USB 3v3.2 or 4 or 240W charging or whatnot. Well, I can always just use Wifi for transfers or make them with rsync.
After testing FLX1s for a few days, I am absolutely in regardless of some missing details or bugs here and there and can say one – the phone or rather the advancement that Furilabs has done for humanity is huge. I have been crying out loud for the separation of software from hardware on Android and the control someone else has over part of my life. And here we are – bam, a phone where I have that freedom. The door is open and more and more of our society will hopefully discover that what we have had on PCs for a long time is now also possible in our pocket. Outside the closed garden is a bigger world.
### **Introduction: First Encounters**
Every phone tells a story—of design choices, technological ambition, and the delicate balance between innovation and practicality.
The FLX1s, released on the very start of 2026, promises to redefine what a smartphone is, or in reality, show how little current flagship phones can provide to a power user.
But does it deliver? Let’s peel back the layers, from the tactile to the technical, and see if this device earns its place in your pocket—or your heart.
### **Design & Build: The Art of Holding a Phone**
A phone’s design is more than aesthetics; it’s about how it feels in your hand, how it slips into your pocket.
The FLX1s is crafted from plastic, a choice that speaks to both practicality and style.
It’s weight is just right, and its profile makes it easy to grip.
But design isn’t just about specs—it’s about experience.
Does the FLX1s feel premium, or does it cut corners? It is a very well balanced of both, actually! In a good way!
You don’t feel any cheapness to the build quality, but at the same time, it doesn’t have that 1-layer-tough-brick feel, like, say, Samsung S2* series.
All design choices are to make the phone as durable, as slim, and as practical to live with.
But to be honest, nor did i drop it, nor I intend to. Will see how it goes…
No glass back cover that can shatter for looking at it the wrong way. No fancy dust – pure practical power machine.
And what about those little details—the button placement, the curve of the edges, the resistance of the volume rocker?
Buttons placed at just the right areas, except for my taste, the extra helper button is placed at the very top of the phone, instead of the bottom.
I’m sure main logic for this was so that it wouldn’t be pressed unintentionally, but now at the same time, it being a linux phone,
that extra button already has it’s legacy – it’s a BACK button that UI elements in the software don’t provide that ofter, and for a back button,
it’s pretty far away from my finger tips. Maybe one day we will pick some other function that happes upon pressing it.
Speaking of which, has 3 modes that you can configure, however you like:
* Short press (Mine does BACK action in UI)
* Long press (Mine opens camera)
* Double press (Mine toggles the torch)
In a world where phones are increasingly uniform, does this one stand out, or does it blend into the crowd?
I would say its pioneering what a linux phone must be, providing well structured bridges to androids legacy,
but also providing some fresh ideas and approaches to what a pocket computing can and should be.
### **Display: The Window to Your Digital World**
The screen is where you’ll spend most of your time, so it better be good. On paper, it’s not as impressive as flagship phones today, but how does it translate to real-world use?
To kick things off, the 6.7″ 1600×720 HD+ 90Hz is exactly the point where you stop caring about the pixels, and simply enjoy the image quality and response time.
Those 4k phone screens with their crazy pixel density does not make any sense now after trying the FLX1s. They just use the screen resolution like some badge of honor, which in reality gives nothing, really and it’s just that – a badge.
Outdoors, does the brightness hold up against the sun, or do you find yourself squinting?
The screen is bright enough for the brightes of winter days I had recently, and it delivers.
And what about color accuracy—does it make your photos pop, or does it leave them looking washed out? The colors are vibrant and if you’re coming from a flagship like me, you’ll miss nothing.
It even has loads of screen optimisations you can toggle if you so desire, which to my taste, they’re all off for me.
The Punch-hole design might be polarizing, but does it feel immersive, or does it distract?
The phone has borders around it’s bezel and the camera punch-out, which is thicker to what I’m used to on my previous Samsung S23+, but to be fair, it’s far from a deal breaker. Screen has loads of estate, and I cannot complain that nor bezzels nor the punch-out somehow nags me.
### **Performance: The Engine Under the Hood**
Power users demand power, and the FLX1s, promises to deliver.
But raw specs only tell part of the story.
How does it handle the chaos of daily life—juggling apps, streaming, and the occasional coding?
In day-to-day use, is it buttery smooth, or does it stutter when pushed?
The speed feels fantastic. Apps launch fast.
Browsing the web with the desktop version of Firefox is pleasant and empowering.
Coding it react and php apps via neovide with apollovim is almost as good as on my Ryzen 7800x3D.
And what about heat—does it stay cool under the collar, or does it turn into a hand warmer after 10 minutes of Netflix?
It’s generally cool, witch a only a little area around the top of the phone gets a little bit warmer than the rest of the phone.
### **Software: The Soul of the Device**
A phone’s software can make or break the experience. The FLX1s runs latest Debian, but what’s it like to live with?
Is the interface intuitive, or does it feel cluttered with bloatware?
The phosh variant of gnome desktop is simple to just “get it”.
UI does not get in your way by any means and it also support scaling, thus you can pick your desired size of UI elements and text size.
And the range to which you can modify it far exceeds what android phones can provide, which alwas is fun to compare.
Are updates prompt, or are you left waiting for the latest features?
Furilabs are amazing at delivering updates at semi-monthly system updates to further improve the phone.
And also, since most of the somftare are coming from independent developers, updates are usually fast,
although understandibly, more stable and less frequent on debian, than let’s say, nixos unstable.
And what about those little software flourishes—the unique features that set it apart?
Do they feel gimmicky, or do they genuinely enhance your experience?
Some apps in the app store are still have a hard dependency on X11 stack, which the phone understandably lacks, so some apps outhright just dont work.
At this point I don’t even want to start talking about the sacred war that X11 fans are so eeger to engage in. Wayland that runs on the FLX1s is just a right option for a phone.
Many apps do work from linux app sources, and if you can’t find alternative that you’re used to have on android, than you have an option to just run android apps.
The phone can dowload android apps from sources like f-droid, or Aurora store, so your vacuum robot can still be managed through your linux 🙂
### **Camera: Capturing Life’s Moments**
In the age of social media, the camera is often the star of the show. The FLX1s packs a 20MP+2MP setup, but megapixels aren’t everything. How does it perform in the real world?
The camera is arguably the weakest hardware component in this phone.
It does OK with what it has, but as of today, it’s no match for current flagship android or apple phone cameras.
The bright light helps a lot to take better shots, but they still lack detail when comparing to current android phones.
But when not comparing? What we look from practical stand point?
Well then overall, the camera is good. It takes descent pictures. May it be not the sharpest, or good enough to print a wallpaper on the wall shot on FLX1s, but taking pictures of documents, close-ups, and general shots – it delivers.
You will miss crispness coming to this phone when taking pictures, but not much more than that.
While it can’t match the pixel-level detail of a latest Pixel phone, it’s leagues ahead of what you’d get from a $200 Android phone
### **Battery Life: The Marathon Test**
A phone can have all the bells and whistles, but if it dies by lunchtime, what’s the point? The FLX1s packs a 5000mAh battery, but raw numbers don’t tell the whole story. How does it fare in real-world use?
With moderate usage, does it last a full day, or are you scrambling for a charger by 3 PM?
From my experience, it lasts more than a full day easily, unless you do some prolonged intensive computing on it, which is understandable.
And what about charging—does it juice up quickly, or does it take an eternity?
It charges not as fast as let’s say xiaomi latest phones,
but in practicality, you’re not anchored to charger for long either.
It has no wireless charging. May it be a problem to some,
i noticed my Samsung S23+ became faster do discharge after using wireless charging for a year. That’s because wireless charging is not as efective, and heats the battery more than it’s comfortable with.
Remember, heat is the biggest enemy to the battery, and wireless charnging is basically an micro induction stove for your phone.
That being said, i stopped using wireless charging on my S23+ so i dont lose more battery capacity.
### **Audio & Connectivity: The Unsung Heroes**
Good audio can elevate your experience, whether you’re jamming to music or binge-watching your favorite show. The FLX1s’s speakers are tinny and simple just bad. To be fair, it can make sound, just not the one you’ll enjoy.
Either way, never have I used a phone without headphones or BT Speakers for longer periods of time, even if it had great speakers.
Other factors like practicality, sound quality, ambient noise makes the headphones a must either way.
Connectivity, too, is key. Does the 5G/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth hold up, or are you constantly fighting dropped signals?
The European network Connectivity and signal strench is simply great,
and the phone handles it like any other phone here, so no complaints.
And what about call quality—crystal clear, or do you sound like you’re talking through a tin can?
The audio is OK. It will sound a bit different, but still very good.
I haven’t noticed any issues or audio artifacts during calls.
### **Extras: The Little Things That Matter**
Sometimes, it’s the extras that make a phone special.
It has no biometric scanner of any kind,
but it does have 3 hardware switches to toggle your cammeras, all radios, and mics.
Did I mention extremely configurable extra “assistant” button? It’s amazing!
And let’s talk accessories. What’s in the box—just the basics, or does it come with a few pleasant surprises?
The box contains a pair of headphones with a mic, but they’re not in-ear, and simply not my style. I prefer my in-ear BT plugs that work excelent with the FLX1s.
The box also packs an USB-C to USB-C cable to charge your phone,
and Sim tray tool needle/tool.
### **Value for Money: The Bottom Line**
No phone exists in a vacuum. At the current price around 500, the FLX1s competes with some stiff competition. So, is it worth it?
**The Good:**
Linux! You own your software and it’s completely up to you how you use your device. It’s just the best part hands down. The camera or speaker shortcomings are worthless to talk about when you have linux in your pocket.
The size, the weight, the overall build quality is pleasant and nice to handle.
**The Not-So-Good:**
Camera. Camera is the not so good unfortunately, but it’s not that bad either. We are probably just got too used to flagships maybe?
It’s not great, but not a deal breaker – really.
The speakers. Oh them mufflers are on a whole another MacGyver level of bad, but nothing that a pair of good headphones or bt speaker can’t fix.
**The Verdict:**
Who is this phone for? The power user, the casual scroller, the photography enthusiast?
This phone is surely for power users – hands down.
The photography enthusiast may still will have to wait for linux phone that delivers amazing shots.
And the casual scroller maybe is better of with current doom-scrolling machines out there, as the main selling point is a working linux phone you can even enjoy, not just casually play around with.
This is a phone who values open source,
who values freedom to compute,
freedom away from major personal data collectors.
It’s your device, to do what you want, on your terms.
### **Final Score (Optional)**
If you’re the type who likes numbers, here’s how it stacks up:
– **Design:** 9/10
– **Display:** 10/10
– **Performance:** 10/10
– **Camera:** 7/10
– **Battery:** 10/10
– **Overall:** 8/10
If you want a linux phone, this is probably the best option available, it runs fine, most stuff works great out of the box, some stuff requires a bit of work but that’s expected, my main issue is mobile data, my AT&T data doesn’t really work at all with this phone, but I was planning on switching anyways and the provider I switched to uses the T-mobile network which should work fine with the FLX1s. Haven’t recieved the new SIM card yet but I don’t expect to have any major issues, and even if I do it won’t be something that can’t be fixed by an update. And that’s what I like about this device so much, there’s plenty of stuff that could be improved or added when compared to something like grapheneOS, but it already does almost everything I need, and the stuff that could be improved or added probably will be, the devs are great and very active, and I have no doubt that the FLX1s will only continue to get better over time. I wouldn’t recommend this device to someone unfamiliar with linux atm, but if you’re already somewhat familiar with linux, or willing to learn and do some occasional light troubleshooting/tinkering I’d highly recommend the FLX1s.
My full Pro/Con review at
https://krisspringer.com/posts/flx1s-linux-phone.php
My final thoughts about the FLX1s is that it’s a great device with a few things that need resolved. It’s great for a tech person who understands what’s going on with the various aspects of how things are working and interfacing. But it’s not great for the average person who would expect to install all their routine apps and have them work like magic. The fact that it runs Android apps right out of the box is huge though. That single function launches it from a novelty device to a daily driver, if the user understands it’s sandboxing limitations and understands how to work around problems. The power and memory seem to be totally adequate for all the things I tested it with. The lack of side swiping is really an issue for me though. This is a required feature on modern devices. FuriOS needs more work if it intends to compete with the basic features of Android or Apple interfaces that users are accustomed to.
So, I love it, but can’t abandon my Samsung yet. If the side swiping were added, Android app sandboxing issues could get resolved, the Notifications would work correctly, GUI customizations were a thing, and it had 5 GHz wifi, I would use it as my daily device. Wireless charging is a highly desired feature, but not a deal killer for me. All the issues I have with it feel like software issues, meaning the hardware seems like a valid competitor finally.
I’ve had the FLX1s for a little while now and can honestly say it’s definitely ready to be used as a daily driver. I’ve not too long now switched my SIM over to it from my LineageOS Android phone and I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the performance and general capabilities of the device.
Android apps (including ones that are quite compute/gpu intensive are surprisingly working with native performance! And there have been no connection issues for me with calls, texts, etc.
The only thing at the moment for me that holds it back to 4* instead of 5 is that location stuff still seems to be a bit irregular. I set up SUPL, but even then I tend to get weird location inaccuracies when I’m in an area without perfect network coverage.
Overall excellent product though! I highly recommend!
I’ve been following the furilabs project with great interest for a year now.
I now own this fantastic device.
Unfortunately, I initially had problems with the SIM card and the resulting failure to identify the mobile network.
They promptly helped me resolve the issue.
Now I can use this flx1s daily and am very satisfied with the purchase and the prompt support!
I still have a lot to discover, but it’s already a great start.
Thank you for your work!
If, like me, you’ve been burned by other linux mobile experiences from the subpar hardware, pre-alpha quality software, criminally long order fulfillment times, and/or service that felt more adversarial than helpful – you’ve got to pick up an FLX1s to see the way things should be. For me, the FLX1s is easily a 5/5. I’ve been daily driving it since shortly after receiving it. Is it perfect? No, not yet. Would I recommend it for your grandma? Nope. But if you are even a little tech-inclined, are willing to make some reasonable compromises to advance the causes of mobile linux and privacy, and especially if you are already familiar and comfortable with desktop linux, this is a perfectly serviceable smart phone. There are still some quirks and paper cuts but no blockers. On top of the great hardware and software, the Furi Labs team has been phenomenal to deal with! If you have any difficulties or questions, hit them up in the Matrix chat and they will do what they can to help – even if that means scheduling one-on-one time to work with you to remotely access your device. I am seriously blown away by how accessible and friendly everyone has been. I can’t wait to see how the software continues to improve and what devices they come out with next. They’ve earned a dedicated customer out of me in very short time.
It is a really cool device. I am still trying it out but i am already overwhelmed by its features. Especially the android integration works really well for me. I need some apps from android like whats app and my app for my Gym and installing them was really easy.
The Battery life is really good for me it was running up to 2 days.
The Camera is Ok. The QR code Scan function in the Camera app works awesome too. Mobile Roaming also worked instantly for me.
The support and the team of furilabs is also outstanding. You will see the name Wayne more than once in the comment for a reason.
In comparison with the other Linux smartphones this is a working phone that you can daily drive with close to none extra effort.
The only two things that i still think is really annoying to me is that there is no fingerprint sensor or facial recognition biometric unlock. Its a cool gimmick to be able to disable camera, microphone and mobile roaming with a hardware switch but it is not something i would drastically need when i flashed the device myself. It feels like this was a design choice so that it is more interesting for BTB. Privacy is important but it should be balanced with convenience. Now i need to always look if someone is watching my while i enter my code with is not more secure. The other one is that i think that a replaceable battery makes the phone even more attractive.
Had it for a few days now. It took me a while to get used to it while I was moving my stuff over from my old phone. Aurora probably should come pre-installed as it’s where a lot of Android apps can be obtained – far more than from f-droid. However, I also installed games from Linux and they just showed up on the desktop,
After about 24 hours, I pulled the sim card from my old phone and installed it on the FLX1s, I’ve decided that it’s good enough for my regular use, as it’s got my calendars, contacts, EV charging apps, FIrefox browser synchronization, my e-mail account that I use on my phone (limited messages) and whatsapp all working.
Having an actual Linux system makes this much more useful than an Android device that makes you fight it to go outside the Google enviroment.
What could it do better? So far 5G WiFi depends on the router – I can connect to one of mine but not the other. I suspect this will be fixed in a later round of updates. More documentation would be nice. And the Android layer still can cause problems. I think that Android apps can’t tell when they are on WiFi. This isn’t a flaw in the phone per se but rather a chance for the software developers to show their brilliance when they resolve it.
I ordered my FLX1s an received it. I ordered a couple screen protectors with the phone. Both of them were received cracked. Wayne was very quick to issue replacements and at responding to my concerns as a customer.
On the topic of the phone itself, it is honestly very good in regards of Linux based devices. The phone is adequately fast, I have yet to have an issue with lagging or freezes due to hardware. When working with other Linux Mobile devices I have seen a lot of issues with software glitches, frustrating setups and just really silly bugs. So far, albeit I have only had it a couple of days, this phone dramatically reduces those issues. There are obvious growing pains.
Phosh is still relatively young and has some graphical glitches, and some features are lacking because of its relative infancy.
The phone itself seems adequately stable. The new camera module that was used in lieu of the one used in the FLX1 has a lower pixel density, but should benefit greatly from post processing in the future. For now, it is just good enough and mostly on par with the camera on my budget Moto G Play I had recently. That is to be expected of post processing not being finished, but I am confident that when the dev team has the time they will work on it.
Call and signal reception have been pretty decent. And there are just some hangups on communication with IOS devices due to the way Apple does some thing on their end. These are not faults of the phone. And this is consistent across almost all Linux phones I have used. All in all, I am happy with experience so far.
Excellent! The most usable linux smartphone I’ve used and the first device that linux fans could sensibly consider using as a serios daily driver. Unlike many linux pocketable devices this phone ticks all the fundamental viability boxes including phone, sms, camera, audio, battery and much more. Furi have also been great to deal with and very available on chat/email.
Been using for a full day. Works on both WiFi and data for me. Makes calls, sms, and MMS no issue. Had to play with APN a little bit but easy peasy nothing new coming from de googled android Roms. Its really great, works fast and smooth. I have used droidian and Ubuntu touch and post market os all before. While I like all of those,furios is definitely the fastest and smoothest I’ve used, and the main part the only one that works for me as a phone, being from the USA I need volte and it works on furios. This is my new daily and will be switching. I’ve installed plenty of apps, web apps, and android apps (though less of those since I’m trying to get away,), but Andromeda runs super smooth and nice especially compared to waydroid. Overall for a linux phone this is the best I’ve used and the only that has worked for me with volte and USA bands (I use a t mobile mvno).
Will recommend to anyone I know who would be interested.
Good hardware, the Linux UI is evolving regularly with updates. A very useable daily driver especially for those with any Linux experience. Has multi-boot capability with UT and it appears SFOS is on the horizon. Really enjoying my FLX1!
For where Linux phones are right now, it is a great phone that can be used as a daily driver. There are issues. GPS is not working with android apps, though it used to. Not enough native apps and the one’s we have are not full featured or do not scale well. But everything works as it should! Supports all basic phone functions, modem supports most, if not all, mobile carriers (I am on T-Mobile). I absolutely recommend this phone.
The phone works well for me. Unlike my previous Linux phones, it works well. There are some snags: I occasionally need to disable and re-enable mobile data. And parts of the settings that are not merged with Upstream GNOME are also thus not translated. But generally the phone works well. Oh, and the request to post review is an HTML-only mail, that required me spending extra time in the HTML source.
I discovered Furilabs and their phone just a couple of weeks ago. I thought how have I not heard about this before? There was little information online at the time but I decided to take the plunge. From ordering to delivery in the UK was only six days.
The phone is larger and heavier compared to my previous phones (not that I’ve had many) but looks nice and well made. Having used a PinePhone (non Pro) previously I was hoping for an uplift in usability but I was nervously apprehensive. It turns out the FLX1 is light years ahead of that previous experience and I’ve been blown away, seriously. I also ordered a case and screen protector at the same time, just be more careful putting the protector on than I was – pesky dust!
Whereas the PinePhone was fun to tinker with but unreliable as an actual phone and very slow in operation, the FLX1 is totally the opposite. It runs really smoothly and everything works – calls (audio’s reliable), SMS/MMS, camera (decent quality photos AND video), Telegram video calling, working GPS from Linux, plus the morning alarm!” I’m currently using Smarty (Three network UK) and I did have to alter “MMS Settings” as these were slightly out, but that was trivial. Also, removable battery and a headphone jack – tick, and the battery life has been good for me so far.
I didn’t buy it for the Android experience as removing Google from my life has been blissful. However… Furilabs have a modded fork of Waydroid and have set it up so you can have it running seamlessly at all times and have Android apps available and running alongside native Linux software. Or run it on demand (like I do) or don’t run it at all. I’ve easily installed and set up a few needed apps (security cams, Steam 2fa, boiler thermostat). Very nice integration and no Google involvement 🙂 It should be pointed out that any app reliant on Google Play Integrity API integration won’t work though.
I’ve set up SSH (key only) so I can SSH in from my Arch desktop via console or as SSHFS in SpaceFM (file manager). I haven’t used apt since Ubuntu in 2008 but it’s Linux, so no problem!
There are bound to be a few teething problems but Furilabs have a Telegram channel and support is always at hand if needed (and speedy). There is also a help forum on the website. Development is also ongoing at a great pace, so things can only get better as well.
For someone coming from a previous Linux phone this has been a revelation for me. I can also see how someone privacy conscious and wanting to get away from Android could also embrace the FLX1. So, at last! A (very) useable Linux mobile and a very enjoyable experience. I’m looking forward to many years being a happy user.
The Phone is easily the best Linux phone I have used. I have used the Librem 5, Volla X23, Android phones on Ubuntu Touch, and the Pinephone and none were as ready as a daily driver as the FLX1. It is fast, easy to use, shipped fast, and has a great forum with helpful users. The only thing it could do better is if there were spare batteries, cases, and screen protectors available on the Furilabs store.
This is the first phone I have encountered that makes proper Linux on mobile really feel available around the world, a true world phone. What do I mean world phone? I mean the FuriOS Team has enabled the FLX1 to work on wireless networks around the world – this isn’t a Euro-centric phenomenon. These folks even enabled bands in Western Canada before I had purchased my FLX1, simply because I asked if these bands were available. I truly appreciate their willingness to engage customers and the tireless work that goes into their meaningful monthly updates. Hang out on their Telegram channel, you will see what I mean.
The hardware of the FLX1 is based on a rugged phone, which I am a large fan of. The hardware specs are better than average – kind of reminds me of the OnePlus 7T, only in rugged format. It has the same vibrant screen as the 7T and its capable of 120hz. Camera takes great pictures, which is a testament to the FuriOS Team’s efforts; this isn’t the case on other Linux phones I have used. My first true LTE phone call on a Linux phone was on the FLX1 – such is the amount of effort that has gone towards making the FLX1 first and foremost a reliable, daily-use mobile device. Depending on your typical phone needs, you can daily drive it now, although it is still a work in progress, it just keeps getting better with every monthly update.
The FuriOS Team has integrated Waydroid into their phone software, which makes it feel a lot like what SFOS has done with their Android compatibility layer. That makes it easy to have and use Android apps when you can’t find a Linux alternative. It’s pretty seamless, although still a work in progress.
Typical phone things i would use that are not yet functional: MMS – unlike many other people I don’t share much in social media, sticking to MMS for picture sharing. The 5000mah battery will easily last all day depending on your usage habits, and I know this is an area the team in putting even more effort into; I would love to see the FLX1 be a two day + charge with this big battery. Would be handy if Phosh had swipe gestures, but that is beyond the scope of the FLX1 I think – not a hard transition from basic Android to Phosh though. There is not as much software compiled for this architecture, and of that not as much is adaptive; I have found utilizing both portrait and landscape on the device allows me to see most of the options, and there is a mobile settings tool on the FLX1 that forces scale on apps which makes some more usable. I still found an option for almost everything I would use on Android. The GPS seems to work best when connected to a mobile network, I could not get a reliable location without one.
I would recommend this phone to anyone who is looking for an alternative in the mobile arena, especially those who want to support the most promising initiatives and can work with something that is still a work in progress. It most certainly helps to have some experience with Linux, including the command line, or at least a willingness to learn. Overall, I really enjoy this phone, and I am looking forward to the future of FuriOS and the FLX1.
By far World’s best Linux Smartphone for daily use! 🙂
FuriLabs is achieving incredible success where others failed. Their product is unique, highly sought after, and superb. It’s a smartphone running a free and open Linux operating system. Unlike most other phones, it’s under user’s full control. It doesn’t collect your data at all, by design. The World critically needs such phones! And it works smoothly: Fast, responsive, good battery life, powerful specs, good price, even a customizable button to which you can assign any function! Pleasant to the touch and eye. And you can have your Android apps on it too! The team is open, active, transparent, and accessible – you can easily talk to lead developers and other team members! You can feel company’s laser focus on the most important issues, which instills confidence that in the future the most needed outcomes will be delivered to the user. Customer support is outstanding with very fast response times and a very friendly and supportive community. The phone is made with love, not in pursuit of big bucks like most phones around. Ordering is simple from FuriLab’s website, and you’ll receive your new phone anywhere in the World within 6-9 days! You should set your expectations right, however. At the present stage, effective use of the phone relies on certain technical capabilities of the user, and updates are delivered regularly. This is expected to decrease over time, so that anyone finds it easy to use.
As I use my Furi Phone, it keeps pleasantly surprising me here and there. I’m looking forward to my enjoyable use of the phone for a long time (long-term support is assured by the company’s motto “Planned Permanence”).
Furi phone is a lifeline to me. It gives hope. My android phone is becoming utterly unusable for a myriad of reasons. For example, as I don’t want to share my address book with big corporations+, I couldn’t use a crucial Contacts app on my android phone with all the difficulties that ensue. Overall, it’s just repulsive having to critically rely daily on an android device which you don’t control, and which constantly tries to take advantage of you – so you have to come up with defenses or just not use some functionalities (like in my Contacts example above). I’d like to switch to FLX1, but keeping my expectations in check. And also need to resolve Australian mobile carrier support issues.