List of open-source mobile phones
This is a list of mobile phones with open-source operating systems.
Scope of the list
Cellular modem and other firmware
Some hardware components used in phones require drivers to run. For many components, only proprietary drivers are available If these drivers are not updatable and do not have control over any other part of the phone, they might be considered equivalent to part of the hardware. However, these conditions do not hold for cellular modems., all available mobile phones have a proprietary baseband chip, except for the Necuno, which has no such chip and communicates by peer-to-peer VOIP. The modem is usually integrated with the system-on-a-chip and the memory. This presents security concerns; baseband attacks can read and alter data on the phone remotely.
The Librem 5 mobile segregates the modem from the system and memory, making it a separate module, a configuration rare in modern cellphones. There is an open-source baseband project, OsmocomBB. There is a project based on illicit leaked source code for the Calypso modem called FreeCalypso.
Operating system: middleware and user interface
Generally, the phones included on this list contain copyleft software other than the Linux kernel, and minimal closed-source component drivers.- Android-based devices do not appear on this list because of the heavy use of proprietary components, particularly drivers and applications.
- There are numerous versions of Android which seek to replace the proprietary components, such as LineageOS and Replicant, that can be installed on a large number of phones after-market. Phones natively running these are included.
- WebOS was initially available only under a proprietary license but the source code was later released under a free permissive license by HP. Open WebOS will not run on all WebOS devices.
- Firefox OS was released under a permissive MIT license but its KaiOS successor is proprietary; the former is included.
- Maemo spawned Maemo Leste and MeeGo ; MeeGo split into Tizen and Mer middleware. All but Tizen are included.
- Sailfish OS is a proprietary user interface atop the Mer middleware; it is thus not included.
- Qt Extended had proprietary components and is not included, but its community fork QTMoko/OpenMoko is.
List
| Organization | Model | Mobile operating system | Operating system support | Date released | Current state |
| Purism | Librem 5 | PureOS | 2019-11 | ||
| Pine64 | PinePhone | Multiple operating systems | Community-driven | 2019-11 | |
| Necuno Solutions | Necunos NC 1 | Multiple operating systems | Community-driven | 2019 Summer | |
| Neo900 | GTA04 based motherboard, fitting inside the shell of a Nokia N900. | QtMoko, Debian, SHR, Replicant | |||
| Meizu | Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition | Ubuntu Touch | 2016-02 | ||
| Meizu | Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition | Ubuntu Touch | 2015-07 | ||
| BQ | BQ Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition | Ubuntu Touch | 2015-06 | ||
| BQ | BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition | Ubuntu Touch | 2015-02 | ||
| GeeksPhone | Revolution | Firefox OS | 2014 | ||
| GeeksPhone | Peak+ | Firefox OS | |||
| Alcatel | One Touch Fire | Firefox OS | 2013-07 | ||
| ZTE | Open | Firefox OS | 2013-07 | ||
| GeeksPhone | Keon | Firefox OS | 2013-04-23 | ||
| GeeksPhone | Peak | Firefox OS | 2013-04-23 | ||
| Golden Delicious | GTA04 | QtMoko, Debian, SHR, Replicant | 2012-04 | ||
| Aava mobile | Developer phone | MeeGo | 2011 | ||
| Nokia | N950 | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | 2011 | ||
| Nokia | N9 | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | 2011 | ||
| Nokia | N900 | Maemo 5 | 2009-11-11 | ||
| OpenMoko | Neo FreeRunner | Openmoko/QTMoko Linux, Debian, SHR, Gentoo, Inferno | 2008-06-24 | ||
| OpenMoko | Neo 1973 | Openmoko Linux | 2007-07-09 |
Features
Distributions for existing phones
, Ubports, and KDE Neon are open-source distributions running on existing smartphones originally running Android. Maemo Leste is available for Nokia N900 and Motorola Droid 4.There exists a database listing which older phones will run which open-source operating systems.
Custom-made phones
It is possible to home-build a phone from partially open hardware and software. The Arduinophone and the MIT DIY Cellphone both use the Arduino open-hardware single-board computer, with added components. The PiPhone and ZeroPhone are similar, but based on the Raspberry Pi.The main components to make an open mobile phone are:
- Back cover
- Touch screen
- Battery
- Logic board