I hope Librem remains viable. As someone who needs some specific apps for work, I won't be able to switch for practical considerations unless those services work well enough on the device. For example, Slack.
I could carry a second device for personal use, but am unlikely to.
Exactly. How much I like the idea of a truly open phone platform there are some obstacles:
- Decent hardware available at competitive price
-- While I could make do with some degraded performance for a truly open phone concept, most people would not, especially if price point is similar to, or higher, than established closed platform brands
- Must have apps available - needed for wide acceptance
-- My personal examples of must have apps:
-- BankID (Swedish e-id, needed for banks, taxes, government sites, payments)
-- Swish - Swedish app for personal micro transactions
-- Public transportation apps (tickets/timetable)
-- Bank application
-- Signal
Without these apps, a open platform phone would be next to useless to me. And I am a big proponent of open platforms.
And looking at how reluctant BankID were to even support older version android phones, I am not optimistic to them adding a completely new platform to support.
I know people who were forced to upgrade from "old" phones because BankID no longer supported their Android version, and phones would not get newer Android version.
I could carry a second device for personal use, but am unlikely to.