Teracube 3e: Desired Features

[stuffa]

For me its a better camera. especially in low light conditions
Because cf covid, here in Australia we scan a lot of QRcodes, but the camera is not up to the task, especially at night/evening, when it cant focus on the qrcode.

[Shoal_Creek]

My essentials list:

• Verizon Network Compatibility added. (I live in an area where some places are covered by Verizon but not any others, and other places are covered by AT&T or T-Mobile but not Verizon.)
• Option for 3rd party OS pre-installed.
• All specs otherwise match or beat the 2e (especially the ram, storage, dual sims, & sd card).

My frosting on the cake list (in addition to the essentials):

• Faster CPU
• Better camera

[campbell]

I would really like to see Teracube take additional steps to ensure an ethical supply chain for the phone (kind of like what Fair phone has done in the EU). I certainly wouldn’t mind paying more even for an equal spec phone if I have confidence that that the workers producing the components and doing the assembly are paid enough to support themselves and treated appropriately in their work places. I admit to do the full supply chain analysis that Fair phone does is a huge undertaking but maybe the next Teracube iteration could make a point of verifying (and if this is already done, then advertising it) the parts of the supply chain close to assembly.

[susang777]

Only a little techy. Here’s my wish list:

1. Better camera.
2. Waterproof.
3. Continued sustainability - huge fan!
4. Continued making from recycled and recyclable. Huge fan again!

I seriously could have convinced a LOT of my friends to buy the 2e if the camera was decent. A LOT! It’s the only thing I’m disappointed in. Teracube rocks!

[eccoblackfin]

My wishlist:

1. OLED screen. I had this on my first gen Moto X that I had for nine years. I’m horribly spoiled by its beautiful contrast, and most importantly, its ability to dim to almost nothing. Extremely useful in the dark while driving on camping trips. This is the biggest reason why I haven’t upgraded my phone from my Motox for so long, because I can’t stand normal backlit LCDs. I finally relented on the 2e because the Motox was ungodly slow, and the 2e was very inexpensive on Indiegogo. Seriously. I definitely, definitely need an OLED screen. It’d help the battery life of the Teracube too, though I’m actually quite happy with it so far.
2. Waterproofing of some sort. This could be in a case, or in the phone itself. I don’t know how viable this would be in a phone that’s designed to be tinkered with though.
3. Better Camera. I don’t know if this is a software or hardware issue (I have noticed the quality is quite a bit improved with open camera), but this camera sucks even compared to the one on my Motox. Scanning QR codes is frustrating most of the time, and the autofocus likes to get locked on some nebulous point and refuses to budge from there, which is irritating to say the least, making it nearly impossible to reliably, say, deposit a check or send a picture of a document.
4. Stereo speakers would be really nice, this is more of a comfort than a need though. My work phone (some iphone 46xstwq or something) has stereo speakers and I’m pretty impressed with its quality.
5. 5g. This is more for future-proofing than anything though. I barely use any data (which is why I was on Republic Wireless’s refund plan until I got my 2e), so 4g is plenty fast enough for me.
6. Make it a tough phone maybe? It’d be nice to have something in the Ulephone range of durability while also be sustainable.
   Pretty much all the other complaints I have about the phone aren’t dealbreakers. Things like “make it faster” or “more RAM” aren’t a big deal to me, but it does leave a bit of uncertainty about its ability to be upgraded to new OSes in the future. With the SD card slot, having more onboard storage is not a concern at all.

[charris524]

I agree that the camera is crap. I use my phone alot and people want me to match the color on the phone…I think its crazy too but the quality of pictures is not good. Also the speakers are crap. Sometimes it fades in and out. I like the idea of the phone, 4 years and a large amount of space. I go through a phone … fill it up with data every 9-12 months so it would be great to have something that I can keep my messages on for a few years.

[Frontpage32]

I do love the idea of modular phones … but. One of the issues is cost to the company. To off set that, this would have to open the doors to other companies to allow 3rd party modules. Lg tried to force others the require the products be made and marketed through them with the lg5? I think it was. Was a nice idea but flopped due to lack of modules poor quality control for the camera. Failed plenty plus boot loop issues.
Others were the moto etc etc.
So before going down this rabbit hole one would require they had partners (to start to off set costs) willing and guaranteed to make modules which has its own issues and all. Inexpensive licensing for other companies making modules. This will require a huge upswing in the requirement for software development to allow support for the phone causing potentially massive increase in costs the modules would require to be fully independent and able to communicate via existing protocols and wouldn’t be able to 100% integrate is my guess they would be more like add ons that work with the phone. This would be acceptable for many but is complicated.
The best option for this is modules that would work with all and any phones if possible even iPhones lol should make a name for teracube, see the end for potential connection option.

As for the phone. My ideas

Headphone jack

Ability to use the VR modes

Additional ram (future ar/vr) headsets are looking at using the power of smart phones to help or use the cellphone processing power. Not sure if will be locked to brand specific sigh hate that.

CPU that can handle many upcoming new developments -> see ar/vr it doesn’t have to be the newest but it should be capable with foreseeable future.

IR blaster. Well yes but I wonder if it could be a module that runs through an app like drones etc (clip on ?)

Dual independent WiFi… this one is probably a long shot (it has been done on rare phones, But consider that many people want to connect to there portable wifi storage and the internet at the same time often pass through setup is painful most don’t know how to do it if it’s even supported.

Better camera now this is something people especially teens look at… omg look at me click… or look at my amazing sushi click… lol. Sadly it sells. - doesn’t need to be leading edge infact solid function durability first pixel count second you don’t need to have 48 pixel cameras.

Micro SD card larger one possible? Cost?

Removable battery! Required

USB-C required. phone to phone connections that is a flaw in the 2e not being able to charge via this cable type. (Not complaining just a note)

Bluetooth stability strength.

Regular expected phone options.

The 2e repairability!

Now this is a wish list and cost is also a concern. If teracube wishes to provide a great phone at a intermittent price while still making a profit to keep moving forward some ideas will need to be curtailed.

A potential additional idea is a second usb-c port. This could provide the easy ability to charge and connect to a usb-c hub. Potentially allowing to connect to monitor mouse keyboard also the spot for the modules to plug into vs needing access to special connections. (Baby steps)
This allows dual options incase modules for phones fail to catch on. Development with flexibility.

The ability to record phone calls built into the phone. Some will yell no but hear me out. With more and more companies recording you and making offers that vanish when call back and say sure. Harassment and treats on the rise. Etc. I always assume I am being recorded when I call places now … why because most do.

One dream is a secondary screen module that I can mount to my arm to use as a display or keyboard or touch pad while using an AR/VR device. Got to love dreams. LoL

All the best.

[Kitty]

Honestly, my biggest wish would be that Verizon would get with the program and start admitting that Teracube Phones exist and will support everything except the bloatware that Verizon wants to throw in there.
Dear Santa. Please make Verizon play nice for a change.

[spencer_silberstein]

My biggest concern about Teracube is the lack of timely security and android version updates. I really like the existing sustainability/environmental features, but feel that timely updates are also necessary. Android 12 is available in beta versions and Google has monthly security updates. The 2e is running Android 10 and has not provided OTA security updates since the phone was shipped. I know that the company is new and lacks the resources that other manufacturers have. If Teracube cannot do better with updates, perhaps it should partner with lineage os to keep the phone updated. The price of the 2e has risen from $99 on Indiegogo to $199 as the current retail price. Frankly, the 2e is not really competitive at that price, especially with an outdated operating system.

[Sharad]

Hi @spencer_silberstein - you bring some valid points. Not sure if you have installed SW16 update on your 2e - it brings the latest security updates.

Regarding Android versions, yes we are lagging behind - no questions there. However, we have spent this time building expertise related to Android updates which other manufacturers have quite a lead on. And we are making progress - noteworthy being our T1-Android10 release. And work for Android 11 has already started. You have my word - we will continue to close the gap .

Regarding the retail price, our value has never been just hardware+software. We take pride in offering one of the best warranty and customer service experiences among the smartphone brands. So yes, while we may not offer the best hardware or software at a particular price point, we do hope that what we offer in addition is worth it.

[mlrsmp]

Here’s to the little fish making their way in a big pond. Well done Team Teracube. (Raises Whiskey Glass)

[GIndio]

THX for your reliable support. I just updated my Teracube to Android 10. That went very quickly and didn’t cause any problems.
Best regards from Berlin.

[wsidl]

Just received my Teracube 2e after using the Samsung S-series for the last decade and have to say I’m pretty impressed. There are a few things that I would like to see though and it appears this is the place to do it:

• Wireless Charging
• IP67 water proofing (even if it means sealing the case with screws), IP68 would be great, but IP67 is enough to run water over to clean it.

That’s it! There’s lots of chats about modularity which I think is awesome but that also comes at a cost. It’s probably more cost and resource effective to make a few different models using a common frame with the features people are looking for. Just have to remember this is a sustainable device not meant to compete with the high-end devices. I would say this is exactly on par with my Galaxy S7 which I had to put down yesterday and I’m excited about that. Already looking forward to the next one!

[lordaiur]

Hi all,

I’m willing to pay iphone prices for a sustainable flagship, which means :

• cpu and ram powerful enough for 5+ years
• software updates for as long as possible

Nice to have :

• modular parts and ethical manufacturing like Fairphone
• large screen with 90/120 hz refresh rate
• good camera
• 5G, wifi 6e
• headphone jack

[William_Nale]

Teracube, please take my money! I have the 2e and I really like it for what it is but it has whet my appetite for even more.
Keep:
2e form factor with 6.1 inch screen, removable battery, earphone jack, dual SIM and micro SD card slot.
Upgrade:
In order of importance:
Faster CPU and GPU
MUCH BETTER CAMERA AND SOFTWARE
Better speaker
Upgrade screen to OLED or at least 1080p resolution.
Make a waterproof case available.

With those upgrades in place I would happily pay twice what the 2E costs now and it would be my forever phone

[kcashman]

I just pre-ordered my 2e through e foundation (degoogled).
I manage a family of phones (3 kids and a spouse), I was a big fan of Windows Phone for their inexpensive model availability, very good repairability and overall less distracting model of use.
One area that could have a big impact is the case back, rather than focus on cases, that get outmoded by new models and form factors. Having case backs manufactured in similar method as the recycled plastic case might be a good thing. Send in your cracked phone back, to be ground up and used in a recycled manufacture. One big impact item is having an easily replaceable screen, many of the Windows phone models had that, and more than once I was able to replace my kids cracked screens or show them how and keep the phone operational.

[kcashman]

Releasing 3d printing specs/code for casebacks, and cases could make an impact and open up interest and market to the DIY community. I imagine lots of overlap with Terracube supporters/enthusiasts.

[egx470]

I can’t find any cases… Would love the option of a few cases/casebacks. I don’t have a 3D printer but would love an excuse to buy one

[Frontpage32]

It’s a truly love hate with them we have 2. Also you will end up spending a lot of money filament. But before u buy. Join some forums on Facebook and get an idea if this is truly u want to do. I spent 6 months before our first one.