Another one bites the dust. LG
has just announced that it will no longer produce smartphones.
With the G5 LG had a highly regarded modular model on offer in 2016. However, production was quickly stopped again. Allegedly because the customers did not accept this modular approach and did not buy the device. But probably also because LG was unable to deliver further modules. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG_G5
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Yes, I am also too much of an idiot, myself! (:
Because of this, I have a box of ziploc bags when it does decide to rain. I am not taking any more chances with this phoneā¦ I still need to repair the Teracube One, it never left my hands, while in the rainā¦ and now itās worthless, except for the data that I hope is still thereā¦
ĀÆ_(ć)_/ĀÆ
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A better camera is probably the top of the list for me (and my wife even more so). Iāve mentioned it in other threads, but the camera we have is subpar. My HTC One from over eight years ago had a superior camera. Iām faced with needing to just buy my wife another phone because sheās so disappointed in this experiment, and I canāt really blame her (which of course defeats the purpose of sustainability). Worse still, I had to change my carrier to utilize the 2e, and our old phones wonāt work on the new one, so I canāt even simply switch herās back.
Iām honestly ok with pretty much everything else on the 2e considering the price paid, but this camera takes 1 good pic for every 4 garbage shots (and Open Camera or other apps only marginally help).
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I agree, I would like louder and better speakers and better camera.
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A decent camera. Doesnāt need more megapixels not more lenses/sensors. Last time I saw a camera this bad was on a $50 burner.
Drop the second lower-res sensor and just go with a basic but decent 13mp module. Whatever Moto used on their G5 and G6 series (13mp Sony, I think) took quite decent snaps and couldnāt have been very expensive then and are probably dirt cheap by now.
Also, Iām not sure how well the 2eās current chipset and memory will hold up after three more os updates. Durability includes actual future usability, not just hardware functionality. I have a box full of old phones that are still perfectly functional as designed, but would be useless with a current os on them.
Otherwise, I appreciate the move towards sustainability and repairability, and with the exception of the practically useless camera, Iām pleased with the price/performance ratio of the current 2e.
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Specs comparable to midrange-high end phones around then, the main reason I didnāt decide to purchase a phone from teracube yet was the lack of a higher tier phone with better specs the were comparable to other mid-high end phones.
Perhaps someone from Engineering can tell us what decisions have a sustainability impact. I had bought the Teracube 2e because I though the sustainable features mentioned made sense to me but I do not understand phone manufacturing so do not understand the decisions to be made.
Some āWould you rather haveā¦ā questions would be helpful.
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- Maintaining roughly the same price point would be nice. Affordability was a key driver in my purchase. I also have OnePlus but their prices by skyrocketed. I would think that Teracube can differentiate themselves as the the best value phone.
Does Teracube want to fight in the premium phone marketplace?
How can the customer base help in marketing the phone? I for one would be happy to use my social media to promote Teracube.
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My main request has been mentioned in the original post. Support for alternative operating systems out of the gate. Lineage OS or /e/ would suffice, Ubuntu Touch; Mobian; or Manjaro Arm would be nothing short of amazing.
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Agreed! In a world where our privacy is rapidly being taken away, operating systems not dependent on Google (even microg) are much needed.
Legally speaking, they could ship the phone with de-googled AOSP software. Google wonāt let companies ship google services without preinstalling google apps, but what if you use none?
As far as I know, Teracubeās idea of sustainability is based around how long you keep the phone, not how itās made.
Fairphone sets themselves apart by making almost all of the phone with conflict-free materials and recycling when possible. Teracube uses normal Mediatek chipsets. The sustainable features are just the warranty, recycled plastics, and easy to open design.
Overall I think the Fairphone is better, but itās not widely available and I prefer the 4000mAh battery. I prefer FPās intention of a 5 year lifespan and collaboration with developers.
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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.
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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
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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 wouldnāt 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.
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Only a little techy. Hereās my wish list:
- Better camera.
- Waterproof.
- Continued sustainability - huge fan!
- 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! Itās the only thing Iām disappointed in. Teracube rocks!
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My wishlist:
- OLED screen. I had this on my first gen Moto X that I had for nine years. Iām 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 havenāt upgraded my phone from my Motox for so long, because I canāt 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. Itād help the battery life of the Teracube too, though Iām actually quite happy with it so far.
- Waterproofing of some sort. This could be in a case, or in the phone itself. I donāt know how viable this would be in a phone thatās designed to be tinkered with though.
- Better Camera. I donāt 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.
- 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 Iām pretty impressed with its quality.
- 5g. This is more for future-proofing than anything though. I barely use any data (which is why I was on Republic Wirelessās refund plan until I got my 2e), so 4g is plenty fast enough for me.
- Make it a tough phone maybe? Itād 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 arenāt dealbreakers. Things like āmake it fasterā or āmore RAMā arenāt 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.
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I agree that the camera is crap. I use my phone alot and people want me to match the color on the phoneā¦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 ā¦ 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.
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I do love the idea of modular phones ā¦ 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 wouldnāt 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 doesnāt 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 WiFiā¦ 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 donāt know how to do it if itās even supported.
Better camera now this is something people especially teens look atā¦ omg look at me clickā¦ or look at my amazing sushi clickā¦ lol. Sadly it sells. - doesnāt need to be leading edge infact solid function durability first pixel count second you donāt 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 ā¦ 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.
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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.
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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.
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