Fed up of Android? Crowdfund the Raspberry Pi-based ZeroPhone instead
In the great battle royale of phone operating systems, just iOS and Android are really left standing. Sure, you can still buy Windows Phones – but people don’t, which is why we’re left with this duopoly.
If you want a third way, an interesting project has sprung up on Crowd Supply which promises to cut you free from bloatware, handset locking and data mining. It’s all based around the Raspberry Pi.
The ZeroPhone will be easy on the wallet – the aim is to sell it for $50 (just under £40), but it should be clear that this comes with some pretty big compromises outside of the obvious exile from the app stores. For one, if you’re used to 6-inch screens, you’re in for a shock: the ZeroPhone is set to pack a teeny-tiny 1.3-inch, 128 x 64 OLED display. For another, it’s only going to launch with 2G GSM connectivity, although 3G is planned for later.
Related: Best Raspberry Pi projects
Then of course there’s the actual raw power of the phone itself – or more accurately, the absence of it. The Raspberry Pi Zero on which the handset will be built has a 1GHz single-core processor and 512MB RAM – the kind of specs that would struggle on a smartphone, even if it were equipped with Android Go.
Still, if that doesn’t put you off there are a number of perks you won’t get from your typical Android phone. For starters, it comes with a mini-HDMI port, as well as a full-sized USB 2.0 port. Attach a keyboard and mouse and you’ve got a fully-fledged desktop computer – Samsung DeX eat your heart out.
The project is currently listed as “coming soon”, but if you want to be in on it from the ground floor, you can sign up for updates on the Crowd Supply website.
Is the ZeroPhone just the ticket or a little too basic? Let us know what you think on Twitter: @TrustedReviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
