[When will the spare parts from the enthusiast bundle and spare batteries be shipped? Why not ship them before the phones?]

I understand there's delays with shipping phones, but shouldn't spare parts be easier to ship?

[Possible to replace Pro1 key caps?]

Is it possible to pry out existing key caps and replace them with 3d resin printed key caps?

Are the key caps glued into place?

I looked at the pro1 disassembly video, but the keyboard was never disassembled from the main body.

I want to replace them with more textured concave key caps.

[Fx Pro1 vs Samsung Z Fold 3]

On 12/4/2021 at 10:00 AM, lawliett said:

I've owned both a z fold 2 and pro1 in my quest to find the best phone for running emacs and linux.

I got the z fold 2 because one, it has amazing specs, and two, I thought I might be able to use the soft keyboard with emacs runnng in a terminal with termux.

Now let me say, the soft keyboard on the z fold 2 feels amazing, the best I've ever used. I can feel the vibration as I press each key and the tactile sensitivity is wonderful.

However, I ended up returning it because a soft keyboard has several limitations compared to a hard keyboard.

1) Most soft keyboards don't have all the modifier keys with the exception of hacker keyboard app, but it's quite old.

2) Most soft keyboard force you to press a modifier and then press a key rather than being able to press multiple keys at once. This is quite annoying especially if you use a text editor with chord keybindings like emacs.

3) Despite the improved tactile sensitivity in the soft keyboard, it still doesn't feel as good as a physical keyboard. And it may be impossible to ever approximate the same level.

4) Running emacs in terminal is fine, since the terminal resizes when the soft keyboard pops up. But if I try to use vnc viewer to run graphic linux desktop, the soft keyboard covers the desktop and it's very annoying. A hardware keyboard doesn't have this issue.

5) Not keyboard related, but I spent most of my time using the z fold 2 closed, and the front screen is awkwardly narrow and can prevent some apps from rendering properly.

So I feel that a phone with a regular sized screen and a hardware keyboard tucked under it is preferable to the z fold 2.

I just thought of a few more reasons why the z fold soft keyboard annoyed me.

6) There's no way to hold down a key to send multiple presses at once.

For example, I'm using evil in emacs and I'm trying to go down some text; I can hold down the j key on my desktop to go down multiple lines quickly. However, with a soft keyboard holding down a key doesn't work that way. A key press only registers once you let go of the key. The only thing you can do with a long press is pop up a different symbol to input. Thus, I have to repeatedly press the key to go down one line at a time. So it's just quite inconvenient.

7) Most soft keyboards are missing not only modifiers, but also many punctuation characters.

You can access them from the symbol menu or assign them to a character key and access with a long press. But it's more inconvenient. Especially when you use punctuation marks as part of your keybindings in emacs.

[Fx Pro1 vs Samsung Z Fold 3]

1 hour ago, claude0001 said:

Actually, I find the Pro1 is too large for comfortable thumb-typing. Travel of the thumbs is too long for some keys when holding the phone by the keyboard. From other discussions here, I know that I am not alone with this opinion. I certainly could thumb-type much faster on my good old N900 -- though I must admit that I neither miss the small screen size of the latter, nor the absence of many special keys the Pro1 has ... 

 

Definitely a keyboard with fewer keys would be more comfortable to type on. I think it's as comfortable as it could be given how many keys it has, and the extra modifier keys more than make up for the slight discomfort (at least for me personally). I think the only way it would be more comfortable is a split keyboard, but that would require an even longer phone.

1 hour ago, claude0001 said:

I can well imagine that the PlanetComputers keyboard is even much less comfortable to thumb-type on, but -- in all fairness -- I do not think that was the design goal of that device.

True, the touch typing is the main selling point, and it isn't really built for thumb typing. I suppose it may appeal to someone who's going to use the keyboard only when a flat surface is available, and otherwise avoid using the keyboard with their thumbs. But in that case, there's plenty of portable and even foldable (can fit in your pocket) bluetooth keyboards on the market.

So if my main use case was thumb typing, I'd get the pro1. But for touch typing, I'd actually prefer a z fold 3 with a kickstand case and a bluetooth keyboard over a planet computers device.

[Fx Pro1 vs Samsung Z Fold 3]

On 12/5/2021 at 3:50 AM, eldarion said:

I'm an evil-mode user actually. The problem with thumb typing is some key combinations require a lot of travel and leaving the home row. On a planet keyboard you can easily do C-x one handed but with the pro1 keyboard it's not really possible.

I also use evil and vim keybindings on emacs. I remapped the left Alt on Pro1's keyboard to Ctrl key and remapped right Ctrl to Escape key. Thus, the most used modifier keys are near the home row. I have similar keybindings on my desktop mechanical keyboard as well, so there's a  nice parallel. I can also remap the yellow arrow key on the right side to Ctrl, so I can still have two Ctrl keys.

On 12/5/2021 at 6:03 AM, claude0001 said:

Back on topic: Of course, the Pro1 keyboard is not perfect, and cannot compete with that of Planet Computers.

I also owned the Gemini and Cosmo Communicator. I just found them too bulky and awkward to thumb type on; 95% of the time I'll be using the phone while holding it in my hands, so the touch typing on a desk is not useful to me.

I feel the Pro1 is better because it tries to do one thing well (thumb typing) rather than trying to do two things sub-optimally (touch typing and thumb typing). If I'm going to be sitting at a desk I'd rather just use a tablet PC like surface pro and a full-sized keyboard.

 

[Pro¹ X – state of production and delivery]

From what I understand, they have everything they need to produce the phones. So now it's just a matter of assembly and shipping.

Therefore any supply chain issues due to COVID will no longer affect shipping estimates?

[Fx Pro1 vs Samsung Z Fold 3]

I've owned both a z fold 2 and pro1 in my quest to find the best phone for running emacs and linux.

I got the z fold 2 because one, it has amazing specs, and two, I thought I might be able to use the soft keyboard with emacs runnng in a terminal with termux.

Now let me say, the soft keyboard on the z fold 2 feels amazing, the best I've ever used. I can feel the vibration as I press each key and the tactile sensitivity is wonderful.

However, I ended up returning it because a soft keyboard has several limitations compared to a hard keyboard.

1) Most soft keyboards don't have all the modifier keys with the exception of hacker keyboard app, but it's quite old.

2) Most soft keyboard force you to press a modifier and then press a key rather than being able to press multiple keys at once. This is quite annoying especially if you use a text editor with chord keybindings like emacs.

3) Despite the improved tactile sensitivity in the soft keyboard, it still doesn't feel as good as a physical keyboard. And it may be impossible to ever approximate the same level.

4) Running emacs in terminal is fine, since the terminal resizes when the soft keyboard pops up. But if I try to use vnc viewer to run graphic linux desktop, the soft keyboard covers the desktop and it's very annoying. A hardware keyboard doesn't have this issue.

5) Not keyboard related, but I spent most of my time using the z fold 2 closed, and the front screen is awkwardly narrow and can prevent some apps from rendering properly.

So I feel that a phone with a regular sized screen and a hardware keyboard tucked under it is preferable to the z fold 2.

[Another keyboard (for a) phone: the PinePhone]

 

Here is an image of the keyboard prototype for the pinephone.

 

Appears very similar to planet computers keyboard design.

I still feel fxtec pro1 keyboard geared toward thumb typing and a full 60% keyboard layout is vastly preferable for linux users to this type of layout. Hopefully, pinephone will make a slider keyboard with a layout similar to pro1's one day.

Actually, it sounds like they're already working on one: https://liliputing.com/2020/07/pinephone-linux-smartphone-could-get-a-slide-out-keyboard-acessory.html

[Phone won't turn on and won't charge. Advice on what to do?]

13 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

I would first try to hold the power button for some 10 seconds as this is a deep (non-destructive) boot.

If noting happend. Try to plug in a wired charger, leave it for say ten minutes and retry the same, to see if you get anything on the display and/or the notification LED

Held the button for 10 sec, charged for 10 min, and held again for 10 sec, but still nothing. Is there anything else I can do?

[Phone won't turn on and won't charge. Advice on what to do?]

Hello,

Got my used Pro1 off ebay several months ago and has worked beautifully since then running Lineage OS 17.1.

But this morning I found that it won't turn on and it won't charge, or at least the indicator light for charging doesn't show up.

Some more info:

I use a 1 amp qi receiver plugged into my phone and use a wireless charging pad to charge my phone. I usually leave the phone on the pad, so it's usually at 100% most days.

I was using the phone pretty heavily yesterday: on a call for several hours.

But the phone has never been dropped while in my possession and has just been resting on my table.

Furthermore, I tried charging the phone with the OEM adapter, but still doesn't appear to charge.

My guess:

I think the issue might be the battery is dead? I don't have a replacement battery, although I did order one as an IGG perk.

Is there any way to revive a dead battery, or is the issue possibly something entirely different?

Please let me know what you all think. 

Thank You

[Spare Parts]

On 3/17/2021 at 6:03 PM, SchattengestaIt said:

Thanks for your advice. I know magnetic chargers and I've used them for a year now for my devices at work (tablet, phone, handheld scanner). But for a device I use many hours of the day, I don't like the idea of something sticking out. Especially since the charging port is really badly placed if you use your phone horizontally (I do that 99.9% of the time, even when checking the weather or browsing pictures) so it's always in the way. I'd love to have two ports or one next to the power button.

I use a usb qi receiver to charge my phone with a wireless charging pad. The usb connector is nearly flush with the edge of the phone, sticks out less than a mm. Tried using magnetic charger, but it sticks out too much.

 

[Glass Screen Protector for Pro1/Pro1X]

On 3/10/2021 at 1:01 PM, _DW_ said:

https://www.amazon.de/dipos-Screen-Protector-Elephone-Pro/dp/B07BFW8LJ3/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=Elephone+U+Screen+Protector&qid=1615399201&s=electronics&sr=1-6

I got this because I thought it was a glass screen protector according to description, but it appears to be regular plastic.

Is it actually glass? Does it shatter if you drop it and protect the screen underneath?

[Screen protector]

On 6/23/2020 at 1:46 PM, TeZtdevice said:

@ToniCipriani

I can suggest these protector:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/3x-Elephone-U-Pro-Schutzfolie-Folie-100-Displayabdeckung-dipos-Flex/263509964914?epid=27015293230&hash=item3d5a6af872:g:dKMAAOSwZA1ajT3W

(title: dipos flex elephone u pro)

It fits 99,99%
The protector is only 0,01mm too long, but it fits better than the protector from your Pro1 package.
(incl. the edges)

I got this because I thought it was a glass screen protector according to description, but it appears to be regular plastic.

Is it actually glass? Does it shatter if you drop it and protect the screen underneath?

[Spare Parts]

Here's an image of him holding the display after removing it from the pro1. Can anyone tell what components are part of the display from this image?

[Spare Parts]

4 minutes ago, Hook said:

It is, at the minimum, a screen plus the metal frame (they ask you for the color). So you don't have to mount the display.  What else from the top half would depend on how those things are mounted to the frame, which I haven't looked at closely.  If all the other things are mounted on a pcb also attached to the frame, maybe it doesn't give you that pcb.  Not willing to open up my Pro1 just to find out, but it is still a lot more than just a display and saves you from having to deal with adhesive.

For anyone who wants to see the display, here's a video link

Go to time stamp 02:16 and you can see him holding up the display replacement

[Spare Parts]

On 3/4/2021 at 2:52 PM, Hook said:

They are providing not just the display but the entire frame, that is, the enitre top half of the Pro1/Pro1X.  They even offered (don't know if they still do) choice of the new sapphire blue or the Pro1's black for the frame.  So, yes, includes everything that goes in that half of the phone except the backplate, I would assume.  From Alirexpress, you only get the display replacement and have to remove (unglue) the old one.  For those who are handy, a good deal.

Umm. I just emailed fxtec and they said you only get the screen??

My message: When you say screen, do you mean just a screen or the entire top half of
the phone including the selfie cam, pcb, sensors, etc.

Fxtec reply: The screen included in the tech bundle is just the screen on its own (in case you want or need to replace your Pro1(X) screen).

So how is it  any better than the elephone u screens from aliexpress? I'm confused...

[Forgotten Market, The Compact Phone]

I'm one of those who want a big phone with a big screen as I want to run linux chroot on it. Having a big screen is vital for using desktop applications as the text will be rather small since it's not made for mobile phones.

However, I have a suggestion that would appease both big phone and small phone users. Use a split keyboard design.  That way no matter how big the phone is the keyboard keys will be in easy reach with our thumbs.

[Spare Parts]

54 minutes ago, Hook said:

They are providing not just the display but the entire frame, that is, the enitre top half of the Pro1/Pro1X.  They even offered (don't know if they still do) choice of the new sapphire blue or the Pro1's black for the frame.  So, yes, includes everything that goes in that half of the phone except the backplate, I would assume.  From Alirexpress, you only get the display replacement and have to remove (unglue) the old one.  For those who are handy, a good deal.

Okay then that's a good deal. Cause I thought $10 screen protector + $50 battery + 2x$30 screens (price on aliexpress for screen) = $120, so where are they getting $219 from? But if it includes all those things, then it makes a lot more sense.

[Spare Parts]

I know you can purchase elephone u screen to replace pro1 screen, but is there any place you can purchase a battery replacement for pro1 other than the IGG perk?

[Spare Parts]

On 2/13/2021 at 10:58 AM, EskeRahn said:

I bet the number produced for the S10, have at the least three zeroes extra, so not unexpected that they can do it cheaper...

Anyway the $219 offer it is a bit more than the display. Also frame, narcissistic camera, sensors, pcb and not the least assembly, it all adds up. And the offer includes a battery too.

So sure it is a lot of money to shell out if a display breaks, but I doubt they have a high profit margin on them.

What exactly is included in the tech bundle on IGG? It says 2x screen protector, 1x battery, 1x screen.

It doesn't mention anything about providing a selfie cam, pcb, sensors, and assembly kit. I thought it was just providing a screen like you can get for elephone u from aliexpress.

[Glass Screen Protector for Pro1/Pro1X]

Where can I buy glass screen protectors for pro1? I feel that they would provide more protection to the screen in case of a drop.

I know that Brotect has something called AirGlass screen protector and while they don't provide those for Pro1, they do provide it for elephone U, so I assume I could use those.

Are there any other options available for glass screen protectors?

Also has anyone used the AirGlass screen protector elephone U version with their pro1, and how has your experience been?

[Pro1 and Pro1 X design change to use Snapdragon 662, no new devices before August 2021]

I think the main issue is that while crowdfunding is NOT the same as a purchase, it FEELS like a regular purchase. 

https://wp.josh.com/2014/01/21/read-this-before-you-contribute-to-an-indiegogo-campaign/

The blog post lists some complaints about how IGG tries to make the experience of crowdfunding similar to that of shopping despite attempting to avoid the legal obligations of normal ecommerce sites.

So I'm sure plenty of people who are crowdfunding for the first time are easily swayed into thinking that they are guaranteed to receive a product. Now you can call them naive and foolish, but I don't think it's any different from casinos who use bright lights and alcohol and addictive slot machines to convince people to gamble away their money.

Also some people in the comments mentioned being able to successfully file a chargeback, but that was after the campaign had ended. But Fxtec isn't a scam, and as soon as I have the cash, I'll probably be buying some more Pro1X perks.

[Pro1 and Pro1 X design change to use Snapdragon 662, no new devices before August 2021]

1 hour ago, flx said:

But to comeback to the investment argument. Let's go back to the base of the base of the laws, contracts.

An investment is also a contract, in exchange of 100€ I get 20 shares in company "Bidule". If company "Bidule" never give my 20 shares this contract is null and void and they will need to give me my "investment" back.

So now call it investment as much as you want if I "invest" in exchange of a product and I don't get it, this "investment" contract is null and they have to give you your money back.

This analogy isn't quite right. The "shares" in your analogy aren't the phone, what you're buying is the "perk" not the phone. You're buying the opportunity to receive a phone. You're not buying the phone itself.

So you have already received your 20 shares (ie. your perk). Now if fxtec delivers a phone, you are essentially cashing in your shares to receive something of actual value (the phone) rather the paper you currently own (your perk). But if Fxtec is unable to deliver the phone, your paper just became worthless as the "stocks" value dropped to 0. 

Due to the downgrade, the value of your stocks (perk) just decreased, but that's the risk you take when you buy shares in a company. The can go up and down.

If you buy shares in a company, and then the shares value go down, you can't ask for a refund. That's the risk you took when you invest in the stock market (crowdfunding).

I suppose you could try selling your shares (perk), but that only works if you can find someone willing to buy it off you. Since in the stock market you don't sell the shares (perk)  back to the company, but to other investors in the market.

IGG should have a way for investors to sell perks to each other. Then it would be a real stock market!

[Pro1 and Pro1 X design change to use Snapdragon 662, no new devices before August 2021]

8 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

That would be pretty absurd. Why would we even have the term "crowd funding" if it should just be considered a "pre-order"? The whole point is that WE as investors take the risk rather than those that tries to create the product... And that is why the price for a perk is lower than a pre_order price. (despite IGG also taking their not unsubstantial cut)

I definitely agree that crowd funding isn't the same as a purchase. The question is how does the credit lender view them? If there's no explicit mention of crowdfunding in their chargeback policy, it's entirely possible they'll view it as a purchase instead of an investment. That's what I meant when I said the credit lenders have all the power, since their decision is all that matters regardless of how we or IGG define an investment versus a purchase.

And yes from a business point of view, it makes sense that Fxtec wouldn't want to scare away potential investors by revealing information publicly too quickly. But for someone who wants to get a refund, it would be a completely legitimate argument for receiving one.

But just to re-iterate, I wouldn't advise people getting a chargeback as it's risky, and it's better to work things out with the company or sell the phone on ebay. But I won't hold it against anyone who seeks to get a refund even though I personally am fine with the downgrade.

 

[Pro1 and Pro1 X design change to use Snapdragon 662, no new devices before August 2021]

13 hours ago, Doktor Oswaldo said:

A quick wiki search list this reason for a chargeback:

• Technical: Expired authorization, non-sufficient funds, or bank processing error.
• Clerical: Duplicate billing, incorrect amount billed, or refund never issued.
• Quality: Consumer claims to have never received the goods as promised at the time of purchase.
• Fraud: Consumer claims they did not authorize the purchase or was a victim of identity theft.

 

9 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

And the interesting words here are "goods" and "purchase", as we with crowdfunding do not purchase a defined product. So we would be talking the quality of the investment in potentially hoping to get a specified product as being the product. And that will be (even) harder to evaluate and thus also to dispute being "as promised".

 

Yes, I don't see any language referring to crowdfunding, so I assume the credit lender would regard them as pre-orders rather than investments. So a change in date of delivery and specs may qualify for a chargeback. That being said every lender is going to have their own internal policies in how they view crowdfunding, so it's impossible to say with any certainty.

As for whether people are entitled to a refund, that's an ethical question every person needs to decide for themselves. 

 I'm personally fine with the changes, so I won't be seeking  refund. So I have absolutely no idea whether a chargeback would be successful or even valid in this instance.

Although some people originally bought the pro1 directly from fxtec website and then were switched to igg, so I think they would likely qualify for a chargeback since they never agreed to crowdfund the device in the first place.

Also people who bought a perk between the time fxtec first realized the possibility of a downgrade to the point where they actually provided that info publicly through the update would have a fairly strong case for getting a refund. Since they could say fxtec solicited funds from backers while knowing they could not provide the stated specs.

Fxtec could've provided an update within 24 hours of finding out about the SoC issue telling people not to buy perks til the next update, since there's a possibility that the specs might change. Or they could have frozen perks and not allowed anyone to purchase a perk while they were investigating the SoC issue. They didn't and I don't think it was malicious, but they did withhold information, so you could potentially use that as a reason to collect a refund.

However, this depends on the exact date when fxtec first found out about the SoC issue and whether your purchase falls after this date.

That being said, always try to work something out with the company first.

And personally, I think it's better to get the device in August and just sell it on ebay. Because it could take months to investigate the dispute and if you were to lose, it could take months for your perk to be reinstated leaving you in limbo the whole time. So it's far from a magic bullet.