Something special is coming...

[Waxberry 638]

Hello!

It’s Chen here, been a long time since we last talked or met in person.

First of all I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, regardless where you are. It might be a difficult and challenging time, but we will all fight through it together.

I would also like to say thank you to our community again! Thank you for your continuous support and encouragement for Pro1 and F(x)tec, especially in this difficult time. I have to admit 2020 has not been an easy journey for us, a lot of things and plans have completely changed and everything has become more and more difficult.   

Regardless of the challenges, F(x)tec is continuously growing in 2020 – We have shipped several more batches of Pro1 globally and launched in Japan. We have made several software updates and important bug fixes for the stock firmware. And we have started the work of bringing Android 10 for stock firmware. (We only got the official baseline firmware not long ago as we are the smallest in the line but a bit late is better than nothing.)

In the meantime our community developers have also made some great and exciting progress on 2020: For Lineage OS, we have got it official for 16.1. And the work for official 17.1 and Android R has also been started. For Ubuntu Touch OS, we have got the OS running smoothly with HDMI output activated (yes, you can use the slider keyboard for the big monitor and the touch screen as a mouse pad, in theory no additional accessory is needed.) For Sailfish OS, 3.3 has already been smoothly running and 3.4 with user data encryption is coming. We have also made progress on mainlining kernel, and other exciting projects based on it, such as WINDOWS for ARM, Maemo Leste, Postmarket OS, Dual Boot… etc. This will not happen without the work and contribution from our community developers. They are geniuses and we are grateful to have their support!

The Pro1 was made together with the community, was launched with the community, is still growing and getting  better day by day. I cannot think of another factor that is more important. 

We have found a group of people that share the same values,  beliefs and being the pioneer of developers and smartphone community, XDA. I am excited to share this first information with you, whom I believe should know first ahead of the media outlets: We will collaborate with XDA to bring a new project together, for our community. And I believe this project can make differences in many ways. I can’t wait to tell you!
Starting from the next few hours, there will be announcements on social media platforms. Once it goes live, please don’t forget to subscribe to the updates in coming weeks.

Since the keyboard slider disappeared from the market about 10 years ago, I was hoping this great concept of form factor could have a second chance to live in modern specs, together with the benefit of up to date functions, capacity and software, and with the freedom to control the device the way you want. No other manufacturers have the courage we have, to do it against the trend and against the routine of the design process. I am proud to say we made it! And I am grateful that you witnessed it and being part of it!

With this collaboration with XDA, we could pass our voice to a wide group of people of similar mind to join our journey, to make our voice louder, and to make ourselves even stronger for the next challenge!
 

[VaZso 1,998]

@Waxberry thanks for sharing and I am curious about this new project.

Please update also here if anyone have found any information / announcement with the details.

Anyway, I love my Pro1 and I am looking forward also for your new project.

[VaZso 1,998]

Here is an article about it on XDA-Developers.

Also an e-mail arrived from F(x)tec together with a subscribe button.

[drh 8]

I don't know what's under the blue sheet, but take my money and do more amazing stuff.

 

[VaZso 1,998]

2 hours ago, drh said:

I don't know what's under the blue sheet, but take my money and do more amazing stuff.

I don't know but it looks very similar to a Pro1 box and it also has Lineage OS and ubports (I mean Ubuntu Touch) logo printed on its sides.
(They have Pro1 support as also Waxberry wrote above anyway.)

I have hopes, but we will see it - we may have more information on 27th October I think.

...be it anything, I am looking forward for it. 🙂

Edit: oh well, and Indiegogo was also mentioned - I hope my hope will be true, but we will see it later this month.

Edit2:
So it is a collaboration with XDA which has ubports and Lineage OS support (these projects are also have support for Pro1) and needs some Indiegogo funding.
Hmm, it sounds interesting.

Be it anything, I hope it will continue to follow F(x)tec's main conception and knowledge which they developed so far.

Edited October 9, 2020 by VaZso

[Tsunero 215]

Pretty exciting you found a new partner. It's also great to hear that works on bringing Android 10 to stock are underway. Keep going! 🙂

[Slion 1,201]

3 hours ago, Waxberry said:

And we have started the work of bringing Android 10 for stock firmware. (We only got the official baseline firmware not long ago as we are the smallest in the line but a bit late is better than nothing.)

That's the best news.

[brunoais 334]

I'll be waiting for 27th October, then... I don't like anticipation ☹️. It clogs my mind... Maybe I'll just put my alarm for the 27th and not come here in the meantime.

[VaZso 1,998]

1 minute ago, Slion said:

That's the best news.

Yes because that means they continue to support Pro1 regardless of what new product they will launch and that means they take their community seriously.

Also, Pro1 is still a great product and if they support it for a long time, it can serve us very well for a while.

Anyway, I hope if they launch a new product which accepts SIM card, then they will do a product which support two SIMs and a microSD card simultaneously.
Also eSIM is an option but unfortunately not every service providers support it - as far as I read well, it isn't really supported here (maybe Telekom supports it but Vodafone and Telenor seems to not support is yet in Hungary)...

[npatel1050 132]

Maybe a new app, feature, or encryption protocol. Regardless none of that sounds too exciting, to me at least

[FlyingAntero 871]

This sounds great! XDA is a huge community so I am excited to see what this project can bring for F(x)tec. Maybe it is official support for Lineage OS and Ubuntu Touch? I mean that people can buy Pro1 either with stock Android, LOS or Ubuntu Touch? Or even a new device?

[Slion 1,201]

7 hours ago, FlyingAntero said:

mean that people can buy Pro1 either with stock Android, LOS or Ubuntu Touch

That would be my guess too. Some sort of certified Android branch, LOS or otherwise. Maybe with an "improved" keyboard layout.

[VaZso 1,998]

14 minutes ago, Slion said:

That would be my guess too. Some sort of certified Android branch, LOS or otherwise. Maybe with an "improved" keyboard layout.

Just a shy question: why would it need an Indiegogo campaign then?
It should be something more complicated I think.

Anyway, an "improved" keyboard - if there is only one layout - would be a non-sfifted QWERTY variant for me.
For proper international use, that is a must.
Currently the QWERTZ variant has the international ability but not everyone are German.

[Slion 1,201]

2 hours ago, VaZso said:

Just a shy question: why would it need an Indiegogo campaign then?

I guess they want to raise money to produce a batch of devices. It could be a phone without keyboard too.

[VaZso 1,998]

Just now, Slion said:

I guess they want to raise money to produce a batch of devices. It could be a phone without keyboard too.

I don't think it is about producing Pro1 devices.
About a potential keyboard-less phone - it would go against their function is key slogan.

[Slion 1,201]

1 minute ago, VaZso said:

don't think it is about producing Pro1 devices.

Pro2 already? Either way it is about XDA buying a batch of custom devices from FxTec.

[VaZso 1,998]

6 minutes ago, Slion said:

Pro2 already? Either way it is about XDA buying a batch of custom devices from FxTec.

I don't know, we will know something more on 27th about it.

That is a good question who pays to whom and also there is an IGG campaign mentioned which is a user pre-payment.
XDA may have higher publicity and they may be able to provide help in Lineage OS / ubtouch development.

However, F(x)tec has experience in hardware development and they also have a lot of reusable parts based on Pro1.

So there are some potential outcomes, but a good collaboration may result in a good product, be it anything. 🙂

[Craig 1,435]

I think you guys are getting ahead of yourself with Pro², they haven't even finished pro¹.  My hope is that our headphones are under that blanket, and the the ubuntu touch and lineage logos probably are hints at new versions, probably getting ubu touch for Pro¹ and Lineage 17.     

That would be the best announcement for October 27th.  Every single Pro¹ pre-order shipped, every single early pre-order sent their headphones, Ubuntu Touch version for Pro¹ released, and Lineage 17 released, and hopefully the "several software updates and important bug fixes for the stock firmware" gets released and fixes all the bugs reported in 2019!  And devices available for immediate order, 10-12 week suggested lead time down to 1-2 weeks.

[I know its a year later than hoped, but good things are worth waiting for...]

Edited October 11, 2020 by Craig

[Slion 1,201]

I don't know much about XDA but the more I think about it the more I believe this is just going to be a custom Pro1 hardware with custom software backed by an IGG campaign to make sure they know how many units they need to produce and don't have to invest their own money.

Custom Pro1 hardware is probably just about keyboard layout. Maybe a different display panel but I really doubt it.

 

[VaZso 1,998]

1 hour ago, Craig said:

I think you guys are getting ahead of yourself with Pro², they haven't even finished pro¹.  My hope is that our headphones are under that blanket, and the the ubuntu touch and lineage logos probably are hints at new versions, probably getting ubu touch for Pro¹ and Lineage 17.     

That would be the best announcement for October 27th.  Every single Pro¹ pre-order shipped, every single early pre-order sent their headphones, Ubuntu Touch version for Pro¹ released, and Lineage 17 released, and hopefully the "several software updates and important bug fixes for the stock firmware" gets released and fixes all the bugs reported in 2019!  And devices available for immediate order, 10-12 week suggested lead time down to 1-2 weeks.

[I know its a year later than hoped, but good things are worth waiting for...]

I hope they are finishing all of their preorders soon and keep working on Pro1 software, bringing Android 10, etc.

...but if they want to continue to do business (so long-term business), they have to think what they can do in the meantime.
If there is some potential of selling other Pro1s and do a more polished software, then it is a good point for collaboration.

...and yes, they have to start thinking on Pro2 sooner or later which does not mean forgetting of Pro1 and also it is very unlikely to appear in the near future (unless they have started working on it since a while).

So it is better not thinking of Pro2, but I would expect them to release it in one or two years from now (timed a bit before Christmas) if they still "live" and want to do business.
Also, I am sure they will not speak about it while it is not in a state close to production or at least the remaining time can not be predicted well.

[internationaltraitor 84]

whatever this is,, it better have kill switches :)).... like the librem and the pinephone.... then, i would buy another 2 of these pro1's :))

 

[EskeRahn 5,471]

29 minutes ago, internationaltraitor said:

whatever this is,, it better have kill switches :)).... like the librem and the pinephone.... then, i would buy another 2 of these pro1's :))

You think a phone with a good old hardware power off for the battery? That would be awesome. For my spare&emergency phones with removable batteries, I put in a small piece of plastic between the battery and the contacts, and this allows the battery to keep its charge for many many months

[VaZso 1,998]

2 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

You think a phone with a good old hardware power off for the battery? That would be awesome. For my spare&emergency phones with removable batteries, I put in a small piece of plastic between the battery and the contacts, and this allows the battery to keep its charge for many many months

...or at least adding a main FET for example which can be turned on by the switch button (or by charging) and can be kept on by software - if it is not how it is working now.

Then it can be released when the system powers off and practically the battery can be "saved" for future use.

[internationaltraitor 84]

if they can outdo librem and pinephone at their own game... fxtec will succeed among us "aware" people of category from the market.

[damion 60]

On 10/9/2020 at 1:30 PM, Waxberry said:

Hello!

...

Regardless of the challenges, F(x)tec is continuously growing in 2020 – We have shipped several more batches of Pro1 globally and launched in Japan. We have made several software updates and important bug fixes for the stock firmware. And we have started the work of bringing Android 10 for stock firmware. (We only got the official baseline firmware not long ago as we are the smallest in the line but a bit late is better than nothing.)

 

Why not skip it and go straight to 11 ?