Hope you don't mind me firing a bunch of questions
Do you use it as "just" a smartphone or as a laptop substitute?
And how much screen on time do you get?
How long does it take to charge?
Have you tried using steam link?
What OS/ROM/disto do you have installed on it?
I tried to use it as a laptop. It works fine for non-heavy tasks, but not sufficiently secure for me (I prefer Qubes OS). It is very helpful for doing some configuration though. See also: https://forums.puri.sm/t/anyone-using-the-l5-as-their-main-c...
I get maybe 3-4 hours of heavy browsing. Usually, when I'm using the phone a lot, it lasts half a day. Also, the background apps are not frozen like on Android/iOS and can drain the battery very quickly if you don't close them. The good news is that you can replace the battery without tools and instantly get 100% charge again.
It can charge in about three hours with the original charger, but I often use other chargers, which are slower (e.g., it can take 6 hours or more during the night). See also: https://forums.puri.sm/t/usb-dcp-5v-1-5a-protocol-and-librem...
I didn't try steam link. I tried to install Mobian. It works but the functionality lags (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39155229) behind the default PureOS, which I use. The software is still under heavy development and the phone is still getting longer battery life and smoother UI.
See also: https://forums.puri.sm/t/librem-5-daily-driven-in-profession..., https://forums.puri.sm/t/librem-5-daily-driven-in-profession....
No swappable battery, but the efficient cpu, more ram and faster recharge makes it more worth it for me.
Thanks again!
I'm probably going to buy a raspberry pi 5 or equivalent, slap a 2x12000mah battery and 5" oled touch screen on it, build an case around that and call it a day. It's going to be pocketable, it's going to have a lot more battery life and a lot cheaper.
As for my phone, I'll probably get a pinephone or librem equivalent once there's one I can actively use for about a normal working day without having to replace the battery or experience slowdowns.
Thanks for all the info on this thread!