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I am excited to update you guys on life with the 
@furilabs@fosstodon.org FLX1s, a new Linux smartphone that follows and improves on their previous model, the FLX1.
I've been daily driving it since shortly after I received it - over a month now! And, yes, you read that correctly: it is a daily driveable Linux phone. I have had to make a few minor compromises but a lot of it comes down to the fact that the mobile app ecosystem on Linux isn't as expansive as those of other platforms and isn't targeted by developers. Fortunately, the phone includes a Waydroid fork called Andromeda which makes it a breeze to launch and use most Android apps but, unfortunately, those relying on direct hardware and/or networking access may not function correctly. For example, you lose access to Roku Private Listening and my RingConn Gen 2 smartring is essentially a dumbring now. The great thing is, though, that if you are a developer, you have a lot of opportunities to chip in!
I wouldn't call myself anything close to a developer but I've made what I hope are meaningful, if minor, contributions. I've added to the FAQ via a merge request. I managed to pin down a small environmental variable change that would allow Qt6 flatpaks to render correctly at certain scaling. I got a merge request accepted to upstream Phosh that changes the bluetooth tile in quick settings to list devices by aliases instead of names. I've made and shared a handful of scripts to improve mobile usability (like ramping up alarm volume, being able to pre-dismiss alarms, automatic nightlight/dark theme/do-not-disturb settings) and I have more in the works. There is an active, engaged, and incredibly helpful community in their Matrix room (and the web forum) who have also been contributing in all sorts of amazing ways (most in ways far exceeding my small skill set).
Speaking of which, there is nearly always a member of the @furilabs@fosstodon.org team in the chat willing to provide one-on-one troubleshooting covering anything from payment and shipment hiccups to mobile network issues. They are friendly and approachable and the accessibility is something I am not accustomed to.
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If, like me, you've been following the slow progress of mobile Linux, you're probably used to overhyped, underwhelming, and delayed devices. The FLX1s may not be the end-all-be-all, top-of-the-line, best-imaginable, perfect device but it has changed the mobile Linux landscape. This is an actually usable phone that actually does phone things and has a battery that lasts long enough for it to actually be a mobile phone.
So that no one thinks I am trying to mislead anyone, no, it is not a fully FOSS device nor does it run mainline Linux. It is a Halium device which means it includes driver blobs. If that doesn't sound like a compromise you can handle (which I fully get), then this might not be the device for you. But then... what viable mobile phone currently in production will be (genuinely curious)?
I'm not being paid or compensated to say nice things. These are my own, real thoughts. There is a discount offer on their convergence dock for owners who post "a review" - not "a positive review", just "a review" - which I plan to take advantage of. I've also post a review to both their site and Trustpilot, plus got my [paraphrased] thoughts read on air on by Brent in Jupiter Broadcasting's Linux Unplugged episode 651. That is to say, I already qualify for the discount.
Anyway, I would be thrilled to answer any questions from the user perspective that anyone has. Or join us users in the Matrix chat. Also, please boost widely! I really believe this device is amazing and would be the talk of the community if only more people knew about it.
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