Purism Releases Linux Smartphone After Third Quarter Delay – Update

The Purism company will not release its previously announced Linux smartphone, called Librem 5, in April, but instead in the third quarter. It’s not the first time Purism has faced delays.

The delay was not widely announced by Purism, but can be read in one of the blog posts that the company has put online. In a post about showing off the smartphone at a corporate event, it is reported that the Librem 5 will not be available until the third quarter. A more precise release date is not mentioned.

As a result, another delay seems to be a fact, as Purism had previously indicated that it wants to release the Librem 5 this month. The cause of the delay is unknown, as nothing is reported in the blog post. So it’s not the first time the release has been delayed either; Initially, the release was planned for January.

The Librem 5 was financed in 2017 with 1.5 million euros through crowdfunding. The smartphone runs on PureOS, but can also run other Linux distributions. The i.MX 8-soc from NXP is used as processor.

Update, Monday 10:15 am: Purism appears to have already announced the postponement on February 21. In a blog post, the company writes that it has to postpone the delivery date because another processor was being looked at and had to be benchmarked. Ultimately, Purism sticks with the i.MX 8-soc, as new software solves the previous energy consumption and heat problems.