List of open-source mobile phones
This is a list of mobile phones with open-source operating systems.[]
Scope of the list
Cellular modem and other firmware
Some hardware components used in phones require drivers to run. For many components, only proprietary drivers are available If firmware is not updatable and does not have control over any other part of the phone, it might be considered equivalent to part of the hardware. However, these conditions do not hold for cellular modems., all available mobile phones have a proprietary baseband chip, except for the Necuno, which has no such chip and communicates by peer-to-peer VOIP. The modem is usually integrated with the system-on-a-chip and the memory. This presents security concerns; baseband attacks can read and alter data on the phone remotely.
The Librem 5 mobile segregates the modem from the system and memory, making it a separate module, a configuration rare in modern cellphones. There is an open-source baseband project, OsmocomBB.
Operating system: middleware and user interface
Generally, the phones included on this list contain copyleft software other than the Linux kernel, and minimal closed-source component drivers.- Android-based devices do not appear on this list because of the heavy use of proprietary components, particularly drivers and applications.
- There are numerous versions of Android which seek to replace the proprietary components, such as LineageOS and Replicant, that can be installed on a large number of phones after-market. There are also devices using Ubuntu Touch, Droidian and FuriOs which are using GNU/Linux and Android hardware adaptation layer Halium. Phones natively running these are included.
- There are multiple projects to implement mainline Linux on mobile phones. Mobian is an open-source project focusing on Debian GNU/Linux on mobile devices. postmarketOS is based on the Alpine Linux. Arch Linux ARM based Manjaro is focusing on PinePhone hardware.
- WebOS was initially available only under a proprietary license but the source code was later released under a free permissive license by HP. Open WebOS will not run on all WebOS devices. LuneOS is Halium based fork of WebOS.
- Firefox OS was released under a permissive MIT license but its KaiOS successor is proprietary; the former is included.
- All Maemo, Meego and Sailfish OS devices running open Maemo Leste or Mer middleware are included. Tizen devices are not included.
- Open QTMoko/OpenMoko phones of Qt Extended are included to the list.
There are also an increasing number of phones that come with a proprietary operating system pre-installed, but allow the user to install mainline Linux. These are listed under #Devices with 3rd party support.
Devices with formal support
These are mobiles that can be ordered with the open-source software pre-installed. Some also have an option where they can be ordered with proprietary OS pre-installed.| Release date | Model | Organization | Operating system | OS Support | Current State | Price |
| 2025-06-25 | Fairphone 6 | Fairphone | /e/OS, IodéOS | €599 | ||
| TBC | NEXX | Liberux | LiberuxOS | £681 | ||
| 2024-10 | Volla Phone Quintus | Volla Systeme GmbH | Volla OS, Ubuntu Touch, multiboot option | €719 | ||
| 2024-06 | FuriPhone FLX1 | FuriLabs | FuriOS | $550 | ||
| 2023-08 | Fairphone 5 | Fairphone | /e/OS, CalyxOS, IodéOS, LineageOS, postmarketOS, Ubuntu Touch | €549 €629 | ||
| 2023-05 | Volla Phone X23 | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS, Ubuntu Touch, multiboot option | €524 | ||
| 2022 | Mudita Pure | Mudita | MuditaOS | $370 | ||
| 2022 | uConsole | ClockworkPi | Debian, Ubuntu, or Raspberry Pi OS; Debian-based Clockwork OS, OS can be swapped by swapping an SD card | $139-$209, +$50 for mobile extension | ||
| 2022 | Volla Phone 22 | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS, Ubuntu Touch, Droidian | €452 | ||
| 2021-12 | PinePhone Pro | Pine64 | Manjaro Linux with KDE's Plasma Mobile by default; | $399 | ||
| 2022-07 | Ftec Pro1 X | FX Technology Limited. | Ubuntu Touch, Droidian, LineageOS or Android | ? | $899 | |
| 2021 | Volla Phone X | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS, Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2020 4Q | Fairphone 4 | Fairphone | /e/OS, CalyxOS, DivestOS, IodéOS, LineageOS, postmarketOS, Ubuntu Touch | €529 | ||
| 2020-12 | DragonBox Pyra Mobile Edition | OpenPandora GmbH | Debian | €600/€626 | ||
| 2020-11 | Volla Phone | Hallo Welt Systeme UG | Volla OS, Ubuntu Touch, Droidian or Sailfish OS | |||
| 2020 3Q | Fairphone 3+ | Fairphone | /e/OS, DivestOS, LineageOS, Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2019-11 | Librem 5 | Purism | PureOS, a Debian derivative developed by Purism for their mobiles | $799 | ||
| 2019-11 | PinePhone | Pine64 | Beta "Braveheart" Edition had a choice of user-installed OS; Later "Community Editions" sold from June 15, 2020, to February 2, 2021, each of which donated $10/phone to the developer community that wrote the OS it shipped with. Subsequently, Pinephones all shipped with Manjaro and Plasma Mobile. | . Twenty-odd different operating systems can be user-installed as of 2021; OS can be swapped by swapping out an SD card. | $199 | |
| 2019 3Q | Fairphone 3 | Fairphone | /e/OS, DivestOS, LineageOS, Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2018 | Gemini PDA | Planet Computers | Android, Debian, Sailfish OS | |||
| GTA04 based motherboard, fitting inside the shell of a Nokia N900. | Neo900 | QtMoko, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Replicant | ||||
| 2016-11-01 | Pop Mirage Cyanogen | Alcatel Mobile | CyanogenMod | |||
| 2016-02 | Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition | Meizu | Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2015 | Zuk Z1 | Lenovo | CyanogenMod | |||
| 2015 | Andromax Q | Smartfen | CyanogenMod | |||
| 2015 3Q | Fairphone 2 | Fairphone | Fairphone Open OS, /e/OS, LineageOS, Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2015-07 | Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition | Meizu | Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2015-06 | BQ Aquaris E5 HD Ubuntu Edition | BQ | Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2015-02 | BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition | BQ | Ubuntu Touch | |||
| 2015 | BQ Aquaris X5 Cyanogen Edition | BQ | CyanogenMod, postmarketOS | |||
| 2015 | Wileyfox Storm | Wileyfox | CyanogenMod | |||
| 2015 | Wileyfox Swift | Wileyfox | CyanogenModpostmarketOS | |||
| 2015 | YU Yureka YU Yureka Plus | YU Televentures | CyanogenMod | |||
| 2015 | YU Yuphoria | YU Televentures | CyanogenMod | |||
| 2014 | OnePlus One | OnePlus | CyanogenMod | |||
| 2014 | GeeksPhone Revolution | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | |||
| GeeksPhone Peak+ | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | Devices with 3rd party support | |||
| 2013-07 | Alcatel One Touch Fire | Alcatel | Firefox OS | |||
| 2013-07 | ZTE Open | ZTE | Firefox OS | |||
| 2013-04-23 | GeeksPhone Keon | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | |||
| 2013-04-23 | GeeksPhone Peak | GeeksPhone | Firefox OS | |||
| 2012-04 | GTA04 | Golden Delicious | QtMoko, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Replicant | |||
| 2011 | Developer phone | Aava mobile | MeeGo | |||
| 2011 | N950 | Nokia | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | |||
| 2011 | N9 | Nokia | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | |||
| 2009-11-11 | N900 | Nokia | Maemo 5 (Fremantle) | |||
| 2008-06-24 | Neo FreeRunner | OpenMoko | Openmoko/QTMoko Linux, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Gentoo, Inferno | |||
| 2007-07-09 | Neo 1973 | OpenMoko | Openmoko Linux | |||
| 2006 | Eten G500 | E-TEN | GPE Palmtop Environment | |||
| 2006 | Greenphone | Trolltech | Qtopia |
Distributions for existing phones
postmarketOS, Ubports, and KDE Neon are open-source distributions running on existing smartphones originally running Android. Maemo Leste is available for Nokia N900 and Motorola Droid 4.There exists a database listing which older phones will run which open-source operating systems.
Custom-made phones
It is possible to home-build a phone from partially open hardware and software. The Arduinophone and the MIT DIY Cellphone both use the Arduino open-hardware single-board computer, with added components. Circuitmess Ringo is another DIY Arduino phone with open source firmware and available schematics, focusing on education. The PiPhone, ZeroPhone and OURphone are similar, but based on the Raspberry Pi.The main components to make an open mobile phone are:
- Back cover
- Touch screen
- Battery
- Logic board