Is the latest PinePhone CE that is shipping now a semi-stable device ?

[fsflover]

Incoming calls are missed, no notification about. And no perspective ATM for solving this problem

Depends on the operating system. It's already better on Mobian: https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=12043.

[firefox-58]

I cannot really believe this...... because of this is IMO not developed by the mobian devs, they use phosh at it is......

This is more an provider effect than a corrected modem driver.

Tested it 1 minute ago. Flashed newest nightly. Problem of slooooow wakeup of the modem and missing incoming calls not solved.

Modem on incoming call was started, at first established the WiFi connection and at last the mobile connection. May last between 10-25 seconds. Lots of callers give up in between

[ryo]

The wait time has improved a whole  lot,  over the wait times on the original PBP's  and the Brave Heart phones.
But they will send you a notice when they hand your product to the shipper...    I know that can feel like 'forever'...

I'm pretty patient, so that's not what I'm meaning.
But seeing that more recent buyers throughout the western world already received it, but not here despite the geographic distance + our borders with China are widely open just makes me question the shipping process a bit.

ATM the Pinephone is a nice Linux gadget but not usable as a daily and reliable driver. On the modem sid since 2 months there is absolutely no progress. If someone wants to have a small gadget the PinePhone is absoluely nice. For any kind of serious use it is not.

I bought in the hope to make development contributions where needed, not so much for full use.
If I'd hurry for a Linux phone, I have a Nexus 5 with UBPorts too (even though my USIM card doesn't get recognized at all).
UBPorts is nice, but it feels like an Android phone with no Android apps (Anbox, but it's slow, and no longer works after reboot).

[kern707]

First of all, thank you all for your input, opinions and insights.

I have just received today a notification that my order was given to the shipping agent including a tracking number, I am in Europe (if it helps anyone who was also waiting).

Now back to the discussion:

Yes when I have ordered it, I kind of knew that I am not buying a completely throughout fully tested, fully functional and working device, but I wanted to support the development and I do believe that if the developers of the hardware (Pine64) and the developers of the various software linux distros will keep going at it, we should have a very good and useful device in a matter of time.

I am no kernel developer, but since I am a software developer by profession, maybe I could see later how it will be made possible to write software for one of my mobile linux distros of choice, maybe a linux port for some iOS / Android app that is much needed and does not get the appropriate linux support from the original developers? who knows, like.. I could really love to have a Telegram client for the PinePhone? so even if the phone is not yet stable to be my one and only phone, I could use a dumb phone for making calls, and do my messaging with the PinePhone. for an example.

First I will get the device (hopefully on Monday), test it out (hopefully mine will come pre-installed with Manjaro as advertised and not completely empty  even though I already have a micro SD card waiting, just in case..)

I think that even though a PinePhone is as mentioned by others, still a "cool gadget and not a fully functional phone", it seem to be that one of the most important issues to solve is the modem issues, because once the phone could reliably send and receive calls / SMS, it will pretty much mature into a usable phone, and the development of more apps and better UI is IMHO a second priority.

I will have a look at the Manjaro link that was given, thank you for that

[moodroid]

Hi,

I've just just received my pinephone, and am very impressed with the build quality and I actually quite like Phosh. But I haven't yet started to use it as my daily driver, as I still don't understand the extent of the calls/sms issues:

- when you miss a call because of the phone failing to wake properly, do you get notified of who called you either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- what problems, if any, does this issue cause in terms of sms - do you get notified of a new sms message either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- assuming the phone didn't go into deep sleep (impractical because of battery life), would calls and sms both work as expected?

Thanks for any advice.

[firefox-58]

Hi,

I've just just received my pinephone, and am very impressed with the build quality and I actually quite like Phosh. But I haven't yet started to use it as my daily driver, as I still don't understand the extent of the calls/sms issues:

- when you miss a call because of the phone failing to wake properly, do you get notified of who called you either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- what problems, if any, does this issue cause in terms of sms - do you get notified of a new sms message either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- assuming the phone didn't go into deep sleep (impractical because of battery life), would calls and sms both work as expected?

Thanks for any advice.

1. Mostly NO notice about missed call(s)
2. Mostly NO later delivery of SMS
3. Yes, as long as the modem is awake in phosh incoming calls are received

[moodroid]

Thanks for the info @firefox-58. I see why it's such a big problem.
Just out of curiosity, can the phone not achieve any significant power saving/sleep while the modem is awake?

[bcnaz]

Hi,

I've just just received my pinephone, and am very impressed with the build quality and I actually quite like Phosh. But I haven't yet started to use it as my daily driver, as I still don't understand the extent of the calls/sms issues:

- when you miss a call because of the phone failing to wake properly, do you get notified of who called you either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- what problems, if any, does this issue cause in terms of sms - do you get notified of a new sms message either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- assuming the phone didn't go into deep sleep (impractical because of battery life), would calls and sms both work as expected?

Thanks for any advice.

Apparently we do not all get the same results.

If my Brave Heart phone is in deep sleep, it sometimes does wake up late, so I may only hear it ring once or twice before the caller gets sent
to my voicemail.
But it usually rings long enough for me to answer.
 IF I do 'miss' a call it is in recent calls, depending on carrier, AT&T seems dependable while T-Mobile may occasionally miss one.
 
 For texts,  I am fairly certain I do not 'miss' any texts,  though sometimes I may not notice every incoming text.
Since,  at least with Mobian it only vibrates, there is no sound for incoming texts.
  If you have the phone on your person, you will definately 'feel' it vibrate,  If it is on a hard surface you may hear it vibrate
  but if it is on a soft surface you may not hear it.

 > Hmm..  my Brave Heart with Mobian Oct, 05 release, just now gave a little 'ding' and a vibration while I am writting, (incoming text)
so I stand corrected,  but It is not very loud.
   But even if I do not notice an incoming text they are all there when I open the text app.

IF the phone is awake or shallow sleep, the incoming calls and texts come through instantly or quickly.

Of course this is a radio/cellular phone so you have multiple things that must work together,  weak signals can slow down the phones 
response times.  The quality of your carriers signal, and did you correctly set-up your phone.
  An empty field in your settings,  can cause your phones software to not function correctly.

   On one T-Mobile NVMO I tried,  3g data and 4g data each use different APN's
     So if you only have one APN entered you would assume the other data line was 'not working' ....
   I do not know how to work around that problem as you can only use one APN at a time, 
     but that is a carrier problem, NOT a Pine phone fault.

 ** So you have the person using the phone, you have the phone hardware, you have the phone software, and you have the carrier..
        ALL of these have to work together, if one fails, nothing else works ether,    or not properly.

 > > I currently have 1 Brave Heart, 3 Post Market C.E., and 1 Manjaro C.E. phones I am using/testing.
                *   I have ordered the 1.2b mainboard upgrade option for my Brave Heart.
                       I am using the Brave Heart as my main phone, I test other Distro's on the other phones.

    >>  "These are my results,  your results may vary."

[kern707]

Hi,

I've just just received my pinephone, and am very impressed with the build quality and I actually quite like Phosh. But I haven't yet started to use it as my daily driver, as I still don't understand the extent of the calls/sms issues:

- when you miss a call because of the phone failing to wake properly, do you get notified of who called you either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- what problems, if any, does this issue cause in terms of sms - do you get notified of a new sms message either immediately, upon switching the screen on, or not at all?
- assuming the phone didn't go into deep sleep (impractical because of battery life), would calls and sms both work as expected?

Thanks for any advice.

1. Mostly NO notice about missed call(s)
2. Mostly NO later delivery of SMS
3. Yes, as long as the modem is awake in phosh incoming calls are received

Oh that's a major two, I mean- If I would have missed calls because the modem is unable to wake up fast enough, and still get a notification who tried to call me, than no biggy I will call them back, but if nothing at all is being done - it pretty much means that until the modem problem (hardware or software) is fixed or at least improved, than we can not yet call this a pinePHONE ;-) (pun intended)

The question is, is that a modem firmware problem? I hope it is not a hardware problem.. because that would mean that it doesn't matter which firmware updates or software updates we will make, nothing will change a faulty hardware circuit board.

[LinAdmin2]

I was told by the gang of PinePhone freaks that as long the phone is able to make ringing a distant phone, the calling DOES work...

Not respecting this eternal truth brought me -35 reputation points and ugly comments by moderator(s)...