Why does Clear Phone / Freedom Phone fail?
My review of Freedom Phone was lengthy, expensive, and fair. I used it as my daily phone for 4 months and wanted it to work. There are three main reasons why it fails:
They don't deliver on their promises. The apps fall short in a big way. There is not enough development power behind it.
Similar to number two, the hardware falls way short. From bad reception, to dropped calls, to the clock being off time... nothing about the phone is reliable.
It is a network marketing company. People make money off of saying it's great. (And so could I, but I believe in honesty first.) They are not customer focused or ready for prime time.
Are you associated with any brand or company?
No, I am an individual who is on a mission to find a phone that is functional, reliable, fair, and privacy focused.
Will you review other phones?
Yes, I will review other phones as they hit the market. If you have a suggestion or recommendation, contact us here.
Is it possible to create a privacy centered phone?
Yes, there are 3 main methods that a company could use to approach this.
Since Android is open source, a development team could strip out the trackers and create a "clean" version of Android. This would provide users with a familiar and safe experience; however, you can't remove ALL reliance on Google. This is the easiest option to pursue, and the one most companies are using.
A Linux based phone would be ideal, because it is independent, open source, and a lot of development has already been done. Although it would require a greater investment in hardware support, this option could provide the potential to turn ANY phone into a privacy based phone (including iPhone).
The last option would require the most time and investment because it has not been done yet. A purely blockchain based phone. It is an entirely new concept, and represents the greatest potential for profit, community benefit, and change.
Should sustainability be part of the mission?
While sustainability would be ideal, it may not be possible for the first generation of new phones. Companies are scrambling to pursue the goal of a Privacy Focused phone, so can they do both at once?
Fair Phone is making the first go at it. If you live in Europe, check them out and leave a review. Does it meet your expectations?
Now if someone could figure out a way to turn all our old phones into something usable... that would be truly amazing.