Is there really a light at the end of the journey...?


I've had a pre-iphone smartphone withouth 4G for longer than that which I'm still using. I am thinking of plumping for a 4G dumb phone now though. I can't go for a 2G dumb phone unfortunately as the 2G coverage in my house is garbage.
 
Amateurs... :p

I'm still using my first phone (still a "smart" phone, yes I'm young...) : the fabled Samsung GT-S8530 Wave II !
Original battery since my mid-October 2011 birthday. I'm surprised it didn't die or catch fire already xD

(EDIT : forgot to say it's still unstable as hell though)

Ever since I read about the Pyra during summer 2014...
I'm Holding Out for a Hero 'til the end of two months
It's got to be strong
And it's got to be fast
And it's got to be fresh from first batch...
 
certainly the atom is tempting, and it might help me develop apps if i actually had a smartphone.

but i'm out of discretionary money right now, i blew it all on some stuff for a raspberry pi briefcase computer...
 
I too wanted to replace my Phone with the Pyra.
But I more and more doubt it's a good idea.
Why?

1. Battery Life. The Pyra is not optimized right now and even if it is it will drain my battery a lot.
2. No camera. Means no QR code reader (don't need it now but might come in handy.
3. No NFC. Same as QR code reader. It's simply standard equipment nowadays.
4. Lacking support for common Apps like WhatsApp (I'm happy to get rid of it) and (car) navigation software.
5. OTP generator on a different device, not my Pyra with what I do access the OTP protected websites

The Smartphone these days have some benefits I might not see covered by the Pyra.
I will leave my Smartphone at home more frequently for sure but I doubt the Pyra will replace it entirely. At least not for the first year or so. Maybe as soon as the Software is better.

Same with my Laptop.
Some years ago I did everything with my Pandora. It was the one an only Device for me and I had done much more if I had the possibility.
Now I got used to the bigger screen and keyboard of my Laptop as well as the fast performance (Gaming Laptop with SSD)
The Pyra has it much harder to become as important as the Pandora was for me years ago.

Later might change when there is better Standby so I can leave it on all day and it's just available.
When the Keyboard is better usable and when we finally get either the new Firefox and not ESR or I get used to a faster Webbrowser.
But as I grew up also my requirements did. And I would like to use Firefox and Thunderbird for example as I do on my Laptop.
And not being used to the small screen anymore is a problem, too. Big screen and big keyboard and a trackpad is simply so much better for me at the moment.

Nevertheless, I will do it and I have faith in our team to make the hardware and software so good to bring me back and make the Pyra even more useful for me than the Pandora was before :)
 
Does any SW need to be written for PYRA to be used as a phone?
If so, has development started on it?
 
WizardStan said:
I have a foolproof plan to make sure everything goes perfectly and the Pyra will ship soon!
Step 1) Be me, acknowledge your bad luck
Step 2) Own a phone
Step 3) Pre-order a Pyra with the full intention of replacing old phone with new Pyra-phoney goodness
Step 4) Phone slowly deteriorates, losing several key functions.
Step 4a) Stick it out
Step 5) Phone finally loses ability to charge except with a particular high quality cable, when pulled at just the right angle, and very slowly.
Step 6) Accept defeat and order a new phone (Pixel 2)
Now, if you've followed those steps, then the day that your new Pixel 2 shows up on your doorstep, EvilDragon will announce that production has been greenlit and you'll have your Pyra within 2 weeks.
Click to expand...

Hey, that's almost exactly me up until step 5!
Except that my wife wanted to have my old phone and she keeps on nagging when that Pyra finally comes because her own phone is falling apart too.

I can stick it out two more months(tm), I have to! ;)
 
Askarus said:
2. No camera. Means no QR code reader (don't need it now but might come in handy.
3. No NFC. Same as QR code reader. It's simply standard equipment nowadays.
Click to expand...
I like how you say "I don't need it but..."; especially when you're talking about using it as a phone.

Askarus said:
4. Lacking support for common Apps like WhatsApp (I'm happy to get rid of it) and (car) navigation software.
Click to expand...
Didn't somebody post a video using WhatsApp on it?
https://web.archive.org/web/2017070...il.org/linux_gps_navigation_applications.html
In fact, don't we have NavIT built for the Pandora?
 
The mobile Version of the Pyra has built in GPS.
So no problem for running a navigation software.

Who uses QR and or NFC frequently?
I don't use it because the only wide use of QR in public is for advertisement.
And I have not seen a single use for NFC till now.


@WizardStan:
At the Moment my Nokia 3510 (monochrom) is at Step 5.
(The almighty rubber band holds the plug in place.)
Luckily my phone only has to be charged every 7 to 10 days.
 
vcoleiro1 said:
Does any SW need to be written for PYRA to be used as a phone?
If so, has development started on it?
Click to expand...

I do. Here some screenshots:

1_call.png 2_sms.png 3_contacts.png 4_settings.png

It actually works with my voice enabled USB 3G modem on my Ubuntu Laptop and on my GPD win(Win10), so it seems to be portable.
I think it should also work with the Pyra Modem but i will see when i get a Pyra.
There is still much to do but as i will marry in a few weeks, i have not too much time actually :/
 
Last edited:
I still remember, when i preeordered the Pandora, and the WIZ was out, i fought a inner war to buy me a WIZ,
but i believed the whole time on this "" Months (TM)" thing, so i never bought me a Wiz..
But a Used GBA SP ( my Plan for the Pandora was originaly as some sort of "Gameboy Playing Machine"..), and a cheap flashkart for my DS Lite,
I ditnt got DS Games on this Flashcart to work, only DS Homebrew and Emulators (like GB GBC, SNES, NES, and the Sega Consoles up to 32 bit (Genesis)..)

Now i have a Pandora, and a Iphone..

My plan was originaly to use the Pyra as my Phone, but now im to deep in Apple Services (Apple Music, I Cloud) that i would rather use the Pyra as a Pandora/Work PC Replacement, ..
My Pockets are big enought for a Smartphone and a Pyra..
 
pmprog said:
Looks good.
What's your license? Is your source available? I imagine there's a few developers on here (myself included) that would be interested in contributing if it helps
Click to expand...

I want to use GPL (v2,v3? don't care) and put it on Github/lab when i'm happier with the source quality.
Actually there are things like processing text files in gui-threads and that is very boring ;)
Just for testing i can send the sourcefiles via email but dont want to publish it in the actual state.
 
AndiTheBest said:
I want to use GPL (v2,v3? don't care) and put it on Github/lab when i'm happier with the source quality.
Actually there are things like processing text files in gui-threads and that is very boring ;)
Just for testing i can send the sourcefiles via email but dont want to publish it in the actual state.
Click to expand...
You could use the Pyra git repo server. AFAIK, it's running on ED's server, but with GitLab software - which means you can create private repos, but also means you won't lose source control functionality. My username is 'pmprog' like the forum here.
https://dev.pyra-handheld.com/

If you still prefer email, feel free to drop me a PM and I'll send it across
 
WizardStan said:
Step 5) Phone finally loses ability to charge except with a particular high quality cable, when pulled at just the right angle, and very slowly.
Step 6) Accept defeat and order a new phone (Pixel 2) Order $10 parts and a $65 tool kit and replace the charging port on the phone. YMMV, but I did this on one of my family's four Galaxy Note III phones. I'm getting ready to replace the worn out power button on another one.

iFixIt Toolkit is pretty solid for this work:
Code: 
https://www.amazon.com/iFixit-Pro-Tech-Toolkit-Electronics/dp/B01GF0KV6G
Click to expand...
 
AndiTheBest said:
I do. Here some screenshots:

View attachment 31837 View attachment 31838 View attachment 31839 View attachment 31840

It actually works with my voice enabled USB 3G modem on my Ubuntu Laptop and on my GPD win(Win10), so it seems to be portable.
I think it should also work with the Pyra Modem but i will see when i get a Pyra.
There is still much to do but as i will marry in a few weeks, i have not too much time actually :/
Click to expand...
Would it be possible to add encrypted SMS to this so it works with people who use Silence?

https://silence.im/

Source code: https://github.com/SilenceIM/Silence
[doublepost=1530113792,1530113647][/doublepost]Also I hope your wedding goes well!
 
pmprog said:
I like how you say "I don't need it but..."; especially when you're talking about using it as a phone.


Didn't somebody post a video using WhatsApp on it?
https://web.archive.org/web/2017070...il.org/linux_gps_navigation_applications.html
In fact, don't we have NavIT built for the Pandora?
Click to expand...

It's more meant to replace the whole functionality my phone offers.

That with the WhatsApp video was me...
But WhatsApp does only offer that dumb Web client (or stand alone) which requires having the phone always connected...

Concering GPS:
Even if the Pyra can do it quite nicely I fear the screen is not bright enough to be visible in bright sunlight.
It's by far not as bright as my Smartphone screen.
 
The battery life of the pyra as a phone will depend if the modem can wake up the pyra from sleep (S2 or S3 state) when it receives a call/sms.

Does anyone know if it can?
 
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