eSIM Studios
On paper the Liberux NEXX looks like it could be the most powerful smartphone to date that's purpose-built to run free and open source GNU/Linux-based software. But it's kind of a tough sell at this point for a few reasons: the NEXX is the first product from a company that's never shipped anything before. The closest thing to a working prototype so far is just a mainboard. And when Liberux launched crowdfunding campaign this week the cheapest way to back the project was with a pledge of $1496.
Now the company says it plans to offer a lower-cost option. Starting on Monday, June 11th you'll be able to opt for an entry-level model priced at €890 ($1015). That's still not exactly cheap, but it's at least cheaper.
Both the full-price and entry-level models share some key specs: both have 6.34 inch, 2400 x 1080 pixel OLED displays and Rockchip RK3588S processors, a USB 3.1 Type-C port and 3.5mm audio jack, 32MP rear and 13MP front cameras, a 5,300 mAh battery, and a microSDXC card reader that supports up to 2TB of removable storage. And both are expected to ship with a Debian-based operating system called LiberuxOS.
But initially Liberux only offered a premium model with 32GB of RAM, 512GB of eMMC storage, and a 5G modem. It's cutting back on all of those features for the cheaper version, which will be a 4G LTE phone with 16GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.
While $1015 is still a lot of money to spend on a smartphone, it's probably best to think of most Linux phones in 2025 as devices for enthusiasts and developers rather than the general public. While phones like the Liberux NEXX, Purism Librem 5, and PinePhone Pro do have some features that you don't often find on iPhones or Android phones (like hardware kill switches for the camera, mic, and wireless features), they also tend to trail behind those platforms when it comes to functionality and mobile-friendly applications.
So it's tough to judge the price based on hardware alone, and better to think of this as an investment in the development of the Linux phone ecosystem.
That said, some folks have questioned whether the NEXX is a real product that will ever see the light of day or is instead some kind of scam.
For now, it's worth noting that the Indiegogo campaign for the Liberux NEXX has a fixed goal of $1.6 million, which means that if the campaign doesn't hit that goal then you won't be charged for any pledges you make. And at time of publication, the campaign is only 3 percent of the way toward that goal, with 27 days left in the campaign. So unless the cheaper, entry-level Liberux NEXX proves to be an extraordinarily popular option, I'm skeptical that the company will meet its goal.
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