What good smartphone works well with Ubuntu? (May 2009)

[wersdaluv]

I'm thinking of buying a new smartphone in a month or two for the purpose of being a PDA and a phone so I won't have to carry two devices all the time. I am thinking of an Adroid-based one, iPhone, or Palm Pre. I'm dreaming, though, because a Palm Pre would probably be too expensive. I think, I would be willing to spend about $300 max. Preferably cheaper, of course.

The thing is, there are always syncing problems with Ubuntu and I prefer not to run a virtual windows box for that purpose. I want a good smartphone that would easily sync contacts, calendars, tasks, files, media, etc.

With the solutions available today, what smartphone would you suggest?

[mattwilkes512]

I'm thinking of buying a new smartphone in a month or two for the purpose of being a PDA and a phone so I won't have to carry two devices all the time. I am thinking of an Adroid-based one, iPhone, or Palm Pre. I'm dreaming, though, because a Palm Pre would probably be too expensive. I think, I would be willing to spend about $300 max. Preferably cheaper, of course.

The thing is, there are always syncing problems with Ubuntu and I prefer not to run a virtual windows box for that purpose. I want a good smartphone that would easily sync contacts, calendars, tasks, files, media, etc.

With the solutions available today, what smartphone would you suggest?

I have an iPhone and have not been able to successfully sync it with Ubuntu. I can't believe more people arent on this thread. I also want to know which smartphones work with Ubuntu! Anyone out there?

[dallasg]

Yah, I'm curious as well. I current use the iPhone and am growing more and more tired of having to deal with the virtual OS windows install and the thing constantly bricking every time I try to update...

Wonder how the new HTC Hero will mesh with Evolution.

[conundrumx]

It seems like syncing with Ubuntu is a poor choice when you can sync with a web service. Android phones (predictably) integrate very well with Google's services. The iPhone can do LDAP, CalDAV, POP3, IMAP, Yahoo, Google, AOL...

I don't know much about Android or the Pre's feature list, but in this day and age you should be syncing with someone's server, not laptop and phone.

[dallasg]

The only problem for me when syncing with web services like Google, etc... is the sensitive data I store on my phone on my customers. Things like usernames, passwords, etc...

[Vostrocity]

Someone asked this just a while ago. You could look through that thread (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1185059). And this poll (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1161496&highlight=mobile+os).

[wersdaluv]

I just got an iPod touch. I got this to play with the iPhone OS and satisfy my techno-hunger while I wait for new Android phones that are expected to be released soon.

I love this device. Though it doesn't sync with Ubuntu (I use Windows on Virtualbox for that), it is very capable of syncing with Google services and the like (like Evernote). This isn't much of a problem as I am in a wifi hotspot most of my waking hours in a typical day.

[dallasg]

So do we all know for sure that the Android phones sync with Ubuntu and Evolution?

[conundrumx]

I don't think Androids phone sync with Ubuntu/Evolution explicitly, rather they sync with whatever accounts you access through Evolution.

What kind of accounts are you looking to use with the phone?

[Vostrocity]

Android phones are meant to sync with Google services over-the-air. But you can also set Evolution to sync with Google. The point is to not have anything on your computer and put everything in the cloud. :D

[KC1117]

I'm not technologically savvy eventhough I did get my Ubuntu up and running on my laptop and learned enough to get the wireless connected but I don't know enough about these phones to completely understand all the above posts. That is all to ask you this: Have you compiled a list of smartphones or any phones that do work well with Ubuntu? or does everyone think syncing with a computer is obsolete? What about those of us who don't want to pay a lot for a webplan on our phone, but still want to sync data such as a calendar or contacts from our computer at regular intervals. Any suggestions that come to mind? or am I completely naive?

[conundrumx]

If you're going to get a smart phone you'll probably have a data plan of some kind of another, since you need it to receive email. The question remains: what kind of account (POP, IMAP, Exchange) or what service provider (Google, Yahoo, AOL) are you looking to use with your phone?

I know Ubuntu has built in syncing with Palm devices (older ones like the Treo, not the new webOS based Pre), but past that I haven't seen or used anything for syncing a phone with Ubuntu.

[timcredible]

you can connect to an iphone with ssh if you jailbreak the iphone. keep in mind, an iphone is a small linux computer, and after jailbreaking it you can install open source linux apps just like you do on ubuntu. instead of synaptic, you use a program called cydia (sp?). if verizon had iphones, i'd have one.....

[treesurf]

The upcoming HTC Hero looks pretty sweet.

I really do want to upgrade my old Treo 650, but finding a smartphone that is quad-band, unlocked, doesn't run winmo, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg is not easy.

[dallasg]

I don't think Androids phone sync with Ubuntu/Evolution explicitly, rather they sync with whatever accounts you access through Evolution.

What kind of accounts are you looking to use with the phone?

Well, as I stated earlier in the thread, I have a lot of sensitive information that would be disastrous if it were to be compromised. Because of the nature of the data, I'd prefer not to store anything in the "cloud"...

[MikeTheC]

I have a Palm Pre, but I have it set up with my MBP and iTunes, so I can't answer how well it works on Linux.

FWIW, Sprint's rates are financially way better than AT&T's.

In any event, regardless of carrier, *always* inquire about employer discounts. For example, Home Depot employees get a 25% break in the rates from Sprint (not sure about AT&T).

[trondhuso]

My HTC Touch Pro syncs with Evolution. It's a Windows Mobile Device. I am considering Hero, but I have read somewhere that it does not sync with Evolution. :/

[wersdaluv]

My HTC Touch Pro syncs with Evolution. It's a Windows Mobile Device. I am considering Hero, but I have read somewhere that it does not sync with Evolution. :/
What are you using to sync? Multisync? OpenSync? Just evolution?

[1337H4x0r]

I'm replying from my samsung moment and it seems to merge with Ubuntu, and quite well at that

[kseise]

My HTC Touch Pro syncs with Evolution. It's a Windows Mobile Device. I am considering Hero, but I have read somewhere that it does not sync with Evolution. :/

I would love to know how you pulled this off. The Synce instructions and tutorials have never worked for me. Any idea how you got this to work?

[Tux.Ice]

I have a palm pre and it works better on Ubuntu than Windows. Everything from contacts to tethering. Works out of the box.

[wersdaluv]

I have a palm pre and it works better on Ubuntu than Windows. Everything from contacts to tethering. Works out of the box.
How do you sync your palm's contacts?

[ecr959]

I have a palm pre and it works better on Ubuntu than Windows. Everything from contacts to tethering. Works out of the box.

Yeah, please share that with me too. I also have a Palm Pre, and have Karmic on my netbook.

[SaintDanBert]

Maybe there is another way to approach this...


I have a phone and an Ubuntu workstation (either laptop or desktop).
I attach my phone to my workstation (either data cable, Bluetooth, wifi).
phone and workstation negotiate the possibilities (think about what happens when you attach a USB drive with an integrated printer port and card readers)
Workstation software (probably udev; maybe acpi) notices the attachment
Workstation "stuff happens"

phone storage made available as external drive space (like a "geek stick" or other USB drive)
phone presents its network connections as available to the workstation
with routing to permit workstation traffic to access whatever is outboard of the phone (typically 3G broadband)
phone and workstation negotiate other available interactions such as handsfree, music headset, voip, interactions between phone apps and workstation apps, etc

end-user makes use of whatever becomes available


[NOTE -- "Attachment" means electrical and mechanical coupling of a phone to the workstation using wire or wireless technologies. "Connection" means logical, protocol, and application coupling to enable data exchange.]

It seems to me that we are growing a patch of proprietary phone attachment and connection parts rather than creating a phone-workstation interaction application environment. I would prefer that we avoid the former and invest in the latter.

Further, it seems to me that most linux hackers can create workstation based "conduits" between data-on-the-wire and various applications. We have reverse engineered all sorts of hardware and protocols. Where are the phone-based "conduits" that connect to these workstation side software?

~~~ 8d;-Dan

[Duncan J Murray]

Not sure if this helps, but the N900 is based on a debian linux installation, so you should be able to easily install any open source linux software onto it (including evolution in theory). It's also the only phone out there (to the best of my knowledge) that allows you to gain root access just by typing it into terminal.

Not sure if that helps syncing though.

Duncan.

[wersdaluv]

I have no problem with my Nexus One. The only things I do with it on Ubuntu involve the micro sd card, which has no issue at all. It's 2010. Cloud works nicely now.

Also, Ubuntu 10.04 to support iPod, iPhone, iPad out of the box (http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/the-linux-distillery/37290-ubuntu-1004-to-support-ipod-iphone-ipad-out-of-the-box)

Can a mod close this thread? Let's just start a thread named "What good smartphone works well with Ubuntu? (March 2010)"

:)

[gnomeuser]

I have the HTC Hero but frankly the experience both with the phone but most certainly also HTC themselves is so horrible that I bite the bullet and ordered an unlocked Nokia N900 today.

THe straw that broke the camels back was the already poorly designed headset connector broke. The endless delays to updates and the half finished functionality.. oh and it is gawd awful slow.

I will be selling the Hero after the contract expires, it's really a bad phone but it fails to live up to my expectations of a smartphone.

[Ozor Mox]

I have the HTC Hero but frankly the experience both with the phone but most certainly also HTC themselves is so horrible that I bite the bullet and ordered an unlocked Nokia N900 today.

THe straw that broke the camels back was the already poorly designed headset connector broke. The endless delays to updates and the half finished functionality.. oh and it is gawd awful slow.

I will be selling the Hero after the contract expires, it's really a bad phone but it fails to live up to my expectations of a smartphone.

Please do a first impressions or review of the N900 when you get yours. I read your blog post on the Hero and reconsidered buying one because of your comments. Unfortunately that has left me in the frustrating position of having a current phone I have had numerous problems with, and having spent god knows how many hours reading reviews, watching videos, etc. etc. of phones and still not deciding on a new one! I really like the look of Android, but I haven't yet found a phone that has all the features I want.

The phone I have come the closest to ordering so far is definitely the N900, I just wish it could be used in portrait mode. Do you think you'll have no problems using it landscape all the time?

[gnomeuser]

Please do a first impressions or review of the N900 when you get yours. I read your blog post on the Hero and reconsidered buying one because of your comments. Unfortunately that has left me in the frustrating position of having a current phone I have had numerous problems with, and having spent god knows how many hours reading reviews, watching videos, etc. etc. of phones and still not deciding on a new one! I really like the look of Android, but I haven't yet found a phone that has all the features I want.

The phone I have come the closest to ordering so far is definitely the N900, I just wish it could be used in portrait mode. Do you think you'll have no problems using it landscape all the time?

For Android currently I would probably go with the droid, I really want a good hardware keyboard I thought I could get by with onscreen keyboards but it's just to cumbersome.

The N900 looks very good, I am attracted to it for it's performance, being a true Linux platform and because the Skype implementation on Maemo is allowed to use the data connection which isn't the case on Android nor the iPhone.

Additionally I own a Nokia N810 which Nokia kindly gave me at a developers discount. It is the most robust thing I have ever owned, I am hoping the N900 is following the same path.

I will post a review when I get it next week. I am glad you found the Hero impressions useful. I sometimes feel like I am to hard on the Hero, I love the device, it is never out of my sight. It is just an awful lot of money for something this isn't perfect and isn't being actively improved, nor has excellent performance.

[Aeya]

Currently using a samsung slide. ￡100 pay as you go. works fine putting stuff on and off memory card insde. keyboards nicest i have used on a mobile. posting from it now a it goes. has wfi and 3g which i need a i use this more as a pda come mobile web browser than a phone.