I'm a bit "ehhh" on someone publishing an interview to trash one of the very small handful of companies trying to upend the Android nightmare. There's a lot of value in multiple manufacturers working together to support this fledgling ecosystem of a true Linux phone.
Though without an assurance I can get it to work on my carrier, I'm hesitant to drop Librem 5 level money on my first true Linux phone... meanwhile, the PinePhone sits comfortably in "buy as a second phone for now" territory, and I'm anxiously waiting to hit the buy button on that one.
> I'm a bit "ehhh" on someone publishing an interview to trash one of the very small handful of companies trying to upend the Android nightmare.
If it can wash the naivety away from many people's (and customers') eyes when it comes to companies who loudly advertise themselves as different, open, transparent, a breath of fresh air and so on, that's good to take. They aren't any better, neither internally or externally. You find the same tactics, the same opacity as soon as something derails, and the same characters in there (+ a couple of extra hotheads).
I still remember how appalled I was, when the main 2 open-source software companies in my countries spent years suing each other, while fighting like pigs in mud over any possible online platform. How conflicting with their professed PR bullshit that was.
Pine is not overpromising things and is doing more organic growth which will sustain. That said, I can confirm that I saw Ubuntu Touch running on PinePhone.
I think that is fair to say but I was pretty mad at pine years ago when I bought their first product. There was definitely plenty of hype. They seem to have learned from that though.
I'm not doubting the things you said in the interview which certainly make it sound like a difficult place to work but it is easy to see that resentment colors your perspective. I might feel the same myself were I in your place.
Though without an assurance I can get it to work on my carrier, I'm hesitant to drop Librem 5 level money on my first true Linux phone... meanwhile, the PinePhone sits comfortably in "buy as a second phone for now" territory, and I'm anxiously waiting to hit the buy button on that one.