Dear community,
I just found about Fairphone and trying to understand more,
looks fascinating, have the next 2 initial queries, (I am learning),
1.-For Example, can I remove “modules” as the camera and the phone still would work fine? or can I connect external sensors to the motherboard? ,
2.-Is it possible to try to install GrapheneOS? <<edited. Not possible
3.- Regarding the battery, let’s suppose I find a smaller battery but same or similar technical specs as voltage/ampers…etc, is it possible to connect to the motherboard?
hope someone can give some advice on these topics,
For the first one, probably yes, because remove the module is like a faulty module. I don’t think Fairphone as implemented an Apple like obsolescence technology to soft block the phone. But you will lose some functions, it will became less a “smartphone” and more of a Single Board Computer.
For Graphene no, the main developer wouldn’t want to make a port due to Fairphone not giving security update a week maximum after the publication by Qualcomm or Google or the concerned manufacturer and Fairphone don’t have a dedicated cryptographic chip.
But you can make your own port of Graphene or just use CalyxOS or /e/OS or iodé or Lineage…
For adding new things, it’s possible but it’s not a Raspberry pi with dedicated analogic IO so you have to understand electronics and take the risk of destroying the motherboard if you do a mistake. And also understand android to be able to read the sensor
If you really need a specific sensor, I think it’s simpler to find this sensor in USB or Bluetooth and develop an app to read the value of the sensor.
I don’t know what is your projet but I advise you to start with a Raspberry Pi, an Anduino or any SBC with IO ports (and some of them are Android compatible).
And also, for Android developments, go to XDA forums.