Why doesn't Android work the same way as Linux on PCs?

[Stefan]

@jago

But what I don’t get is, why isn’t there a rudimentary open source OS, which you can install on nearly any smartphone? I mean it is the same way linux works on PCs.

No, for two reasons:

• Linux has a common codebase for all (most) devices, while Android is adapted to the specific chipset of a device.
• The FP1 has a Mediatek chipset (MT6589) and unfortunately Mediatek chipsets are especially hard for developers to work on. Fairphone didn’t consider this when they wanted to incorporate conflict-free tin and tantalum in a phone.