[Testannounce] Introducing "Fund Your App"

[testannounce at announce.puri.sm]

Fund Your App & Librem AweSIM


  Introducing "Fund Your App"


      An Alternative to Google and Apple

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Apps

*Our new campaign - Fund Your App - has officially launched!*

On the new page below you will find a list of frequently-requested
applications, Librem 5 features, and other initiatives for Purism to
advance. Select your priority app or apps along with the amount you
would like to donate. You also have the option to purchase a Librem 5
along with your app donation and if you wish, we can hold back your
order until your selected apps or features are ready.

Fund Your App <https://puri.sm/fund-your-app/>


    We Built the Foundation

Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos.

When we announced the Librem 5 phone campaign we set out to build a
phone from scratch that respects your freedoms and protects your privacy
and security while also competing with the existing phone duopoly. We
knew that this would be a massive undertaking, so instead of doing too
many things and doing them poorly, we stayed focused and committed to
the Librem 5 shipping with core functionality in place such as the
ability to place phone calls, send text messages, and browse the web.

By focusing on the operating system and core features we knew that the
Librem 5 would ship with a solid foundation we all could build on top of.

This was not an easy task but here we are, about to cross the finish
line and ship our mass-produced "Evergreen" batch of the Librem 5 phone!
Along the way we have developed a convergent operating system PureOS by
developing and releasing an adaptive mobile and desktop combined GUI
(phosh), and developed and released all the code around the underlying
modules (phoc, squeekboard, libhandy, libfeedbackd, etc). We also
authored and released software applications including Calls to manage
phone calls and Chatty to manage text and other messaging. We have also
advanced true convergence–the ability to shrink your desktop environment
down to your pocket–to allow the power of desktop computing software all
from your mobile phone.

We have had our heads down focused on this goal for a long time, but now
that we are about to cross this historic milestone, we are ready to lift
our heads up, look around, and ask “what’s next?” Now that we have laid
the foundation, we can start building the rest of the house.


      This is where you come in

As we build this house, we want to make it a place you don’t just want
to visit, but want to live full-time. As we transition the Librem 5 from
core functionality into your "daily driver" we know that there is
probably at least one “killer app” or feature you depend on right now
that isn’t yet on the Librem 5. The challenge is that everyone has a
different killer app! We want to focus our next efforts where they will
help the most people transition the Librem 5 into their daily driver, so
today we are announcing the “Fund Your App” campaign which will give you
an opportunity to vote with your dollar and fund the areas you’d like us
to advance.

Support the Movement <https://puri.sm/fund-your-app/>


  Annoucing Librem AweSIM

Librem AweSIM


      $99/month gets you a new phone number, unlimited talk, text, and
      data. Cancel at any time.

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Today we are pleased to announce Librem AweSIM
<https://puri.sm/products/librem-awesim/>: a prepaid, unlimited cellular
service designed to work literally out of the box with the Librem 5.
Sign up for Librem AweSIM and provide us with your preferred area code,
and when your Librem 5 is ready to ship, we will register a new number
to your SIM and install it into your Librem 5 so calls, SMS and cellular
data just work when you unbox it.


    Why Librem AweSIM?

While there are plenty of prepaid cellular plans to choose from out
there with a wide range of features and prices, there are two main
reasons why we created Librem AweSIM and why we think Librem 5 customers
will love it: convenience and privacy.


    Convenience

One of the most frequently asked questions we get about the Librem 5 is:
/will it work with my existing provider/? While we have tested the
Librem 5 on a number of cellular providers in the US, Canada, and Europe
and have published the cellular frequencies our US and EU modems
support, even if the Librem 5 supports a network, without testing every
provider out there it’s difficult to say in advance whether they will
allow a new phone onto their network and if so which features will be
supported.

As a precursor to launching Librem AweSIM officially, we set it up for
early reviewers of the Librem 5, so when the reviewer turned it on,
things just worked out of the box. We knew that kind of convenience and
piece of mind is something many of our Librem 5 customers would also like.

We also recognize that not everyone who ordered a Librem 5 will be using
it as their primary phone on day one. Some customers will hold on to
their previous phone, and test the Librem 5 as their daily driver, and
with every software release get closer to it being their daily phone.
Having a separate phone number with unlimited service lets you try out
all of the features of your Librem 5 on day one.

Librem AweSIM also means having knowledgeable and friendly customer
support. Using Librem AweSIM means getting tech support from a team who
not only wants to provide you good customer service but also understands
what a Librem 5 running PureOS is and how to troubleshoot it.


    Privacy

Cellular providers have long subsidized the cost of their service by
selling rights for 3rd parties to preinstall apps on your phone that you
can’t remove. Yet cellular providers, at least in the US, have started
to realize that they have been leaving massive amounts of money on the
table compared to other tech companies because they haven’t been fully
monetizing their tracking of users and data.

All of the major cellular providers in the US are working to create a
“unified customer identifier
<https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/09/att-wants-to-put-ads-on-your-smartphone-in-exchange-for-5-discount/>”
using a combination of their customer and billing information along with
the unique identifiers that are on their cellphone. According to AT&T’s
CEO: “/Such technology would allow marketers to *identify users across
multiple devices* and serve them relevant advertising./” AT&T has also
announced plans to offer customers a $5 discount on their plan in
exchange for allowing AT&T to show them ads on their phone.

These providers are also planning on using this unified customer
identifier to create a new authentication scheme called Zenkey
<https://www.tmonews.com/2020/09/t-mobile-att-verizon-zenkey-mobile-authentication-service/>
they hope websites and apps adopt. While this is in the name of
security, the ultimate goal of authentication systems like this (just
like with Google and Facebook authentication on 3rd party sites) is to
let the provider track you as you move across the Internet.

With Librem AweSIM, we will register your number in Purism’s name, not
yours, to provide a degree of separation and privacy between you and the
cellular network. While this won’t stop every kind of tracking
(providers can still triangulate a particular phone’s location as it
connects to cellular towers) it will prevent them from linking that
tracking to a specific person.


  Simplicity to Start

While we have big plans for the future of Librem AweSIM, we want to keep
it simple to start. That’s why we are launching the service with one
full-service prepaid plan that offers unlimited talk, text and data for
$99/month. This means no need for you (or us) to track minutes, texts,
or worry about overages. We are starting the service in the US and will
consider expanding into other regions based on demand.

Customers who have already pre-ordered a Librem 5 can sign up for Librem
AweSIM and we will contact you to link it to your existing order.
Alternatively if you haven’t pre-ordered a Librem 5 yet you can order
Librem AweSIM and a Librem 5 together in a bundle. We will charge you
for the first month and then pause your subscription until you receive
your Librem 5, after which we will activate the subscription and charge
you monthly from that point on. You can cancel at any time. Check out
our official Librem AweSIM <https://puri.sm/products/librem-awesim/>
product page for details.

Learn More <https://puri.sm/products/librem-awesim/> Buy Now
<https://shop.puri.sm/shop/librem-awesim/>
Purism

Thanking you for your support,
— the Purism team (feedback at puri.sm)

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