It is not really a phone - it is more like a Wifi connected device which makes all calls over VOIP. There is no GSM connection and therefore no SIM etc. I like the project but calling this a phone is inaccurate.
If a GSM module is also included, this would be a lovely device to have. Also, would be nice to have a much larger screen.
I don't think that's fair. Phones used to be connected by wires, then there where a few satellite connected phones, and nowadays most are connected by cellular. But they're all phones because that's what we call a device used to connect and talk to people at long distance using a registry of numbers or names. This one connects using WiFi, which is unusual. But it has the same basic functionality of being a phone.
For the last 10 years the default definition of "phone" (unmodified) has been "cell phone". These days if you want to refer to a landline you call it that. If you want to refer to a WiFi phone you call it that.
The primary function of a "phone" in the modern sense is to allow people to reach you (by means of SMS or voice) wherever you happen to be at the time. Something that doesn't meet that need isn't an unqualified "phone".
I find it interesting you mentioned SMS first, before voice. When I say "phone" I primarily think of a tool for phone calls. I'm probably older than you.
How about we define "phone" as a voice capable device that is reachable by its assigned phone number. It's the unifying factor for dozens of different technologies that have been called "phone" for decades.
Unfortunately you can't actually just pick a definition for a word based on what makes sense to you. Definitions are decided collectively by all speakers of the language, and the definition I gave is actually a fairly conservative one.
Plenty of people actually use "phone" to mean not only "cell phone" but specifically a "smart phone" and feel the need to qualify it if they mean a "dumb phone". Like it or not, that's the way the word is going.
Some people do. Others don't. Why would you get to decide which usage is blessed?
Like plenty of people talk about phone calls that only take place on zoom or meets without ever using a smartphone or dumb phone (but the call is joinable via an assigned phone number)
In most settings that question includes an implicit "cell"! They're not asking if they can go home with you and use your landline, they're assuming you have a phone in your pocket with service.
A landline is a type of phone in the same way that a panda is a type of bear. Technically it's true, but if you say you went to see the bears at the zoo it's your own fault that people aren't picturing something with black and white splotches.
It's can't make calls but it does send SMS via a low-frequency radio, so you can send text messages in the middle of a jungle. Technically your cellular phone can't do that unless it's connected to starlink.
Yes, most commercial SIP providers are required by law to support emergency services, at least in the US.
If we're getting technical it is a mobile phone, just not a cellular phone. A cellular phone will work anywhere it can get a compatible cellular signal and this will work anywhere with decent WiFi.
Let's go back to PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). Although in this day and age I feel like I am the assistant to my phone, so maybe that is no longer accurate.
Why is it not fair to have a disagreement on terminology? There is not even a right or wrong answer here IMO, I think it's all subjective.
If you want to get technical, the dictionary definition of a phone is "electronic equipment that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received signals back into sounds"... which landlines, VoIP/WiFi and cellular all fit the bill.
I guess it all depends on what you mean by a phone.
For me a phone is something which allows me to make/receive a phone call (at the very least) - to any phone number without requiring some special software to be installed on either end of the phone call.
For instance, even on a cellphone, I distinguish between calls made directly via the phone dialer vs Whatsapp video/audio calls or any VOIP call - because the other side has to have a compatible/supporting application/app to receive that call.
It's a phone, just not a cell phone. But I must admit, that I also was a little disappointed to see that it wasn't a cell phone.
I've been wanting a simple, open source phone (a cell phone that is) that allows me to easily hook into events with some code. Like for example, when a phone call comes in, I want to be able to run certain logic based on what number is calling etc.
Well, to write the code you'd need some knowledge of programming. But some top of my head random example would be, if I miss a call from the tax agency, add an item to my todo list to call the tax agency back. Or if a number that I don't have in my contacts, and it starts with my area code, ring with a specific ring tone, so I know I should probably answer. Or for example you could have logic when a text with certain content from a certain person is received.
I see it more as a clever way to sell a Flipper Zero -ish device where the former has been or would be banned. Hardware is similar, it just need capable firmware to be written or ported over.
a device by which sound (such as speech) is converted into electrical impulses and transmitted (as by wire or radio waves) to one or more specific receivers
I owned a Wiphone for about 3 days before deciding it's not for me. I was hoping for something that followed the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well and working well with others. Unfortunately though the included firmware was rather bad at filling the role of a phone. I couldn't get my SIP account to reliably place calls. Sometimes the call would be established and I would hear the other end, but the other end could not hear me. Usually it wouldn't connect at all and there was no error logging to tell me what was going wrong. The Pacman clone was the most enjoyable app.
How long ago was this? Our VoIP stack is completely custom and has taken a while to build. We've been putting significant work into it and lately it's better.
We've also specifically avoided adding many additional features while the calling and texting was brought up, so you aren't wrong on the philosophy, maybe you just bought yours before the work was done.
You can enable logging errors to a serial console. We don't add that by default because it slows down the OS. My email is in my profile if you'd like me to walk you through how to enable that.
CGNAT is very common in broadband ISPs, to the point that you’re more likely to be sharing an IP with other users than not unless you’re specifically paying more for a dedicated IP.
It's pretty cool, though I probably wouldn't spend for it, being a cheap bastard.
If you wanted to use encryption, you could set up a VM or Pi on your local WiFi network running Asterisk, and have the calls bridged, such as Asterisk <--> Jitsi, with the person on the other end using Jitsi; this would encrypt everything except the local Wifi portion, but anything leaving your home would be encrypted.
Any time a phone number touches the "regular" phone network, it must by law be allowed to be eavesdropped on (CALEA) by the government. So anything completing over SIP that used regular phone service could be intercepted. If you had encryption from the WiPhone to a shared Asterisk, such as with a group all using the same PBX then you might be able to avoid it.
Cool project, and an accompanying blog that's already running for years. Please add an RSS feed to the blog, so people can get updates that way. Now I can only save it as a bookmark.
I really like the fact that Wiphone has LoRA add-ons!
If such a device could support Signal and WhatsApp voice call and text messages, it would be awesome. In the meantime it doesn't seem actually usable in the real world. Fun hacking (in the sense of tinkering) device though.
Your android doesn't natively support all hardware communication protocols like I2C, SPI, and UART... It's still a walled garden without access to the source code. You can't modify the firmware, drivers, or hardware behavior.
It was actually a real phone based on ESP32 + a GSM/LTE module. It could make phone calls, SMS, had games, apps, etc. at the level of what early 2000 GSM phones could do. Project is abandoned now.
"Better" depends on what you are after. In my world better means not being tied to using proprietary communication protocols over compromised networks with hardware I don't really own/can't control.
The makerphone was a learning tool and built to that spec. It wouldn't survive being carried around in your pocket, for example, but it was fine for teaching you how to program and how a phone works.
FWIW, Whisperfish, the unofficial Signal client for Sailfish OS works really well.
An if I wanted, I could use the WhatsApp Android app on Sailfish
via its App Support emulation layer.
> We have designed both a LoRa add-on module and an LTE module. Please join the mailing list if you want to be notified when they are ready for sale. We may also sell other modules depending on interest.
Unfortunately a non starter for myself and I suspect many others. I am happy to hook into a push notification plane or build by own polling etc, but without LTE this device isn't useful as soon as I step out the door :(.
I waiting for STM (ARM0) and usbC
and meybe better power (step-up-down from 1-12V?) I can emergency use any AA, 18650, 12V from my car, solar panel etc.
And meybe integrated sound cable for baofeng/quansheng (K1<->USBA) USBA as powerbank and Packet radio or http://reticulum.network
I could see using one of these as a landline replacement. I was lamenting with another parent the expense of a landline and how difficult it is for kids to call each other to arrange a park meetup or other games - this could fill that gap perfectly.
How hard would be to add a GSM module to this device? I assume that it won't be no longer fully open source due to proprietary firmware, but that would add a whole new dimension of usefulness.
I like the little phone UI showcase above the fold. Reminds me of those Flash-based interactive UI demos that phone makers had on their sites back in the early 00s.
burrurrrring burrurrring,Hello you have reached the US Government Prosecution Department,Elon division
please press #1 if Elon said something incorrect
press 2 for Elon is arrogant,get him 3 for all issues with fairness 4 for space beams and rocket chem trails and 5 for all other things that Elon is responsible for
> WHY ARE YOU USING BUTTONS AND NOT A TOUCHSCREEN?
> Because they are simpler and (at this scale) cheaper than buying a larger touch-enabled screen. We want to make a low-cost phone that's easy for people to adapt to their needs. We think physical buttons are easier for people with limited hacking skills (or simply better things to do than configure soft buttons) to adapt to their needs.
If a GSM module is also included, this would be a lovely device to have. Also, would be nice to have a much larger screen.