So get a 3D printer, a SBC devkit, altium license and subscribe to some online courses and go build it. No excuse today. I think you want it enough to write a blog post, but that doesn't cut it. Is the idea everything? I don't think this even qualifies as an idea actually, you just want an expensive iPhone/Pad and an external monitor, and freedom from the fantasy that open source software is therefore automatically audited and more secure.
There is in fact an excellent excuse (reason) today: it is still not practical to DIY a current generation cell phone, and certainly not the cutting edge stuff like a foldable.
I have never had a connected smartphone and I do not think I am missing much in my life. I carry an old smartphone without a SIM. I can take pictures and browse the web with wifi. I would like to find some sort of "life recording" software. When I find a good Linux tablet I will use that.
I agree with the need for more hardware that runs free software with no black boxes.
But I disagree with the single device for everything mantra. A phone and a computer have vastly different usage contexts. And until we invent some sort of magic 100% efficient electronics, if that's even possible, heat management of both will need to be different. On a similar vein, until we invent some sort of magic battery with orders of magnitude more energy storage density, energy management and consumption for both phone and computer will need to be different.
Until we make those physics-defying break thoughts, merging both use cases into a single device will either mean a constantly overheating, minutes-long autonomy phone, or an underperforming, underwhelming computer.
The weak link of a sound system is typically the speakers/headphones. Speaking for myself the weak link for computing was monitors until about a decade ago, about the time everything was getting smaller.
I should switch to just a phone because the lack of multitasking (not in the cpu sense but the ordinary sense), the small screen, and the onscreen keyboard with no easy way to edit would make me use a computer about 95% less.
You can have my dual 27 inch 4k monitors, and my real keyboard with tons of customized shortcuts, my virtual desktops, and my EMACS 29 with lots of modes when you pry them from my cold dead hands.
The iPhone is clearly capable of doing this. I also wish for your smartphone to become your main (and potentially only) electronic device. Just dock it to a monitor to use it as a desktop pc, dock it to the television to watch movies or play games. When travelling anywhere all you would need is your phone.
But like you say, Apple has no incentive to do this as it wants to sell iPads and Macbooks. Hopefully in the future this happens.
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 31.4 ms ] threadI have never had a connected smartphone and I do not think I am missing much in my life. I carry an old smartphone without a SIM. I can take pictures and browse the web with wifi. I would like to find some sort of "life recording" software. When I find a good Linux tablet I will use that.
But I disagree with the single device for everything mantra. A phone and a computer have vastly different usage contexts. And until we invent some sort of magic 100% efficient electronics, if that's even possible, heat management of both will need to be different. On a similar vein, until we invent some sort of magic battery with orders of magnitude more energy storage density, energy management and consumption for both phone and computer will need to be different.
Until we make those physics-defying break thoughts, merging both use cases into a single device will either mean a constantly overheating, minutes-long autonomy phone, or an underperforming, underwhelming computer.
I should switch to just a phone because the lack of multitasking (not in the cpu sense but the ordinary sense), the small screen, and the onscreen keyboard with no easy way to edit would make me use a computer about 95% less.
You can have my dual 27 inch 4k monitors, and my real keyboard with tons of customized shortcuts, my virtual desktops, and my EMACS 29 with lots of modes when you pry them from my cold dead hands.
Apple could easily do this with the iPhone and have it switch to macOS when docked, but obliviously won’t because they want to sell you two devices.
But like you say, Apple has no incentive to do this as it wants to sell iPads and Macbooks. Hopefully in the future this happens.