Purism Librem 5 Specs

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Librem 5 smartphone Quick Specs: PureOS smartphone. Announced August 2017. Features 5.71-inch display, NXP i.MX 8M chipset, 8 MP selfie camera, 13 MP rear camera, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB internal memory, and a 4500 mAh battery.

Librem 5, the phone that the manufacturer says is focused on security by design and privacy protection by default. It is equipped with three (3) hardware kill switches (for cellular modem, WiFi/Bluetooth, camera/microphone). If all three switches are turned off at the same time, then GNSS and all sensors are also turned off. The specially designed hardware enables the user stay in control of the flow of information.

It comes in two versions – the global Librem 5 (designed in the USA and manufactured in China), and the Librem 5 USA (designed and manufactured in the United States). Both versions have the same specs, but differ in places of manufacture and prices.

Liberty Phone is a variant with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage memory, and was announced in July 2023.

Specs and Features

Wireless Network and Software

  • 2G mobile network bands: GSM, GPRS, EDGE 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz.
  • 3G mobile network bands: UMTS, WCDMA, HSDPA 900 / 2100 MHz
  • 4G mobile network bands: LTE VoLTE 1(2100) / 2(1900) / 3(1800) / 5(850) / 7(2600) / 8(900) / 20(800) / 25(1900) / 26(850) / 28(700) / 38(2600) / 40(2300) / 41(2500) – differs across variants
  • 5G mobile network bands: No.
  • SIM Type: Nano-SIM
  • Software / OS: PureOS

Design, Form Factor, Appearance

  • Dimensions: 150 x 75 x 15.5 mm
  • Weight: g
  • Display: 5.7″, 720×1440 pixels, IPS TFT screen.
  • Colours: Dark Grey.
  • Physical Build:
Librem 5 smartphone

Internal Hardware Specs

  • Processor Type: 64-bit 1.5GHz Quad-Core, Cortex-A53.
  • Processor Name: NXP® i.MX 8M
  • Graphics Processor: ‎Vivante GC7000Lite
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Internal Storage: 32 GB
  • External Storage: microSD storage expansion

Photography, Video Recording

  • Rear Camera: 13 MP camera, f1.9 Aperture, LED flash, 1080p@30fps video recording
  • Front-facing Camera: 8 MP, f2.0 Aperture, 1080p@30fps video capture.
Librem 5 secure smartphone

Audio, Video Playback

  • Music Support: PCM, AAC / AAC + / eAAC + / MP3 / AMR – NB / WB / APE
  • Audio: 3.5 mm audio jack
  • Loudspeaker: Mono speaker
  • Video Support: H.264/MP4/MPEG4 player
  • FM Radio:

Sensors

  • Digital Compass: Yes.
  • Accelerometer: Yes.
  • Proximity Sensor: Yes
  • Ambient Light Sensor: Yes
  • Barometer: No.
  • Pedometer: No.
  • Heart Rate Monitor: No.
  • Gyroscope (G-Sensor): Yes.
  • Fingerprint Scanner:
  • Face Unlock:
  • Iris Scanner: No.
  • Motion Sensing / Gesture Control:
  • Voice Control: No.
  • Intelligent Digital Assistant: No.
  • Infra-red Sensor: No.

Connectivity Options

  • Bluetooth: v5.0, A2DP
  • WiFi: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, hotspot
  • GPS: Yes, Teseo LIV3F GNSS.
  • USB: USB 3.0 data, Charging (Dual-Role Port), Video out
  • NFC: No.

Miscellaneous Specs and Features

  • Battery Type and Capacity: Removable Lithium-Ion 4500 mAh
  • Battery Charging: 5V/2A (10W) Fast Charging; USB Power Delivery
  • Reverse Charging: Yes.
  • Announced: August 2017
  • Market Availability: Q4 2019

Price and Availability

  • Country Availability: USA, Global.
  • Price: It had a pre-order price tag of $649 and has recorded several increases since release. From March 2022, the price goes up to $1299. A US-only version, called Librem 5 USA, is manufactured in the United States, carries a heftier price tag starting from $1,999.
Librem 5 phone with lollypop-l5-headphones

Frequently Asked Questions

What operating system does Librem 5 run?

It runs an operating system called PureOS.

Is PureOS based on Android?

PureOS is a privacy-focused smartphone operating system that is not based on Google’s Android OS. It is based on Linux.

What kind of apps does the Librem 5 smartphone run?

It can run GTK-based apps and Web apps – apps that are built 100% with HTML5 and CSS. Android apps will not work on it.

When is the Librem 5 coming out?

It is out already, though there are gaps and delays in the shipping.

Where is Librem 5 made and where to buy it?

The regular variant is designed in the USA and manufactured in China. However, the Librem 5 USA is both designed and manufactured in the United States. You can buy both from the Purism website.

How much does a Librem 5 cost?

The price keeps jumping up. It currently sells for $1299.

Why is Librem 5 so expensive?

Primarily, economies of scale is the first factor. It is not being produced in millions of units, which would have dropped the unit cost.

Secondarily, as a secure, privacy-focused phone, it has extra physical parts and software layers that you won’t find in regular, mush less expensive devices.

Where is Librem 5 manufactured?

All the electronic parts of the USA variant are manufactured in the USA.

Will librem 5 work on Verizon?

It supports Verizon’s LTE bands (LTE B2, B4, B13). However, this is no guarantee that it will work, as you can’t activate a new SIM on the carrier without a device on their approved equipment list.

A workaround COULD be to use an already activated Verizon SIM in it to see if it works. If you are getting a new Verizon SIM card, it can only be activated in a recognized/approved device.

Librem 5 works on AweSIM

It works on Purism’s new AweSIM cellular service in the United States.

MobilityArena Buyer’s Guide Verdict

Not available.

Our Buyer’s Guide Verdict is recommendation that we make based on our evaluation the specs of the device. It is a general guide designed to help you understand how much value a smartphone offers for its price. It is not a stamp of quality assessment or an endorsement of the device or of the manufacturers. Be sure to ask questions and use your judgement when buying any device, as MobilityArena may not be held responsible for your buying decisions.

Librem 5 smartphone Review Rating

We are yet to review the Librem 5 smartphone and so do not have a review rating for it yet. This section will be updated with our review rating and a link to the review page, as soon as we have a review ready.

Disclaimer: While we take the pains to ensure accuracy, we can not guarantee that the specs and  information on this page are 100% correct. If you think that any information for the current phone is wrong or missing, please contact us.

1 thought on “Purism Librem 5 Specs”

  1. I’m looking at your phones for use with a satcom provider. I’d have a local voip server running and would send and receive calls through the local voip server. Have you considered a small voip appliance go go with this phone in order to completely de-link from telco equipment (that is contaminated with stingrays, China CCP Huawei hardware, etc.)? If not, would you be interested in working with our team on this to bypass China CCP telco hardware entirely for phone access via satcom connections?

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