Furilabs Furiphone FLX1s

Furilabs has just announced their latest smartphone, the FLX1s. At first glance, the specifications read like a “lite” version of the FLX1. The fact that it’s called the FLX1s (Slim) rather than FLX2 indicates that this is not a new generation, but an update of the predecessor. The platform remains a Dimensity 900, this time equipped with 8 GB of RAM.

Storage remains at 128 GB, which is sufficient for everyday use. While 256 GB would be more appropriate nowadays, 128 GB is still acceptable. I have all my important data on the phone and still have over 50 GB free.

The design is noticeably more modern this time. The weight alone is reduced from around 280 g to 200 g, which will certainly make the phone feel different in daily use. None of my previous Linux smartphones has been this light straight from the factory. Overall, the device is significantly thinner: width and height have been reduced by about 4 mm each, and length by 2 mm—so it should no longer feel like a little brick.

The display has grown from 6.59″ to 6.7″. Since the phone itself is smaller overall, this suggests the screen has much slimmer bezels. The refresh rate is now fixed at 90 Hz, instead of being variable between 60–120 Hz. I hope the display is brighter than the FLX1’s, as that one was barely readable in sunlight.

The headphone jack has been sacrificed for the new design. Anyone who wants to continue using an old wired headset will need a USB-C adapter. On the plus side, there are now “old-school” hardware switches on the side, like those on the Librem 5: LTE, Wi-Fi, and microphone/webcam can be turned off without having to log in first.

The rear camera now has only 20 MP instead of 50 MP, which initially suggests lower image quality. Whether that is actually the case remains to be seen.

Unfortunately, the USB-C port is limited to USB 2.0, which certainly restricts basic functionality. Personally, I mainly used it for charging and transferred data via SSH. It’s a shame, but not a limitation I will personally notice. NFC has been omitted on the FLX1s as well — since it didn’t work on the predecessor either, it looks like the community and the manufacturer still have some catching up to do. :)

Conclusion — first impressions

A few things make me somewhat concerned about the new FLX1s: the camera has lower resolution, the USB-C port is only USB 2.0, and the battery doesn’t seem easy to replace.

There are also positive aspects: the phone is noticeably lighter, the three handy hardware switches on the side are “back,” the bezel around the screen has been reduced, the overall design is more modern, and of course the extra RAM is a welcome upgrade.

I’ve ordered the FLX1s and hope to have it in my hands in a few weeks. Once I do, I’ll publish a more detailed comparison between the two smartphones.