[HN Gopher] A Simple open-source Phone programmable with Arduino
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A Simple open-source Phone programmable with Arduino
Author : guerrilla
Score : 205 points
Date : 2024-10-16 19:11 UTC (3 days ago)
(HTM) web link (www.wiphone.io)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.wiphone.io)
| vivzkestrel wrote:
| any reasons to not have a fully touch screen phone in the pro
| model?
| thomascountz wrote:
| From their FAQ[1]:
|
| > 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.
|
| [1]: https://wiphone.io/FAQ.html
| NBJack wrote:
| It's also more power efficient and robust to damage.
| lapinot wrote:
| And you can reliable type text without looking.
| thesnide wrote:
| Yes. I miss the physical retractable keypad of my Xperia
| Mini Pro
| fsflover wrote:
| Did you consider the Pinephone with keyboard?
| pkphilip wrote:
| 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.
| esperent wrote:
| 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.
| cultofmetatron wrote:
| by your definition, my laptop is a phone too.
| guerrilla wrote:
| No, that's not the primary purpose of your laptop.
| cultofmetatron wrote:
| tell that to my mom! :P
| Topfi wrote:
| By that logic, neither are modern day smartphones.
| guerrilla wrote:
| I agree. That's why I prefer the term mobile, since I can
| at least pretend it means mobile computer.
| itintheory wrote:
| I'm partial to "com" - short for computer, or
| communicator. Hasn't caught on yet though.
| patapong wrote:
| 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.
| andai wrote:
| A videophone, no less!
| NBJack wrote:
| Correct, it can _be_ a phone: https://www.merriam-
| webster.com/dictionary/phone
| lolinder wrote:
| 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".
| rkagerer wrote:
| 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.
| doubleg72 wrote:
| Or it's just alphabetical
| ratrocket wrote:
| > If you want to refer to a WiFi phone you call it that.
|
| To its credit, the thing under discussion is literally
| called "WiPhone", which sounds to me like a direct play on
| "WiFi phone".
| TrapLord_Rhodo wrote:
| >by means of SMS
|
| 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.
| sophacles wrote:
| 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.
|
| Anything else seems absurd.
| lelanthran wrote:
| > But it has the same basic functionality of being a phone.
|
| Where I am, simply making calls over IP is not enough to
| qualify a device as a phone.
|
| If it cannot phone the local police station, the local
| pharmacy or the local clinic, it's not really a phone.
| prmoustache wrote:
| >If it cannot phone the local police station, the local
| pharmacy or the local clinic, it's not really a phone.
|
| It can if you have a SIP provider. The only limitation
| depending on your provider might be emergency numbers.
|
| What it is not is a mobile phone. But it is totally a SIP
| phone.
| ranger_danger wrote:
| 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.
| wkjagt wrote:
| 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.
| rkagerer wrote:
| That'd be great. I'm curious, what kind of logic? Is it
| things ordinary non-programmers might also find useful?
| wkjagt wrote:
| 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.
| nativeit wrote:
| LTE is already in the works.
| MaximilianEmel wrote:
| According to their FAQ[1], they have already designed an LTE
| module, but it isn't ready for sale yet.
|
| [1] https://www.wiphone.io/FAQ.html (under CAN YOU ADD A SIM
| CARD...)
| thomascountz wrote:
| > DO I NEED A SIM CARD?
|
| > No. You might be able to get one into the microSD slot if
| you really push.
|
| This made me smile :D
| rijoja wrote:
| The name WiPhone sort of hints at that though, doesn't it?
| Obviously the title for the HN post doesn't include that.
| medo-bear wrote:
| Looks more like a phone to me than the mini tablet with GSM Im
| using right now
| NBJack wrote:
| It's not a _cell_ phone.
|
| It is definitely a phone.
| pkphilip wrote:
| 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.
| prmoustache wrote:
| A SIP phone is a phone. You don't need special software on
| either end. You just need a sip provider subscription.
| keb_ wrote:
| Agreed, other nice things to have:
|
| * A multi-touch screen
|
| * Dedicated app store
|
| * AI voice controlled personal assistant
|
| * Face ID to unlock the phone
|
| * 48MP front facing and back facing cameras capable of 4K video
|
| * Maybe have a fruit as a logo on the back of the phone
| lapinot wrote:
| You forgot privacy invasive tracking.. I guess some people
| don't understand irony!
| insane_dreamer wrote:
| Apricot phone? ;)
| squarefoot wrote:
| > It is not really a phone
|
| 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.
| insane_dreamer wrote:
| It is a phone. It's not a cell phone.
| HumblyTossed wrote:
| Can you really define a phone by the way it transmits data?
| 6510 wrote:
| _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_
| allanrbo wrote:
| Would be fun to try to run Meshtastic on it.
| harry8 wrote:
| Signal & Whatsapp are now vendor lock in for the apple/droid
| duopoly. :(
| MaximilianEmel wrote:
| Punkt's MP02 supports Signal.
|
| https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/
| Springtime wrote:
| The 3G and 4G versions of that phone are Android-based, for
| context.
| MaximilianEmel wrote:
| That's disappointing to learn.
| raphman wrote:
| 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.
|
| https://openrepos.net/content/rubdos/whisperfish
| prmoustache wrote:
| With some caveats, I also successfully used whatsapp over
| matrix although that required to have whatsapp running on a
| separate device.
| throwaway14356 wrote:
| you could set an away message to point at other means of
| messaging(?)
| thomascountz wrote:
| Though it's not a "cell" phone as-is (I'd argue it is still a
| "phone"), there isn't much stopping it from becoming one!
|
| GSM modules and supporting Arduino libraries are readily
| available, e.g. https://www.adafruit.com/category/281
|
| Edit: I just saw there's a LoRA daughter board developed, so a
| GSM board seems not too far fetched! See:
| https://www.wiphone.io/docs/LoRa/latest/
| rambambram wrote:
| 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!
| Springtime wrote:
| 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.
| butz wrote:
| 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.
| poopsmithe wrote:
| 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.
| lelanthran wrote:
| > Sometimes the call would be established and I would hear the
| other end, but the other end could not hear me.
|
| I've done some work in this area - CGNAT is to be blamed when
| using UDP for voice traffic.
|
| Very hard to reliably hole-punch CGNAT.
| mypalmike wrote:
| It seems unlikely to be a cgnat issue since the phone uses
| WiFi rather than cellular networks (where cgnat is most
| commonly found).
| codebje wrote:
| 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.
| yapyap wrote:
| Why doesn't it use a sim card
| p4bl0 wrote:
| 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.
| shrubble wrote:
| 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.
| tightbookkeeper wrote:
| This looks cool!
|
| The minimalist android shells feel pointless because the inherent
| complexity still exists.
| jqpabc123 wrote:
| Take an old Android phone you may already have lying around.
|
| - Remove any SIM card
|
| - Install VOIP softphone app and configure with WiFi.
|
| - Go enjoy the $175 you didn't spend on this.
| GeoAtreides wrote:
| maybe read the specs first?
|
| my old phone doesn't have:
|
| 20 pin programmable header on back of phone (including SPI,
| UART, I2C)
|
| I2C Qwiic port (a lot of adafruit sensors have qwiic ports)
|
| and code that i can modify in arduino ide
| johndough wrote:
| But your old phone probably has USB or Bluetooth with which
| you can connect some cheap board with all the pins you
| desire.
| TrapLord_Rhodo wrote:
| 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.
| throwaway14356 wrote:
| what would be some fun example of using those with this
| phone?
| TrapLord_Rhodo wrote:
| They have it on their website. They make an RC Car with
| it.
| ape4 wrote:
| Might be nice for senior citizens.
| icemelt8 wrote:
| Sorry for my curiosity, but what are you doing in Pakistan?
| nativeit wrote:
| Living and working there, presumably?
| criddell wrote:
| I always thought the Nokia Python phone was a pretty neat idea.
|
| https://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=148064
| styczen wrote:
| 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
| joshmarinacci wrote:
| When I read the headline I clicked to see how they solved the
| problem of getting onto the modern cell network with hackable
| components.
|
| Answer: they didn't. WiFi only.
|
| Yes there are Arduino GSM modules , but they are old (2G or 3G),
| expensive, and do not work well or at all in the US.
| robto wrote:
| 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.
| metalman wrote:
| 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
| sabareesh wrote:
| Well good old days of ioio which you can connect with android
| phone through usb or bluetooth and play with lower level pins.
| 6510 wrote:
| I don't know how to arduino and I have no ideas what to do with
| this but it sounds and looks very cool, the price is good too.
| Good work.
| jschroedl wrote:
| No a phone
| josh_carterPDX wrote:
| These are all great comments here, but I am surprised no one is
| concerned about this being from Hong Kong. -\\_(tsu)_/-
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