F(x)tec, which launched its first smartphone last year, is now back with a special version of the Pro1, developed in partnership with XDA. The “new” Pro 1-X is the first consumer smartphone to run Lineage OS or Ubuntu Touch OS out of the box.
The F(x)tec Pro1-X has a 5.99-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with curved edges. It is powered by a four-year old Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, paired with up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.1 storage. It has a dual-camera setup at the rear, featuring a 12MP Sony IMX363 primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor. Around the front is an 8MP fixed-focus sensor for selfies and video calls. One of its standout features is its slide-out 64-key physical keyboard, which has all the keys that you normally find on laptop and desktop keyboards. You also get 36 customizable shortcuts for quick access to all your favorite apps.
Keeping the lights on is a 3,200mAh battery, with support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 standard. F(x)tec claims the battery can provide up to 10 hours of talk time and 480 hours of standby time. The phone also comes with an RGB LED notification light, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual stereo speakers, dedicated camera shutter button, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
When it comes to software, the Pro1-X gives you a choice of Android, LineageOS for privacy, and Ubuntu Touch for productivity. Instead of the latest Android 11, however, the you can only choose to have Android 9 Pie pre-installed on the phone.
The Ubuntu Touch-powered Pro1-X will give you the power of a Linux PC in your pocket. Once you plug the phone into a monitor, you can use its screen as a trackpad and its physical keyboard for text input.
F(x)tec says it plans to begin shipping some devices before Christmas and others in Q1 2021. The Indiegogo campaign for the phone is now live and prices start at $500 for the “Pro1 X Super Early Bird 256GB version.” The phone’s retail price, however, is set at $900.
