Since Jolla is moving into the personal and private AI, lets make a TOH that will facilitate this.
So we have the JollaMind2 as a secure and private home device - server with a NPU with 6 tops to assist the users with several task. Its serves as a local productivity HUB using the power of a local LLM.
Now lets create a companion for the new Jolla Phone 2- with a Mind2Go TOH. Following the same design principals- with LED strips and touch sensors that can activate different functions and can either assist you with local AI tasks on the go, when attached to the phone or can stay at home and act as a second core for your JollaMind2 device/server. The Mind2Go has its own dedicated NPU chip with 10 to 20 tops of power. Enough to power a local LLM to assist with several task on the phone. As 12GB of your phone can be a limiting factor some extra GB on the TOH board will boost your device with an extra 4GB of RAM - bringing your device to a total of 16GB RAM. The Mind2 is running on Sailfish Core - When attached to your phone - The phone has options to connect certain parts to this core. The user decides what data it want to process with this AI.
Users can opt for data to be encrypted and stored to the TOH in a sand-boxed environment (firejail) on an 32GB eMMC - no access to the internet as the device has no internet connectivity options - Mind2Go will wait for the user to return back home and make connection with the mother (Mind2) to transfer the encrypted files.
Why will users want a Mind2Go TOH? It offers all the benefits from AI but the user remains in control. AI is an option here and best of all, its local. So unlike most other phones - AI is not an option, its is build in and could potentially harm your privacy and security.
Mind2Go can be seen as an upgrade - might even make it possible to extend the life of your phone. Jolla is dedicated to AI as a company - Jolla Phone will be the extension of it. Bringing your second brain with you - Your personal AI llm model - It can even assist your with heavier tasks for the phone, encryption or other project that demand more resources.
Definitely better than trying to shoehorn any kind of AI into the OS itself.
That said, it would be interesting to know whether mobile AI solutions actually work, given the power requirements involved. From what I can tell, many who has tried this either gave up or had to cheat by using remote servers.
I don’t think this would be a significant waste of resources, if at all. Jolla just needs to expose the I3C and 5V+GND pins on the back of the phone and leave the rest to the community, like they did with the original JP-1301 phone. Jolla could then later, when they have time, release a few new color TOHs with matching Ambience, and maybe a wireless charging TOH and an extra battery TOH, since they seems to be popular requests in this topic. We (the community) can then decide among ourselves what kind of accessories we want, and if there is sufficient demand for it to be economically viable (like what happened last time with the keyboard TOH).
it occurs to me to wonder why there is not a USB-powered TOH-like solution for android phones. basic design is like a battery case with pass-thru charging (which already exists) but with mounting hardware to add a keyboard, gamepad, speaker, 3.5mm jack, microsd card, wireless charging, etc. some TOHs could use USB data, some would use bluetooth. they would be powered off the secondary battery, which would charge whenever the phone was charging (like pass-thru battery cases already do).
Oh I know about these adapters, I even posted a pic of one here, but there are a large number of potential customers who would view a 3.5mm jack as a must have, so an OH would work well for them
There are lot cheap usb-c to 3.5 minijack adapters. Seems good (audio) quality DACs begin in about 30€: HIDS SD2, FiiO KA11, HIDIZS S3 PRO, iFi GO link…
Please don’t take this personally, I’m just replying on your message about something that I’ve read hundreds if not thousands of times the last (almost) 10 years.
Since the day Apple removed the 3.5mm jack, I heard that way too many times and I would like to ask here since I believe we are a more mature community.
Who is listening to anything wired, meaning right on top of the phone while charging it?
I genuinely cannot picture a scenario where I only have my phone, I somehow don’t have battery but I do have a charger/electricity, and I definitely need to hear anything thought wired headphones at that specific time.
I do remember doing that a couple of times on my teenage years, but that’s pretty much it for me.
It is a genuine question, not an attack to anyone.
That is true and these disadvantages are significant, but I use the Fiio KA11 even at phones with 3.5 mm jack because the sound quality is much better and the volume is higher.
I once had a Sailfish phone fail completely somewhere between Niagara Falls and Buffalo while charging and trying to use HERE Maps. It needed a solid five minutes to cool down before it became even somewhat usable again.
The Fairphone 2 had some pogo pins on the back side (under the cover), which enabled some similar use-cases. Here’s a nice list of some of them (with pictures). They used 5 pins (see here).
(Be assure I have not taken it as a personal criticism.) I occasionally leave my phone go low on battery, I keep it plugged to an USB connector of my laptop or screen (it charges slowly, which is better to preserve battery life), and I still need to make phone calls (where I use the wired earphones for any conversation I deem important.
I’ll try to answer this question, which is perfectly understandable! Don’t take offense at my arguments, which probably only concern a very small portion of SailfishOS users.
Personally, the 3.5 mm jack is now essential for me, and here’s why:
I work in the music industry. I regularly need to play recordings, music (even HD streaming) while I work. I’m not a DJ, and I can’t use a CD or vinyl player.
Currently, the shift to digital media means I absolutely need a digital way to play content. I need a computer and another device as a backup.
In our professional world, Bluetooth isn’t reliable enough and doesn’t have sufficient bandwidth to play our content (often WAV files, per channel), and no device currently has this technology.
Aside from having a pair of XLR connectors on the back of the phone (which is unthinkable given the size of the connectors, even though someone suggested it), the only wired solution we all use every day is the 3.5 mm jack.
If the J2 doesn’t have it, I’d need to get another device to have it… In my line of work, we all rely on it. (Not to mention the quality of integrated DACs and output impedances, that’s a whole other story…)
I completely understand the confusion many of you have about this connection; I’m also part of a different niche, in addition to being a Sailfish user for years!
Don’t take offense at my arguments, which probably only concern a very small portion of SailfishOS users. 