The software runs, but unfortunately the manufacturers didn’t bother writing any drivers. I considered getting a ThinkPad x13s some months ago, but the driver support is so bad it couldn’t even do suspend properly. And this laptop was released 3 years ago.
But my time is finally near…
You can still install custom ROMs, I’m running one right now. They make you wait a week to unlock the bootloader, however it seems there’s a possibility of that going away in the future, it’s not very clear.
But also, seeing as the phone is using a mediatek chip, your custom ROM support will be limited.
Here’s a better example: the use of GPL software (primarily Linux and busybox) by Linksys when they made their wrt54g router was used to compel them into releasing the source code of the firmware for that router. Subsequent GPL enforcement by the SFC made Cisco release full firmware sources for a whole series of Linksys routers. Thanks to those sources openwrt, ddwrt and several other open source router firmwares developed.
I can now run three openwrt routers in my home purely thanks to the GPL. If those projects had been MIT licensed, Linksys and Cisco could have just politely told everyone to go suck a lemon because they would have had no obligation to release anything.