One of the world’s largest computer and consumer electronics manufacturers will ship a completely open, Linux-based, GPS-equipped, quad-band GSM/GPRS phone direct, worldwide, for USD 350 or less, in Q1, 2007. The Neo1973 is the first phone based on the open-source ‘OpenMoKo’ platform.
I really want one of them.
I could buy a complete PC system for only $50 USD more. Or better yet get a Dell Axim….
I get tired of seeing these commercial ads masquerading as posts on this forum, especially for a product that may not even materialize. It makes me feel like this “news story” was generated purely for marketing research.
Some fancy cellphones can cost twice that much without a service contract with a phone provider.
So for a full-priced smart phone, it doesn’t sound that bad. The key here is to get cellphone companies to offer discounts for this phone with certain service plans.
I like what I’m reading but I’m not very taken by the design. It’s too basic in all the wrong ways and lacks sex appeal. Kinda looks like a flip-flop sandal missing the toe strap or an enlongated white puck with colored edge protectors. I can kinda see what they were shooting for, kinda IPod simplicity, but it’s just too… meh.
If it had a better form-factor, it’d be worthwhile purchasing.
Until then, I’ll stick to waiting for the Motorola ROKR E2 to hit Canada, which is also a Linux-based phone, but looks a lot nicer and comes with better features.
until I saw the FCC approval before I held out hope for this in the US.
Also, while the carriers may not control what you can do with the SIM card, they can control what you can do with their network through the SIM card. Don’t expect a phone like this to work with all of a carrier’s speciality stuff.
People have to realize that FIC is initially targetting software developers primarilly and users secondly. I believe they’re hoping that this would slowly shift in the coming years and would improve a) its looks and b) its price as the demand increases.
So for people who’re looking for phones to use, wait if you want to. I’m trying to get one to develop software on it for possible offering to my clients.
yea right…
the GSM modem part behaves just like a modem, complete with its own proprietary os! one use the classical AT style commands to control it…
and only GPRS? trow in at least edge when at it ok?
all in all its a stinker…
Well spank me with a herring I was going to steer my modem with semaphore
Seriously for a second, which is better, AT style commands which virtually every single developer understands and allows you to reuse obscene amounts of code and applications or making something special tied to this device which makes the code difficult to use elsewhere?
Anything to do with telecoms and mobile phones has a huge amount of regulations and compliance testing required for many countries, having this part not exactly black boxed but hands off allows this device to ship and work. I don’t see this as a copout, more a practical solution to the problem. If you want to fix this, don’t complain to the HW manufacturer, complain to your govenment representative.
As for only having GPRS, this is a limited run of a first generation device aimed at developers. Yes it would be wonderful to have an open device that utterly blows away the competition in every aspect but hardware costs are heavily affected by volume and this is a low volume device to begin with.
I think it is a bloody good start and I don’t think the cost is particually high either. As for the poster who compared it to the cost of an axim they are missing the point as this is not YET designed to be a mass consumer product.
oop, your right. looks like i fired from my hip there or something like that…
Has anybody more information on the mentioned “OpenMoKo” platform (“OpenMoKo consists exclusively of open source software”)? Tried Google in a reflex and got only one hit.. linking to the linuxdevices page.