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The phone displayed is the FIC Neo1973 and was designed as part of the OpenMoko open phone project. Developer versions of the phone will be available shortly.

OpenMoko is primarily a HW platform + kernel bits, AFAIK. Wouldn't this... help them?? I mean, I would LOVE an OpenMoko phone with Ubuntu. I don't see the poster's logic.

http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Neo1973

"The Neo1973 is the first phone designed to run OpenMoko. It is manufactured by FIC who instigated the OpenMoko project."

Project run by HW company, I can't imagine them being sad there is more embedded linux SW dev happening, especially by a major distro as opposed to another HW company.

http://projects.openmoko.org/

Hosted Projects: 20
Registered Users: 525

That's not so much... Even http://opensource.y7.ath.cx/ doesn't cover them...

Looks like the OpenMoko phone, the Neo1973 (its name reflects the fact that it hopes to be the rebirth of mobile technology, which started with the first cell phone in 1973), is slated to include an accelerometer in its next release, due out in June 2007. This looks like a very cool project - I know I'm planning to invest in one of the next version of the hardware platform... Dave

Looks like the OpenMoko phone, the Neo1973 (its name reflects the fact that it hopes to be the rebirth of mobile technology, which started with the first cell phone in 1973), is slated to include an accelerometer in its next release, due out in June 2007. This looks like a very cool project - I know I'm planning to invest in one of the next version of the hardware platform... Dave

Looks like the OpenMoko phone, the Neo1973 (its name reflects the fact that it hopes to be the rebirth of mobile technology, which started with the first cell phone in 1973), is slated to include an accelerometer in its next release, due out in June 2007. This looks like a very cool project - I know I'm planning to invest in one of the next version of the hardware platform... Dave

Personally, I will be purchasing the Neo-1973 mobile device that is currently in development. It will be built on the new OpenMoko open-source platform and is scheduled to hit the market in September this year.

Sign up for the Neo1973 of the Openmoko-Project and implement it yourself! The phone has integrated (A)GPS.

Check out http://openmoko.org/. The only open phone there is :)

You could just read the FAQ, 2nd question is 'when can I buy one?' - http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/FAQ#Q:_When_can_I_bu y_a_Neo1973.3F - hardly 'buried in their Wiki'...

Okay, I know I'm just a raving OpenMoko shill, but if you think the iPhone is open, you have another think coming.

Do *you* want control over your phone the same way you have control over your desktop (assuming you run Linux)? Check out OpenMoko, and the FIC Neo 1973. It's essentially a palm-top computer that also happens to be a GPS-enabled phone, all running Free software.

The iPhone will restrict software just as much as current offerings do.

I've been reluctant to buy a new MP3 player, because there was no supported linux (native) one.

Now, I'm getting a http://wiki.openmoko.org/ Neo1973 phone, come late march, when they go on sale.

Completely open-source, though not ready for end-users at the moment. GPS (the GPS bit needs reverse engineered to remove a tiny bit of closed code), quadband GSM, nice dispay.

MP3 player, phone, trip computer, guitar tuner, games platform, ...

You're only limted by your imagination. (and the hardware).

http://rapidshare.com/files/18781887/rect.avi A one hour talk by one of the creators of the OS, OpenMoko.

The reason a phone maker - FIC - is interested in this is simple.

At the moment, they are one of several firms asked to bid to make a new phone from Nokia et al.

This makes little money.

If they can get into selling phones directly to end users, then they make _far_ more profit. Even if other people start releasing OpenMoko phones.

OpenMoko is the OS, there may be many phones.

At the moment, on the Neo1973 - which is the phone that FIC is releasing first, you talk to the GSM modem via AT commands.

The dialer app is at the moment broken, and you use minicom or something :)

The only closed source bit of code that will ship with the phone is the code that takes the output from the very dumb GPS hardware, and 'cooks' it into an actual position. And there are moves to - when a working version of this is shipped, reverse engineer it, and make it open source too.

You can run _any_ 'normal' linux app on it, with the obvious limitations (no keyboard unless you've bluetooth, 2.8" display, touchscreen, one uncommitted button).

You can even put GCC, and a full normal toolchain on the microSD, and do native development work, if you really want to.

(think of a Pentium 100 laptop sort of speed)

http://wiki.openmoko.org/ - the wiki. http://rapidshare.com/files/18781887/rect.avi a 1 hour talk (60M) on OpenMoko, by one of the instigators of the OpenMoko project.

So, that's why the FIC Neo 1973 is so expensive, and doesn't allow installation of non-OpenMoko software.

Oh, that's right. It isn't expensive, and they *do* allow you to install whatever software you want.

No matter what their reasons for releasing the hardware early, it is hardly "capitalism" to restrict what you can do with the hardware you purchase.

What really makes me mad is there's no big buttun "BUY" with a price next to it. I spent 5 minutes clicking everywhere on OpenMoko trying to find a way to buy it, simple and easy (I remember they used to say somewhere about how/when I can buy it but it's buried in their wiki with no hit on the word "buy"). If it can't be bought now it should be marked on the first page as "coming soon/preorder" or something. Same goes for Green phone thing, that doesn't even have a mentioning in the list of the devices.
I think if more linux phones are to appea[l|r] to general public, there should be easy ways to get them :)

That's great, but can it run the OpenMoko software? From the license:

...This device may only be used with Trolltechs Qtopia Software. You may not use this device in any other hardware/software combination other than in the combination of hardware and software that was delivered to you...

Oh, I suppose not. Sorry, but if I spent USD695 on a phone I'd want the freedom to do what I liked with it! That is a stupid restriction Trolltech cannot hope to enforce (although this does make me think of Trusted Computing).

Also, someone should tell this chap to get hold of an OpenMoko to review. They hold far more promise, in my opinion, and seem much more 'community driven'.

For more information on licensing, which is a real PITA for open-source developers, see here: Greenphone SDK.

On the bright side, with projects like OpenMoko and OLPC I think the world will start to realize the power and potential of these little Internet-enabled devices when combined with open-source software.

It takes MicroSD. USB1 only does seem odd, I agree.

http://www.openmoko.com/press/index.html
http://www.openmoko.com/press/index.html#pictures

which is a truly open platform based on all GPL'd software.

The first hardware using OpenMoko, the Neo1973 Smartphone by Taiwan's FIC, will be available to the public soon.

http://planet.openmoko.org/

Walter.

... and join us on IRC at freenode #OpenMoko. (Don't ask "When can I get it?" on the channel, just type "counter" for the countdown to the various development and release dates.)

It's your world, if you want it to be. :-)

... and join us on IRC at freenode #OpenMoko. (Don't ask "When can I get it?" on the channel, just type "counter" for the countdown to the various development and release dates.)

It's your world, if you want it to be. :-)

It does include Bluetooth

http://lists.openmoko.org/pipermail/community/2007 -January/001006.html

OpenMoko is coming out with an open source phone in the next month or so. Good stuff. Read up on it a bit and subscribe to the mailing list. As someone who used to develop software for small devices, this is like a dream come true.