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DoCoMo To Use Linux On Their 3G phones

Posted by timothy on from the darl's-ears-perk-up dept.

ilbrec writes "Looks like NTT DoCoMo will be using Linux on their 3G phones next year. This actually was reported yesterday in Japan (here), but I could not find any article in English until now. While it's not clear who will be making the Linux phone for them, I would certainly be interested in seeing them once they are out. No word on this anywhere at DoCoMo's website at all, however." Reader paku adds links to similar coverage in Forbes and in Japan Today.

1 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I was one of the first Westerners by bugbread · · Score: 1, Troll

    "The first imode phone came out in February 1999...I wanted a phone I could send email from because I didn't have a PC. That phone was nice and was way ahead of it's time (even in Japan)"

    FUCK J-Phone and its horrible horrible public relations. J-Phone (and Digital TuKa) had email on phones way before iMode came out, but they didn't advertise or hype it at all, and only techies knew about it (it wasn't hidden, by any means. Clearly explained in the manuals, obvious on menus, etc., but they didn't advertise it). Then iMode came out and basically lied about being the first (I think they said something along the lines "iMode is the first phone that allows you to send e-mail, check your bank account, and make ticket reservations!", which is true: it was the first that allowed you to do all three, but not the first to allow you to do any of them). They charged 2 to 3 times the cost of their competitors, but people bought iModes out of ignorance.

    Recently, thankfully, their prices have become sane, but they really don't deserve to be the top carrier in Japan. Currently EzWeb (KDDI) is probably the best, followed by Vodafone (J-Phone), and then DoCoMo...And then TuKa and its glorious bid to avoid going out of business.