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Three More Linux mobile Phones Coming in Japan

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the they-always-get-the-cool-stuff-first dept.

An anonymous reader writes "NEC and Panasonic have developed three Linux-powered 3G mobile phones to be introduced in Japan in the coming months -- NEC's N900iL, NEC's N901iC, and Panasonic's P901i. Of the three, only NEC's N900iL is currently shipping. The N900iL is a dual-network 3G/VoIP handset that works as a 3G mobile phone (using DoCoMo's W-CDMA/FOMA technologies), VoIP terminal, or both simultaneously. All three phones are based on the Linux 3G mobile phone software platform announced by NEC and Panasonic earlier this week."

6 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Seamless switching? by PornMaster · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Are there any service providers currently offering the ability to seamlessly switch from cell towers to VoIP where your current call will move uninterrupted? And if so, what do they charge for VoIP minutes (if anything) over the basic cellular plan?

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  2. telco monopoly by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The telcos control the wireless airwaves, and lockin consumers to the phones they sell for their network. Of course they won't be selling phones with WiFi features that can cut their meters out of the loop. That's why, in the US, we have an FCC that vigorously defends our free market, right?

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  3. will phones be cheaper then? by thnmnt · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why do we care unless these companies pass the savings from using open source software on to the consumers? i could care less what the underlying os of my phone is...unless of course i could get shell..cause maybe i'd like that..

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  4. What's a hacker to do? by Infinityis · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Geez, this is like taking the wind out of the hackers' sails. I mean, if it's already got Linux on it, what are they gonna do? Any takers for being the first to put a Microsoft OS on one of these?

  5. Re:Unfortunately by kryonD · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "Do you realize that the major investments in internet and cellular techonologies are the fixed costs, and the reason they are so profitable in these places is because with the same fixed costs, you can serve a lot more people and thus make a lot more money in Seoul than you can in Topeka."

    Wrong, Wrong, Wrong and Wrong.

    Why don't you actually learn something about the technology and market penetration in those countries before YOU get on a soapbox. The reason why DoCoMo has 40M subscribers isn't because there are 23M people squished into Tokyo, it's because they have a business model that doesn't involve screwing the average user. Remember what we used to buy cell phones for...emrgency use only, because they were too expensive to talk on. Well, DoCoMo and the other JP carriers tried a different approach, no charge on incoming calls. Imagine that, a cell phone as a tool where people can get in touch with you without you having to be tied to your land line. Then with i-Mode, DoCoMo attacked the younger crowd with full blown email and real web based services. Do you know you can buy a plane ticket from you phone while you're on the Train to get there?

    The US and Canada suffer from the same problem. The major carriers here are constantly lobbying the gov't to bar foreign competitoin from entering the market so they can continue to sell 2nd gen worthless crap to the masses for hundreds of dollars. And some of them even have the nerve to say that their phone is the "1st to have" feature A that was already available in JP and EU two years ago.

    Fortunately Vodaphone is starting to penetrate the US market which will alow it to impose a Japanese style of technology control that the US doesn't have. i.e., instead of AT&T's market being directly affected by features the handset makers offer in the handsets, the handset makers markets are directly impacted by their ability to manufacture devices that meet the carrier's standard. Hop on over to www.docomo.com and look at the specs on their phones....you will notice that they all not only look a lot alike, but they all meet a baseline of standards. You won't find any black and white displays there. Plus the phones usually run you less than $50 for new service and are often as low as 1 yen (basically $0.01)

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  6. So where's the source? by sudog · · Score: 3, Interesting

    All these embedded Linux systems out there that distribute Linux are required to offer the source code for redistribution.

    So where is it all? Or are they cheesing out and using only userland software to drive their phones?

    (In which case, who cares if it's running Linux, because we can't do anything useful with it anyway?)