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Twenty New Linux Cell Phones On The Way

Posted by Hemos on from the gettin'-the-distribution dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Trolltech announced today that more than fifty companies are currently developing or shipping Linux-based devices using its Qtopia graphical application platform software, including more than twenty mobile phones. 'We think that 2005 is going to be a real breakout year for Linux on cellphones,' Trolltech CEO Haavard Nord told LinuxDevices.com. Motorola has already been shipping Linux phones in China, and has achieved its initial objectives there, according to Nord. 'We expect that in 2005, Motorola is going to start shipping Linux phones outside of China,' Nord added."

3 of 16 comments (clear)

  1. Re:good and bad by advocate_one · · Score: 3, Insightful
    it's not intended that the user can have a choice of toolkits or applications... the only choice the user will have is what "wallpaper" or ringtone he/she's going to rent this week... the entire market is designed entirely around the concept of the service provider locking the user up into the content delivery model. Not around any concept of the user having any choice.

    Sadly, although these things are using Linux, it's basically locked away from the user and they're going to make it very hard for the user to actually get at it.

    --
    Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
  2. Re:good and bad by GraemeDonaldson · · Score: 2, Insightful
    It's not such a good deal for users, because their choice of toolkits and applications is greatly restricted
    Joe Sixpack doesn't know what a toolkit is, why should he? Why should he care?
    and because Qt/Embedded is not a particularly efficient toolkit
    Judging by my Nokia 6600, Symbian isn't all that efficient either but apparently Joe Sixpack doesn't care about that either. I have several friends with 6600s who say it's a lovely phone, etc. etc. but it frustrates me no end. It's slow, it hangs it crashes, it reboots.
    It's unfortunate that Linux's first shot at the PDA and phone market is hampered by Qtopia
    Once again, for 0.1% of the cellphone-using population (i.e. the fanatical Linux zealots), this may be a major issue, but Joe Sixpack doesn't know/care what Linux is.
    --
    I think, therefore I am. I think?
  3. So what? by fmaxwell · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Twenty New Linux Cell Phones On The Way

    I'm not following how this is important. Was there someone who doubted that Linux had the power, or a small enough footprint, to use in a cell phone? Or was there some surprise that a phone maker would be willing to use an OS which cost them nothing? To me, this is like celebrating the release of cell phones using MAX712 ICs (to control the battery charging).

    I buy cell phones for the features and performance. I want to hear about cell phones with 3+mp cameras that use SD cards. Tell me about cell phones that double as WAAS-equipped GPS receivers. Put up a story when there is a cell phone that includes an EPIRB. Tell me about cell phones which include laser pointers, LED flashlights, high-end MP3 capabilities, and WiFi. I have no interest in what OS they run.