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Open Source Linux Phone Goes On Sale
An anonymous reader writes "Sean Moss-Pultz has just announced on the OpenMoko mailing list that the Neo1973 is finally available for purchase. OpenMoko.com is now taking orders via credit card. OpenMoko intends to 'free your phone' through a hardware-independent and open source user interface backed by the Linux kernel. This device could very well stand as a competitor to the more expensive Apple iPhone, but at a fraction of the price and with no vendor lock-in. Although the devices in this release cycle (GTA01) are mainly intended for developers, the up-and-coming devices targeted to the consumer market (GTA02) will also feature WiFi capabilities, a 3D acceleration unit, and 256MB of on-board flash. Both units will use the MicroSD card interface for removable storage and have USB client / host capabilities. For a full feature list, check out OpenMoko.com or the OpenMoko Wiki."
do providers allow random phones to be used on there network?
yes, thats what an unlocked phone is....
as to your question about blocking phones...
if the imei number is correct and its FCC approved I doubt they would have any reason to block you
Um... the prices listed on the website are $300 for the phone, and $450 for the phone with a development kit (looks like the phone just comes in a fancy case... and something else)...
...without the sort of $$$ companies like Nokia, Apple and Sony Ericsson regularly throw at "your phone is a statement of who you are" marketing campaigns, I doubt phones based on this software will make much of an impact outside of geek circles.I can think of a few areas where this might be popular:
There are modest fortunes to be made in any of the above. I'm already investigating the business potential of this device for the very unique circumstances that I work in. If the quality and supply of this device are at the right level, I'm almost certain to invest in it.
Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
Replying to an AC isn't the brightest thing to do but....
ATT/Cingular and T-Mobile are the only two major GSM carriers in the United States.
The others are usually all CDMA carriers and the phones are completely incompatable on the network technology level.
and re those vzw phones with sim cards, it was either RIMM cards or sim cards for overseas usage of the phone, they serve no use on the continental US side of the pond
> OpenMoko costs $300 with a 640x480 screen and GPS (the $450 and $600 include development hardware, something that costs thousands of dollars from other vendors).
As much as I like the OpenMoko, this statement is somewhat deceptive.
The pricing for the Neo1973 direct from OpenMoko.com is as follows:
Now:
$300 -- base phone with 266MHz ARM processor, 128MB RAM, and no WiFi
$450 -- same phone + hardware development kit
The phone sold now is intended for developers only and is not marketed for mainstream (but you can still get it if you want, of course).
October:
$450 -- base phone with 400MHz ARM processor, 256MB RAM, and built-in Atheros WiFi
$600 -- same phone + hardware development kit
In contrast, the iPhone is either $500 or $600 depending on the model. You're locked to AT&T, don't get a GPS (which comes with the Neo1973), but you do get a camera (which doesn't come with the OpenMoko). Who knows what processor you get (some think 667MHz ARM, but others say 400MHz ARM) or how much RAM you get (Google turns up nothing; neither does Apple's "tech specs" site on the phone). In some sense it doesn't matter, because you're stuck with the iPhone bundled software anyway.
So yeah, $450 for Neo1973 versus $500 for iPhone. Both are pricy, and the Neo1973 is only $50 cheaper. However, I think you're getting a ton more with the Neo1973 anyway. I don't really want a camera on my phone, and I do really want a GPS.
vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.
Sorry, ... I originally wrote this post. I should have specified that it's a GSM phone. I'm in Germany at the moment and I don't think CDMA phones exist here, and they've gone out of style quite quickly in Canada too (where I"m originally from).
;-) . Then I managed to get a free handset with 'points' I accumulated with my old provider. I vowed the next time I purchase a phone, there is no way I'm doing so unless I can monitor where it is and what phone number / person is using it at all times. I realize that some providers provide this service to their customers, but not all.
Bottom line:
If you're using a GSM phone with a removable SIM card, and you purchased a phone with a) no vendor lock-in, and b) no SIM lock-in, then you can literally use the phone anywhere on the planet just by popping in the SIM card of a different provider. SIM lock-in occurs when vendors program a handset only to accept SIM cards with their signature. Vendor lock-in occurs when the cell phone manufacturer allows the vendor to program a certain code into the phone, so that it will absolutely not pick-up a signal when the vendor's signal is not in range, whether you are using a card from that vendor or not.
CDMA handsets I believe are really only in use in Korea and North America, no?
Why am I interested in OpenMoko?
I recently experienced what a nightmare this can be (especially with the cost of newer handsets these days). Originally, I was holding out for getting a motorola C113, but since they don't want anyone in 1st world countries to use them, i settled for a fully-featured and quite expensive Nokia which I bought in Germany (no vendor / SIM lock-in). That was stolen
In short, I'm going to write some software to do this for me, and the OpenMoko is the best place to start in my opinion.
There is no simlocking in Belgium. Bundle sales of phones and phone contracts are illegal here.
Most devices are based on already certified standard GSM modules. You can buy the bare GSM stuff to build into your own project.