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Openmoko's Open Source Phone Goes Mass-Market

Posted by timothy on from the long-may-it-wave dept.

nerdyH writes "Openmoko has begun shipping its Linux-based, open source Neo Freerunner phone to five newly announced distributors, in Germany, France, and India, says the company. The Neo Freerunner features an open hardware design, and a Linux-based operating system that users are free to modify. The project originally hoped to produce a mass-market offering last October. The $400 Freerunner will remain available direct, online, too. A 2.5G GPRS/GSM phone like the original iPhone, it boasts a 500MHz processor, WiFi, 3D accelerometers, a 4.3-inch VGA touchscreen, Bluetooth, and built-in GPS."

2 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. Re:2.5G by Milyardo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A 3G/3.5G/WiMax Controller Will undoubtedly come, as any manufacturer could make the controller. The competition will also keep the prices for such devices reasonable. The reason this will compete with a 3G iPhone is because you the ability to upgrade piece by piece. The iPhone you dropped $600 on last year is, and will be the same iPhone 2 years from now.

  2. Re:2.5G by svnt · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Its Open-Hardware, get a 3G controller and replace the 2.5G one(when a 3G controller becomes available).

    Yeah, you're comfortable hand-soldering 0.5mm pitch BGAs, right? What 2.5G controller were you talking about?

    Buy it for what it is - freedom. If that's not enough, don't force it on yourself.