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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."

4 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. 2.5G by sglewis100 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That's about all I have to say... 2.5G... if not for that I'd keep my existing iPhone but because of it I'm upgrading next month.

    1. Re:2.5G by intangible · · Score: 5, Interesting

      These are the things I'm under the impression that the Neo phone will support that the iPhone does not have:
      A2DP (Bluetooth Stereo)
      MMS
      Replaceable Battery
      Expandable Flash Memory
      Cut and Paste
      Voice Dialing
      Bluetooth Tether / Modem support
      Flash Support

  2. For all the people asking why X/Y/Z is missing by comm2k · · Score: 5, Interesting

    3G was never planned for this version and even subsequent versions only may get it thy can get buy it in low volume and can write/publish it with GPL'ed driver (if necessary for 3G module). Same goes for a lot of other things that your run-of-the-mill phone boasts. Most chip-makers wont even talk to you if you want low volume + open specs/drivers.
    WIFI wouldn't have been included if they didn't find an appropriate chip (for mobile phones) with open drivers etc. or at least the possibility to write an open driver with NDA'ed docs.

  3. Finally a hackable phone by oever · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm really considering buying a Neo Freerunner. At 300 euros it's reasonably priced.

    Some improvements I'd like to perform to it that a normal phone does not have:
      - depending on who's calling perform any of these behaviors:
          * ring, vibrate or ignore the call
          * answer the call with a dynamic or static message for example where i am (coordinates or city name), why i'm not answering (eating, sleeping, meeting)
          * install an operator menu ("Jos is in a meeting, i'm openmoko his assistant. do you want to make an appointment for him to call you back?"
      - record my accelleration and position all day (because i can)
      - switch an annoying caller to a signal of strange noises or a helpfully scripted assistant or a nice song to put them on hold with
      - put a filter on incoming and outgoing sounds to give them echo or change the pitch
      - record every call i make

       

    --
    DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.