Neo 1973 from Openmoko
Well I’m sure Apple is not quaking in it’s iPhone having boots, but Openmoko has released a developer/alpha version of it’s free (as in liberty) phone the Neo 1973. Unique for being not just free software but free hardware as well - they’ve gone out of their way to choose fully documented components and have left access to the for the hardware guys out there. I’ve been hearing about it for awhile, but honestly kind of never thought it was actually going to happen, so I’m surprised and glad to see that they have.
According to their wiki:
The state of the software at the moment is pre-alpha. If you order a Neo1973, DO NOT expect to be able to use it as an everyday phone for several months.
But the consumer release is slated for the not so distant future of October. The hardware list is compelling, providing WiFi (802.11g), Bluetooth, GPS and a 2.5″ touch screen with a whopping 640×480 resolution. I wish the screen had been bigger, going to 3″ or even 3.5″. Like the iPhone it is all screen with a virtual keyboard. I suspect they don’t have all the cool button growing technology nor the awesome multi-touch interface. On the other hand, since it’s all free I’m sure if it’s even slightly successful it will get a bunch of apps (given it’s target audience).
It’s quite an interesting project, while I don’t see it taking market share from the iPhone, I could see it encroaching in on some of the other smartphone makers’ turf. It is by no means a slam dunk, I’d guess pretty far from it, but I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on it and if they make their October launch and if they magically port Firefox onto it, why I might shell out some green and see how it stacks up to my Treo 650!
