14 DAY TRIAL // At the O'Reilly Etel conference, Sean Moss-Pulz and Micky Laurer revealed some more details about their open-source phone software project "OpenMoko", as well as regarding the FIC's Linux and OpenMoko-based Neo1973 phone that is now in the first phase of production.
If you were wondering where the mobile phone's name came from, it looks like it is meant to evoke the idea of new life forms and the year 1973, in which Marty Cooper invented the mobile phone.
The conclusion to their presentation was "Welcome to the new 1973. The future is open. We're going to revolutionize it again. Only this time, you will write the rules."
The handset does in fact provide all the freedom and rule writing one would need, and as a user, one can develop and run applications. It is actually meant to be an open, hacker-friendly phone.
As for the more phone-like features, it comes with a 2.8 inch hi-res touchscreen display, a Samsung S3C2410 SoC processor with an ARM9 core, 128MB RAM, 64MB Flash memory and GPRS support.
The Neo1973 is expected to become available for developers later this month, while consumers will have to wait a little longer to get themselves one. It will be available in two versions, a $250 'hacker's lunchbox' one that includes a development board, battery, charger, shoulder strap, USB A-B cable and a reinforced lunchbox container, and a standard kit that will come with a price of $350, and which includes the actual phone, battery, headset, charger, case, stylus, lanyard, MicroSD memory card, MicroUSB cable and manual. The standard version will most likely be available this fall.