OpenMoko’s FreeRunner, the original open source (hardware and software) Linux phone, made us oh so excited back in the day, before Android and the iPhone. And now it’s dead.
OpenMoko built the first 100% open-source smartphone–hardware and software both–when Android was but a glimmer in Larry and Sergey’s eye. But now, the FreeRunner hardware is officially kissing its open-source cousin OS, Android.
They’ve already released the CAD files for modding the case into a lobster phone (please, someone?), and now the OpenMoko folks are going all the way with their Neo Freerunner Linux smartphone, opening up the schematics for all to see and use under a Creative Commons licence. This includes not only the full schematics for the phone’s PCBs, but also for the individual chips inside, for seeing exactly how the GPS ties into the system, for instance. The Freerunner phone itself is still mostly a developer’s tool, so this move makes a lot of sense for that crowd. Full details follow.
The OpenMoko Neo Freerunner we caught back in January will be available to order on July 4th. That makes the Linux-based cellphone a perfect birthday.gift for Uncle Sam, assuming he’s into shell commands. It’ll run US$400, press release after the jump. [OpenMoko]
The OpenMoko Neo Freerunner has been in the making since before the Jurassic period, but it looks like official word has now been released regarding the final pricing details. The Linux based mobile phone will retail at US$399 for a single unit and US$3690 for a pack containing ten handsets.
OpenMoko is taking its open philosophy a step beyond its Linux soul and has released the CAD (computer-aided design) files for the Neo1973, allowing you to design and create your own body for the phone. The catch for selfish bastards is that it’s under a ShareAlike Creative Commons license, so you’ve gotta make w/ the show and tell if you whip up a pocket-size Second Coming. [OpenMoko]
The Gadget: OpenMoko’s just-announced Neo Freerunner, which is the mass-market version of their previous Neo 1973 phone.
OpenMoko today announced the Neo FreeRunner, a mass-market version of the Neo 1973 open-source phone, and will be showing it off at CES next week. The phone will have the same “overall look and feel” as the developers’ product, but it has a faster 500MHz processor, 3D graphics, and a new lineup of open-source mobile apps. It’s a GSM tri-band world phone with either 850MHz or 900MHz on the low end, and it has 802.11b/g as well for hotspot action. Oh, and it will also have motion sensors for gesture-based activity. Pretty cool stuff, but as yet, there’s no pricing or availability announced. Stay tuned, or jump for the press release.
Today we learned that the seductively interactive Dash Express GPS navigator is using the OpenMoko open-source mobility platform that led to the Neo 1973 smartphone. This makes the Dash the first product based on OpenMoko’s GTA0X reference design, and the GPS hardware was designed to Dash’s order by OpenMoko and its parent company, FIC. Did we need one more reason to love this thing? Well, we got it. (There’s a press release down below.)
