OpenFrame: 'The iPhone of home phones'

With data integration in mobile handsets, it's no wonder home telephones haven't been able to keep up. But what happens when you're using a service like Verizon's FiOS and all of a sudden that boring handset has broadband data piped right into it? One example could be OpenFrame – a new home phone envisioned by John Sculley, former Apple CEO – that maybe-a-little resembles Apple's iPhone. The various devices are built on Freescale MX31 processors "with two 600-MHz ARM11 chips doing the heavy lifting" for features like streaming video, music, web surfing, and more. According to the manufacturer's chief executive, the heavily subsidized phones could be shipping out in four or five months straight from the carriers (no retail presence here). Though the phone was built specifically for services like FiOS, they're not yet saying if it's coming to FiOS. Why so shy, fellas?

[APasserBy @ Jan 8th 2008 9:48PM]

Can someone please explain how this "maybe-a-little resembles the iPhone"?

[Ruben @ Jan 8th 2008 10:27PM]

Everything nowadays looks like the iPhone. It set a new bar for everything out there.

Just last week, i took a shit in a public bathroom and forgot to flush. The stall user after me had the nerve to accuse me of copying the iPhone with the shape of my stool. I appologised.

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Jan 8th 2008 10:33PM]

The blogger is referring to the virtual buttons. They are the rounded squares that are on the iPhone and now seem to be popping up everywhere.

It doesn't warrant any real legalize, but the aesthetic is clearly taken from Apple.

How is it that a CEO can bring down a company, yet easily get another job "envisioning" more crap?

[White_Pheonix @ Jan 8th 2008 11:17PM]

It has a touch-screen, curved corners, and is mostly black. As everyone should know, Apple invented touch-screens, curved corners, and the color black. Thus, anything which uses those elements is similar to the iPhone.

[billy bob thorton @ Jan 9th 2008 7:47AM]

If you guys would stop and look at the device for one second unstead of just trolling thorugh the blogs looking for a chance to put down another iphone post you would realize that this most certainly is an iphone rip. The fact that it came from Sculley is funny. Maybe he's just trying to piss of Steve or something.

[bob sakamano @ Jan 8th 2008 9:57PM]

do i have to dial a 1 to get out?

[Joe T. @ Jan 9th 2008 9:09AM]

Nope, it's a 9 to get out.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Jan 8th 2008 9:57PM]

I'll get it started...
iphone blahblahblahblah

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 8th 2008 9:59PM]

Is this the Verizon Hub (née Fios Fone) that was supposed to be released last year? See: http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/Broadband/FiosFone/

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 8th 2008 10:00PM]

Here's another helpful link:
http://www.openpeak.com/index.html

[DaveVA @ Jan 9th 2008 10:10AM]

Love the 'OpenPeak' Link.

Hope it supports intercom fucntions: I'll buy more than one if it does that.

EPG/STB functions with the display are cool.

Sight says available in 'Spring'. Didnt they say that LAST CES?

[Flashpoint @ Jan 8th 2008 10:06PM]

If Verizon was pushing these with its FIOS service, I'd definately opt for Fios 3 in 1 pack over Time Warner's Triple Play.

This thing is sexy and luxurious but considering it probably won't be far from a PC, its redundant and unnescessary.

Its the ultimate toy for the early adopter who must have it all.

BTW - the Verizon guy who visited me the other day promises speeds up to 20 MB per Sec. Does anyone here have Fios? Have you tested your line speed on Speakeasy?

[Jeremy K. @ Jan 8th 2008 10:15PM]

Yes, I get 20 megabits down and around 4.5megabits up easily on broadbandreports. Speakeasy isn't an accurate test since it's flash based.

[quiksilv3r @ Jan 8th 2008 10:58PM]

It's 20Mbps.

[Jacob @ Jan 8th 2008 10:39PM]

lol, look closely at the icons. There's a Pizza Hut icon!!

[Ed @ Jan 9th 2008 1:47AM]

Looks cool, but not interested at all.

Their biggest competition is cellular. I don't want to spend a minimum of 20$ more dollars a month to get an additional phone number. If this device connected to FiOS for some of the other services, and allowed a cellphone to dock with it and provide that phone number to the whole house, that would be one heck of a device.

They have to start addressing that issue with devices like this. I have not had a phone line since 2002.

[Byron @ Jan 9th 2008 4:06AM]

What's the point? Most users will have something like this right next to their home computer, which is already capable of much more.

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Jan 9th 2008 2:57PM]

All the drawbacks of a pocket computer with none of the benefits of a stationary machine.

[Scott @ Jan 9th 2008 1:20PM]

What's this "home phone" you mention? Is this something your grandparents still buy?