OpenMoko working up Android-based handset?

OpenMoko, the company most famous for its altogether open Neo FreeRunner, is reportedly quite close to kicking out an Android-based handset. Before you get all shocked and appalled, let's look at this rationally. If you'll recall, we actually got wind of such an occurrence way back in April of this year, and some of those very details are jibing nicely with what we're hearing now. Apparently a company dubbed Koolu will be looking to OpenMoko for the design, and we could see a device emerge as early as next month. Initial specs for the elusive mobile include a 400MHz / 500MHz Samsung 2442B CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, a 2.84-inch 640 x 480 resolution touchscreen, 802.11b/g WiFi, aGPS / GPS, inbuilt accelerometer, a pair of "hard" buttons, Bluetooth support, a 2.5mm headphone jack (boo!) and a microSD card slot. Obviously we'll have to wait and see if any of this pans out, but we'll be the first to cross our fingers and hope for yet another Android phone in the mix.

[Thanks, Charles]

[ill trooper @ Oct 30th 2008 8:48AM]

Headphone jacks - we already have a standard. Please adhere to it, phone makers.

Signed, the general public

[j_g_puff @ Oct 30th 2008 10:12AM]

I agree with you - it's very irritating when I can't use normal headphones on a phone - but you can see why they do it. A 3.5mm socket must take up a good percentage of the volume of a typical handset. It would be better to change the headphone standard to something more compact like 2.5 or smaller. This would open the door to smaller or better featured devices (because you can stick more memory in the space that used to be occuped by the socket)

[Mycroft @ Oct 30th 2008 10:48AM]

Well, one of the best things about this device is - you don't like it, fixit! Just open it up and try to squeeze 3.5 jack in there.

I am not sure what the hub-bub is though. Every set of headphones I have owned eventually wear out, fray, or need replacing for some reason. So long as there are 2.5 headsets available, who cares? Just buy the one that fits your phone. It is not like you get superior sound from a 3.5 earbud.

[BradS @ Oct 30th 2008 8:53AM]

They've gone to plaid!

Ludicrous speed!

[Cursor @ Oct 30th 2008 9:08AM]

A+ for the Spaceballs reference!

[BradS @ Oct 30th 2008 9:12AM]

Ape 2: Space balls!?!
Ape 1: Oh shit, there goes the planet ...

[iEye @ Oct 30th 2008 9:00AM]

Just make sure it does not resemble a cereal box Carabiner clip game...

[TareX @ Oct 30th 2008 9:04AM]

"2.84-inch 640 x 480 resolution touchscreen", does it come with a magnifying glass? No? Well how about freakishly pointy alien fingers? You know, for the 1x1mm icons .

[Karel Jansens @ Oct 30th 2008 9:14AM]

Does that mean Android now has a virtual keyboard?

[Tonicboy @ Oct 30th 2008 9:16AM]

While I would love to be excited about this, I'm... not. What the Android market needs now is some really sexy hardware and there's no chance OpenMoko can fill those hoes.

[MyHeadisFed @ Oct 30th 2008 10:03AM]

That's what she said.

[TareX @ Oct 30th 2008 1:35PM]

I agree. The problem is the hardware on which Android is available. It's as if manufacturers view Android as a "risk" not worth getting their best hardware.

And of course: that's what she said.

[Ryan Svoboda @ Oct 30th 2008 12:12PM]

The device you are describing is the Openmoko Freerunner, and it was released on July 3rd. The specs listed are what the phone currently has.

Work is underway to port Android to the Freerunner, as you can see on the wiki at http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Android

This Koolu company claims to be a distributer for Openmoko, and they are planning on only adding software to the phone and reselling it. They also seem to be a huge scam; typos everywhere, claiming to give away free phone who refer 50 people to Google Apps. I wanted to look at their forums, but you have to register just to view them.

If you're interested in the Freerunner, keep your eyes on the community and their efforts to port Android to the phone; I'm pretty sure Koolu is waiting for somebody else to do the work so they can try to rip people off (they're selling the phone for $499, and it's $399 direct from openmoko)

[Doc @ Oct 30th 2008 12:21PM]

Koolu are legit, they just have a crappy website. They're official openmoko distributors.

[Doc @ Oct 30th 2008 12:22PM]

Oh, and the price is due to increased brokerage and tax charges for importing into Canada. I've done this. It's a complete pain in the ass and very expensive as you have to use UPS, who suck up here.

[DallasAlien @ Oct 30th 2008 2:18PM]

No new phone. This is the neo free runner not a new phone, they are just porting the Android software to the same phone. Do some actual fact checking for once and read the wiki.

[Troels C @ Oct 30th 2008 7:24PM]

Finally, scots can get a phone to match their outfit.

[Liam Wolf @ Nov 6th 2008 11:16PM]

More like "So does this come with a mini cooper?"

[yrag @ Oct 30th 2008 9:19PM]

That's the Grounds Keeper Willie version.

Ack— 'tis nothing more than what OpenMoko gave me y'puddle nosed pile of puke!"

[pheer6224 @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:05PM]

The more the merrier.