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OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas?
The OpenMoko wiki has an
updated schedule that shows the phones reaching customers by 25
December. There is also more information about the new hardware (WiFi,
faster processor, accelerometers, and more). "We will sell this
device through multiple channels. Direct from openmoko.com, the price will
be $450 for the Neo Base and $600 for Neo Advanced."
(Log in to post comments)
Guitar pick with every phone Posted Sep 10, 2007 21:28 UTC (Mon) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link] They include (with a few other things) a guitar pick in the "Advanced" package, to use for opening up the phone without damaging the housing. Me, I think they should make that the logo, and put a graphic of a guitar pick (with, perhaps, the present logo inside) on the phone and on all promotional materials, and ship a guitar pick with every phone.
Guitar pick with every phone Posted Sep 11, 2007 3:55 UTC (Tue) by BrucePerens (guest, #2510) [Link] Let's get really radical and ship a phone with every guitar pick! :-)
Guitar pick with every phone Posted Sep 11, 2007 4:46 UTC (Tue) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link] I don't know why they couldn't put a pair of bridges on the back and stretch strings across. DSP could make the strings sound longer, and in tune. But you'd have to choose between fingering and picking. Hmm, they should ship two phones with each pick, and a stick to attach them to.I guess they could leave out the phone part.
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 11, 2007 1:45 UTC (Tue) by yasker (guest, #43138) [Link] Iphone cut off it price to $399 now, make Neo1973(also other mobiles) seems a little expensive...
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 11, 2007 3:57 UTC (Tue) by BrucePerens (guest, #2510) [Link] It's worth $100 more for the openness.So, tell me. Does the $399 iPod come locked into an ATT contract for a year or something? That might say something about the price differential too. Bruce
Carrier-locked iPhone Posted Sep 11, 2007 4:34 UTC (Tue) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link] Two years is what I read.Oh, and be sure to take out the batteries before you go overseas, or it will run up thousands of dollars in roaming charges checking your e-mail, even while "turned off". Oops, you can't...
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 11, 2007 7:17 UTC (Tue) by Los__D (guest, #15263) [Link] In Denmark, we get most phones A LOT cheaper, but locked for a year to a certain provider (the subscription prices is usually somewhat inflated). Usually, it's between something like 0.25 and $100.
If the iPhone is locked and costs $399 at the same time, it is still very, expensive.
An unlocked Neo1973 is probably cheaper, unless AT&T is a cheap provider, and the locked subscription price isn't raised.
Then again, I don't know much about the US provider situation, so I might be way off...
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 11, 2007 10:00 UTC (Tue) by salimma (subscriber, #34460) [Link] Same situation here as in most parts of Europe: phones are sold locked, with 1-2yr contracts. You don't get a discount for bringing your own phone.
An open phone is useful only if:
s/useful/cheaper/g Posted Sep 11, 2007 11:54 UTC (Tue) by hackerb9 (guest, #21928) [Link] You meant to say "cheaper" rather than "useful", right? Open phones have a heck of a lot more uses than that. Say, running free software, or community support, or easy hackability and extensibility.
Personally, and I'm not sure if you can count this as something "useful", what I'm looking for in a phone is freedom.
--b9
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 11, 2007 13:36 UTC (Tue) by frodonl (subscriber, #16826) [Link] Interesting - with most/all providers here in the Netherlands, one can get a 'SIM-only' subscription, which can be up to about 50% cheaper than a subscription with a 'free' phone.
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 11, 2007 10:14 UTC (Tue) by Janne (guest, #40891) [Link] I can't help it, but whenever I look at the OpenMoko-device, it's UI reminds me of a crappy WinAmp-theme some kids created...
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 11, 2007 13:06 UTC (Tue) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link] Well that's the nice thing, right?
You can make it look nice if it bothers you. It's open.
Theming your phone Posted Sep 11, 2007 18:37 UTC (Tue) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link] Except the plastic bits.
Theming your phone Posted Sep 13, 2007 2:30 UTC (Thu) by Viddy (subscriber, #33288) [Link] Thats something that I've been idly thinking about - just how hard would it be to do an alternate case, if one was a Chinese faceplate manufacturer?Looking at the photos for dissambling it: http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Disassembling_Neo1973 It isn't trivial, but isn't exactly impossible - to do it you'd have to replace 3 moulds, assuming that the speakers are kept in the same place.
I've seen it done with my brothers crufty old nokia phone with two plates, so doing a variation on the three that are there should be possible.
Theming your phone Posted Sep 13, 2007 2:44 UTC (Thu) by pj (subscriber, #4506) [Link] There's a placeholder page at http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Neo1973_case_schematics waiting for specs on the existing case. I've read of a couple people on the list being interested in alternate cases. Personally I think one out of a nice hardwood would be awesome. I'm not sure how well it'd survive in my pocket, though.
Theming your phone Posted Sep 13, 2007 12:09 UTC (Thu) by pbaum (subscriber, #4514) [Link] Isn't freedom just nice. There are already many ideas about alternate casesPeter
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 15, 2007 13:51 UTC (Sat) by NAR (subscriber, #1313) [Link] Well, I've just checked the hopepage of my provider, they sell 2 Samsung M600 phones for 5.40$ (that's five US dollars and 40 cents) - of course, with two years lock-in. A 450$ device is not really competitive in this market, IMHO the "hackability" feature doesn't worth 444.6$.
OpenMoko Neo 1973 phones by Christmas? Posted Sep 20, 2007 1:23 UTC (Thu) by eli (guest, #11265) [Link] IMHO the "hackability" feature doesn't worth 444.6$.It is to me. I'm waiting with bated breath for the GTA02 hardware.
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