Aava Mobile's "fully open" handset [LWN.net]

Aava Mobile has announced the upcoming availability of what it claims to be "the world's first fully open mobile device." "Functioning Aava Mobile devices measure 64mm by 125mm and only 11.7 millimeters thin-making them the world's thinnest x86 based smartphone devices. The reference design provides support for Linux-based Moblin 2.1 and Android OSs today, with plans to support MeeGo in the future." Some pictures of this new toy have been posted as well.

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Aava Mobile's "fully open" handset

Posted Feb 16, 2010 17:04 UTC (Tue) by tajyrink (subscriber, #2750) [Link]

I'd be happy to know if someone finds out (or people from Aava can comment) what's more open in Aava than was in Openmoko / Neo FreeRunner so that Aava's design can be called "first open"? And is eg. everything that was open in Openmoko's mobile project open also in Aava (CC-BY-SA CAD design and schematics, software, ...)?

Where are the sources?

Posted Feb 16, 2010 20:21 UTC (Tue) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link]

What's the point in announcing something "completely open" without giving a link to the sources? Who is going to believe it?

Aava Mobile's "fully open" handset

Posted Feb 16, 2010 21:48 UTC (Tue) by dcbw (guest, #50562) [Link]

It's only fully open when we have the source code to the baseband firmware and all the other bits like battery charging algorithms and embedded-controllers. Until then, it's not open.

I seriously doubt that their radio module provider handed them the firmware code under an open-source license. That would be huge. So I think this boils down to "we have a different definition of open than you do".

Aava Mobile's "fully open" handset

Posted Feb 17, 2010 2:30 UTC (Wed) by pabs (subscriber, #43278) [Link]

Given that it uses an Intel Atom CPU, and probably Intel WiFi, this device is probably only the software running on the CPU is open rather than fully free hardware and software.

http://www.aavamobile.com/specs.php

I'm much more interested in the work of Harald Welte, the gta02-core project, other ex-OpenMoko folk and other parts of the free software/hardware communities.

Aava Mobile's "fully open" handset

Posted Feb 17, 2010 11:34 UTC (Wed) by epa (subscriber, #39769) [Link]

It's only fully open when we have the source code to the baseband firmware and all the other bits like battery charging algorithms and embedded-controllers.

It's only fully open when the device's owner has the source for all that and the right to modify it and run the changed version.

A locked-down device that comes with a CD of source code (to comply with the letter but not the spirit of free software licences) is not fully open at all.

I'm not saying the Aava handset is like that, just pointing out that 'you can look at the source code' is not sufficient for an open device.

Aava Mobile's "fully open" handset

Posted Feb 20, 2010 16:59 UTC (Sat) by Baylink (subscriber, #755) [Link]

All those things said, this is a pretty looking handset, with a button in the proper place for PTToC (or pretty close).

Can I get one for LTE700?