linux

NXP Semiconductors and Purple Labs came up with a new low-cost Linux-based 3G handset.

The so called Purple Magic phone runs on the NXP Nexperia Cellular System Solution 7210 for 3G, coupled with the Purple Labs Linux suite.

This device probably won't be available for the general public, but since it is a working prototype, it is quite possible that some mobile operators in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America would sell it under a different name using their own brand.

OpenMoko announced Neo FreeRunner, an update to their previous open-source Neo 1973.

The new phone will look like the original, but will be available in two tri-band GSM variants (850/1800/1900 and 900/1800/1900) and will offer several hardware improvements, such as more powerful 500MHz CPU, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, better graphics support and motion sensors allowing for movement based user input.

T-Mobile started offering the Motorola RAZR2 V8.

This quad-band GSM/EDGE clamshell phone operates on Motorola's Linux-Java OS and comes with stereo Bluetooth, touch-sensitive controls, 2Mpix camera, and 2GB of on-board memory (no microSD slot).

The price is $250 with 2-year contract.

Motorola has developed a new open-source Mobile Linux platform, called MOTOMAGX. This new-gen platform offers more possibilities for the developers and supports 3rd party applications, including those created in J2ME, and later editions, native Linux apps. The first phones to use MOTOMAGX will be yet unavailable MOTOROKR Z6 and the RAZR2 V8.

The new FIC Neo1973 is the first mobile phone running the OpenMoko open-source OS. It allows developers to create their own mobile Linux applications. The device was launched on Monday, and will become the second fully accessible Linux phone after the Trolltech Greenphone.

The Neo1973 is a quad-band GSM handset featuring a touch-screen display, Bluetooth 2.

The FIC Neo1973 is a Linux-based quad-band GSM/GPRS smartphone, the first device to feature the open-source OpenMoKo platform. It is scheduled to ship for sale in September with a price tag of $350.

The device is controlled entirely by its touch screen. However, it still needs to be worked on. The screen is difficult to use and often doesn't respond to fingertip inputs.

Motorola announces Motorola RIZR Z6 the device looks like a RIZR Z3 from the outside but has Motorola's Linux based OS on the inside. The handset has a QVGA 320×240 screen with 262k colors, also a 2-megapixel camera and a music player which supports Windows DRM plus MP3, AAC, AAC +, AAC + enhanced, AMR NB, WAV and XMF. The size of the device is 105.

The use of Linux as a mobile operating system (OS) has been steadily growing, with an increasing number of companies announcing plans to develop Linux platforms.

Uniquely positioned in the OS space with implementations in both the smartphone and feature phone segments, Linux is in sharp contrast to Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm which have focused on the smartphone segment.