OpenMoko Neo1973
{Developer Preview}



Available now

The Neo1973 is an open
source Linux-based handset
from OpenMoko , and it is
designed to be an easily
configurable and expandable
device, in sharp contrast to
many other phones.


Manufactured by FIC, the
unusual name of the Neo1973
reflects the year that mobile
phones were first introduced,
and the handset has a little bit
of "retro-futuristic" styling to
boot.


This particular device is the
Developer's Edition - as far as
we can tell it is almost exactly
the same size as the Apple
iPhone , and it's broadly
competitive with the iPhone on
technical specifications too.


Apart from the unusual rounded
design, one immediately
noticeable feature with the
Neo1973 is the large 2.8 "
display. This is a 640 x 480 pixel
panel giving an impressive
display resolution of 283 dpi..
almost the quality of an inkjet
printer and certainly
comparable with the excellent
display on the Nokia N800 . The
screen is designed to be usable
with either a stylus or a
fingertip. It should be noticed
that there are almost no other
controls on the Neo1973 apart
from a power button. There's
no camera on the Neo1973, but
that's not really what this
phone is about.




The Developer Edition of the
Neo1973 (called GTA01 ) is
strictly a GSM/GPRS-only device,
lacking 3 G or WiFi support. The
full retail edition of the
neo1973, due in October will add
WiFi but no high-speed cellular
data support such as UMTS,
EDGE or HSDPA. This is a pity as
we thing that high-speed data
access is a must for any useful
smartphone.


Unusually the neo1973 features
AGPS (a*s GPS), in addition
to more "normal" features such
as microSD memory, Bluetooth
2.0 and multimedia playback. The
USB connection on the neo1973
is only USB 1.1 , so transfer
speeds are somewhat limited. A
512 MB microSD card is included
in the standard sales package,
so files can also be transferred
by a card reader. The SD slot is
SDIO capable, so peripherals can
be added to it. Internal memory
is 128 MB RAM plus 64MB flash.


Enough of the technical specs -
what makes the Neo1973
different from most other
devices is the extent of "open"
design. The Neo1973 runs a
variant of Linux made up of
open source elements, much like
the Nokia N800 and 770 . This
means that the Neo1973 can be
added to and tweaked
according to user's needs. The
Neo1973 takes things a little
further though, and the
hardware has been designed so
that skilled users can add
devices and modify it, or start
up a Linux console on an
attached device. Indeed, the
"Neo Advanced" package comes
with a toolkit for getting into
the phone including soldering
points for hardcore hardware
hackers.


This openness is in marked
contrast to the Apple iPhone
where applications are strictly
controlled, and even changing
the battery is an expensive
return-to-base business. The
open source approach marks
the Neo1973 as being much
closer to the Maemo-based
N800 and 770 devices than the
iPhone, even though the iPhone
runs a fundamentally similar
operating system.


It should be remembered that
this is the Developer Edition of
the Neo1973 . When the
consumer edition (GTA02 ) comes
out (hopefully in October), the
hardware will support WiFi plus
3 G graphics acceleration
(although without any buttons,
the Neo1973 will be of limited
appeal to gamers).


The Neo1973 Base Developer
Preview is available for a
discounted price of $300 , the
Advanced (with a toolkit) is
$450 . When the consumer
edition goes on sale later this
year it is slated to be $450 for
the Base and $600 for the
Advanced edition. The Neo1973
can be ordered here in Orange
or Black colour variants.



OpenMoko Neo1973
Developer Preview at a
glance



Available:

Q 3 2007

Network:

GSM

Data:

GPRS

Screen:

480 x640 pixels

Camera:

No

Size:

PDA-style device

116 mm x 60 mm approx (4.6 " x
2.4")

Bluetooth:

Yes

Memory card:

microSD

Infra-red:

No

Polyphonic:

Yes

Java:

Yes

Battery life:

Not specified