• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

What was OpenMoko and what happened to it???

Android Amateur

Well-Known Member
I was surfing YouTube and came across an Open source mobile phone prototype called OpenMoko. Kinda reminded me of an early Android type. Anybody know what happened to this company and if they are still around? Was this the begining of Android or just another open source project BEFORE Android? :confused:
 
Well they are both Linux based. But I don't think they are related otherwise. Two entirely different distros.

Imagine if one day, we will be able to install different Linux distributions to our phones.
 
*imagining............... That would be awesome! I sometimes think, "What will the Android platform be like in 5 years?" What's next down the Android road? (besides future OS updates) And what would you like to see for future phones/platforms? Let's get some opinions going here!
 
Openmoko the company is still around - they made 2 Free Software phones, then a gadget for reading wikipedia articles offline.

Openmoko the hardware (Neo 1973 and Neo Freerunner) are still around. The mailing lists regularly have people selling theirs if you want one (often at little more than postage). You had to solder a capacitor across the SD card slot to get the phonecalls working without a buzzing noise, and for a long time the GPS didn't work at the same time as the SD card, so don't expect the smoothest of experiences when using one!

It's still pretty flexible as phones go - you can install loads of different operating-systems on it (e.g. Qtopia, Android, Maemo, Debian), and having root permissions and SSH means you're never asking anyone for permission to develop something.

Openmoko the operating system (SHR) is still around, although very fragmented as people spread their effort amongst so many choices of OS for the phone. There's something to be said for being able to run any linux program on your phone without having to rewrite it (although the practicality of running OpenOffice is somewhat comical!)

But if you wanted confirmation of Openmoko's death then look no further than the FSF's newsletter, which dismisses Openmoko as irrelevant when talking about Free Software on phones.

I'm considering going from a P.A.Y.G. Openmoko to a
 
Back
Top Bottom