Motorola A768 Phone Loaded With Open Source

Supp0rtLinux writes "According to this article over at Linux Devices and noted on here at NewsForge.com, Motorola has released a newer version of its A76x line of cellular phones. This newest release, the A768, boasts of open source softwares from Monta Vista Linux, Trolltech, and Sleepycat. The only downside is that it appears to only be available in China right now. And the older A760 released last August is still only available in Europe and Asia. Why are we in the U.S. always the last to get new cellular toys? The good news, though, is that with a Linux base and an integrated PDA and MS Office file compatibility, at least syncing this to either a Linux system or a Windows one should be fairly seamless. (A760 Review)"

US cell phones

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Why are we in the U.S. always the last to get new cellular toys?

Because you have several competing, incompatible cellular networks, when the rest of the world seems to have enough sense to agree on GSM. GSM is an easier, and denser market to conquer. The US market comes second, when something GSM is proven to work well commercially.

Deprivation of these toys

[IchBinDasWalross]

We in the US are last to get this technology because we embrace it not as fully. We still have lots of landlines and service that isn't as crappy as the ones that I used in London. Europe seems to have less advanced systems, so they are more eager to make the jump away from their crappy POTS. We live in a land filled with mediocre service that people don't hate fullly enough.

A Few Reasons it isn't in the USA

[al701]

1) FCC - They have to approve every device and this takes time.
2) Slow adoption rate. The USA isn't big on advanced cells. Not like Europe or Asia.
3) Usually the better phones are GSM. Only recently has GSM become a real option here in the states.

Also: If this type of stuff interestes you, check out Smart Mobs [smartmobs.com] and the book, it is excellent.

funny...

[djupedal]

The only downside is that it appear to only be available in China right now

Downside for you, maybe. No downside for anyone that lives/works where these devices are used.

Re:US cell phones

[Jotaigna]

what about third world countries? only rich people here have access to the latest technology, because imported cellphones come so overpriced noone else can afford them. Still on the other hand in Chile are more mobile phones around than regular lines, despite the fact we use TDMA for some companies and CDMA for others.

Re:funny...

[stratjakt]

Also not a downside for those who simply want a phone, and really dont care about the politics or philosophy of the firmware inside such phone.

Legalities

[Short Circuit]

Not just that, but a litigation-heavy court system and a class-action popular mindset make us the last place anyone wants to try something new.

Re:US cell phones

[DAldredge]

And because our POTS system doesn't charge per minute and doesn't suck as much as it does in most other countries.

also note...

[segment]

Motorola claims to be the number one manufacturer of handsets in China, where IDC estimates there are 252.3 million current mobile telephone subscribers. By 2007, the Chinese mobile phone market is forecast to reach 371.4 million subscribers.

In other words... China has the United States' (or soon will have) population already as a customer in China. Do the math... Do I release it in the US and sell about 50-100 million (wishfully thinking), or do I do with a solid 100+ million Gee willikers what would you do...

Opinionater bastard [slashdot.org]

Re:Deprivation of these toys

[Yokaze]

Bad landlines in Europe? IRC, some DSL standard had to be modified to accomodate the american landlines (smaller diameter, in average larger distance from the switch).

I guess it depends on where you live. Maybe the US is much more diverse than you think.

Re:Marketability

[Narcissus]

Excuse me if I'm mistaken, but are you trying to say that GSM is "newer technology"??

Australia has been using GSM for at least 8 or 9 years, it's not new technology. I don't mean to offend, but the lack of US support for GSM for so many years feels, to an outsider, as though it's more because it's supported so heavily elsewhere!

Plus, regarding the geography you have to cover: Australia, again, is about 70% of the area of the main "chunk" of the United States, and yet they don't seem to have much problem. The way I see it, with the higher population density, it would actually be more economical for the US to provide these so called "newer technologies" than Australia, for instance...

But do they include the source code?

[plinius]

There's no point in calling it open source if the sources aren't available. And somehow I doubt that yet another big company embracing open source will actually include the sources with the product.

Re:How much?

[twaltari]

You make it sound as if it was a natural and logical billing principle; The truth is, in US the cell phone numbers weren't allocated under a separate area code (which is the standard in many countries). A basic principle of billing phone calls says the caller should always know roughly how much the call will cost him. In US the caller cannot see from the number whether it is a cell phone or wired one. Thus the telco charges cell phone owners even when receiving calls (the same priciple rest of the world uses whenever the cell phone is roaming).

About call "plans" (prepaid monthly minutes) you mentioned; That's sick and wrong. The greedy telco makes you pay for calls you are only planning to make. I refuse to ever pay anything but actual calls, billed afterwards by seconds.

Other shotrcomings of cell phone service in USA include the complete lack of SIM cards (separation of service and phone equipment), limited support for SMS and typical half-a-year-minumum service provider lock-in. Luckily number portability is on the way.

Needless to say, I'm European.