What's the best mobile phone for a Linux/OS agenda?

[yekibud]

I find that mobile devices are a very important area for OS development/ exploration - but unfortunately this area is stifled by hardware vendor/ software/ carrier relationships. I've been trying for a while to find the best company/ phone to support a Linux/OS agenda.

I started with the Motorola Ming a1200 about a year ago - based on some modified Linux kernel. It had some firmware problems and I never got around to putting a shell on it - but I was happy to have the option.

The Ming broke because of the stupid flip design - now I'm considering the Rokr E6 - basically the same, but no flip. But I'm starting to reconsider my motivations for buying a Linux-based phone. The big site for motorola-linux phones is Motorolafans.com - but it seems more like a phone hacker/hot-rod community, rather than an idealistic OS front. That's what I'm more interested in. To get a lot of the apps to work on the Motorola phones using the motorolafans.com guides, it seems you need to get the MotorolaTools software - which I believe is just a Windows or Mac binary.

OpenMoko looks very promising - but you can't find any OpenMoko neo1973s anywhere. The latest OpenMoko device - the FreeRunner - is supposed to start shipping next month. Still - they're talking about a >$400 price-point, which is about $200 over what I will afford myself.

So I'm kind of stuck because I think mobile/phone hardware is a very important area for Linux and OS, but there don't seem to be any good or affordable options.

Would love to hear any other opinions on which phones are best for a Linux/OS agenda. Thanks.

[Freston]

I have the same question. Linus Torvalds promised us 2008 would be the year of the Linux phone (he promised, he did, he did... )


The OpenMoko seems pretty promising, but alas the Neo1973 is due by the end of the year (<=link may give a security error) and the developers version is sold out.


Thus, I'm looking for other options as well. It looks as though it is still a slowly emerging market.