OpenMoko, current king of “open” in the mobile world, has just announced that the schematics for its 1973 and shiny new Neo FreeRunner handsets will soon be published and available for the world to customize. That’s right, OpenMoko takes the concept of open source mobiles to an entirely new level by allowing customization beyond third-party software development. The very architecture of the company’s handsets is fair game as developers are invited to engineer integrated instruments or sensors. It will be interesting to see how the global community embraces the concept of open source mobile hardware and even more interesting to see what they come up with. We already told you about Koolu’s plans to integrate features such as a laser-projected virtual keyboard and an LED projector into the Neo FreeRunner and we can’t wait to see this vision realized. Just remember fellas, you have to keep the handset affordable. In terms of framework, the Neo FreeRunner is quite a launching point for development. The Linux-based handset features a 2.8-inch touchscreen, 128MB of RAM, 256MB of internal memory along with a microSDHC slot, integrated GPS, 802.11g WiFi, bluetooth 2.0 and two motion sensors. Developers, the gauntlet has been thrown.
OpenMoko Will Soon Publish Neo FreeRunner and 1973 Schematics
Updated Dec 19th, 2018 6:02PM EST
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Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.
His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.
