Qtopia Greenphone: the developer's phone
updated 11:55 am EDT, Wed August 16, 2006
Qtopia Greenphone
Cellphone software development is usually done under the close supervision of either a major OS developer or the cellphone manufacturer itself. Corporate reasoning usually claims that this is for the sake of integration, but the Norwegian software developer TROLLTECH believes that an open development environment will improve even the most basic aspects of phone software. As part of its claim, the company unveiled the Qtopia Greenphone, a cellphone which is as much as a test platform for new software as it is functional hardware. Running the Linux-based Qtopia operating system, the Greenphone can load new software written for it through an open-source developer kit or use preloaded code to work without any further effort. As a phone, the device is fairly capable: it runs on GSM networks and features Bluetooth, 128MB of built-in flash (with a miniSD slot for more), and a camera. Developers and those who are simply interested in the phone itself can get one from the company in mid-September for a tentative price of $700 through the Qtopia mailing list. See the full phone after the jump.
