Three More Linux mobile Phones Coming in Japan

An anonymous reader writes "NEC and Panasonic have developed three Linux-powered 3G mobile phones to be introduced in Japan in the coming months -- NEC's N900iL, NEC's N901iC, and Panasonic's P901i. Of the three, only NEC's N900iL is currently shipping. The N900iL is a dual-network 3G/VoIP handset that works as a 3G mobile phone (using DoCoMo's W-CDMA/FOMA technologies), VoIP terminal, or both simultaneously. All three phones are based on the Linux 3G mobile phone software platform announced by NEC and Panasonic earlier this week."

Unfortunately

...to be introduced in Japan...

Unfortunately, it takes a long time for devices like these to make it to the US, if they make it at all.

Seamless switching?

Are there any service providers currently offering the ability to seamlessly switch from cell towers to VoIP where your current call will move uninterrupted? And if so, what do they charge for VoIP minutes (if anything) over the basic cellular plan?

Great Idea

If only we would get great technology like that of Asia and Europe quicker in the US! I always thought it would be a good idea to get a mobile phone merged with voip [though over a WLAN link]. This would allow WLANs to be 2x useful and encourage huge meshes of APs in order to utilize them not on ly for data but voice as well. Only the future will tell us...

Re:Great Idea

Frankly, I can't wait for Japan to develop some sort of communicator that I can pin on my shirt, tap, and just say the name of the person I want to talk to with immediate and seamless translations.

Either that or the skull implanted cellphones Nokia is planning on that Linus talks about in his Just For Fun book.

telco monopoly

The telcos control the wireless airwaves, and lockin consumers to the phones they sell for their network. Of course they won't be selling phones with WiFi features that can cut their meters out of the loop. That's why, in the US, we have an FCC that vigorously defends our free market, right?

will phones be cheaper then?

Why do we care unless these companies pass the savings from using open source software on to the consumers? i could care less what the underlying os of my phone is...unless of course i could get shell..cause maybe i'd like that..

The secret behind NT DoCoMo

It's just an anagram of "Not dotcom"

All I want for Christmas

is a small Linux PDA/phone with

• wifi
• 2-3 {USB|keyboard|mouse} ports
• VGA output
• use and boot from some kind solid state memory expansion
• built-in screen doesn't have to be fancy, just big enough to display nmap output or run vi.

If my calling plan is reasonable, I don't care about VoIP.

What's a hacker to do?

Geez, this is like taking the wind out of the hackers' sails. I mean, if it's already got Linux on it, what are they gonna do? Any takers for being the first to put a Microsoft OS on one of these?

So where's the source?

All these embedded Linux systems out there that distribute Linux are required to offer the source code for redistribution.

So where is it all? Or are they cheesing out and using only userland software to drive their phones?

(In which case, who cares if it's running Linux, because we can't do anything useful with it anyway?)

I propose...

the Penny Arcade [penny-arcade.com] solution!

More Mobile Linux Phones

Usually they are only available in China or Japan, but there are even more mobile Linux phones [tuxmobil.org] available. You may also enhance a Linux PDA [tuxmobil.org] with a GSM/GPRS CF-Card and turn it into a mobile SmartPhone this way.

eh ?

Why is the OS important ?
Surely it's just the usefulness features, or coolness of the phone which matters.

Using linux is just manufacurers saving licensing costs of Sybian, but how does this affect consumers; the savings won't be passed on.

Personally, while they are still refered to as phones, and tarrifs are kept confusing and basically the same, the ubiquitous mobility revolution cannot start.

Re:But do they run Windows?

"-- Ok, but does it run Linux?
-- Yes... in Japan!"

This is an article where two legendary memes meet! What a nice achievement.