Trolltech Unveils Linux-Based Cell Phone for Mobile Developers

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Trolltech Unveils Linux-Based Cell Phone for Mobile Developers

6:45 am on August 16, 2006 | Category: Mobile Devices, Cell Phones, Software

Trolltech, a Norwegian supplier of Linux-based mobile phones, has unveiled a highly versatile new handset, which will serve as a platform for independent developers to design the mobile software of the future.

The newly announced “Greenphone” is a GSM/GPRS handset with a color screen and 1.3-megapixel digital camera. It will come equipped with a fully programmable open source operating system, making it easier than ever for developers to build customized features for niche markets.

It seems that Trolltech would like to make the Greenphone a testing ground for software that would ultimately make individually customized cell phones an economically feasible reality. Linux-based phones could potentially be modified by niche-based development firms, and specially sculpted for certain careers and lifestyles.

That being said, the Linux operating system still has a long way to go before gaining dominance in the mobile OS universe. It will need to capture a significant amount of market share from current leader, Symbian, which is supported by Nokia, Siemens, Panasonic, and Sony Ericsson, and is installed on hundreds of millions of handsets worldwide.