Motorola mobile phone line with Linux

via CNET | NEWS :

Linux moves into midrange Motorola phones

Motorola announced a new step this week in its plan to remake most of its mobile phone line with Linux, expanding use of the open-source operating system to midrange phones.

The E895 is a flip-phone design that uses a version of Linux from MontaVista Software, said Cheryln Chin, vice president for Motorola mobile phone marketing. Motorola expects to begin shipping it in Asia in the fourth quarter of the year and in other parts of the globe after that.

Motorola began selling Linux-powered mobile phones in 2003 but, until now, has used the OS only in high-end phones. Motorola expects to change that as software makers slim down Linux and hardware makers bulk up cell phone computing power, Chin said.

With the E895, Motorola has pushed the OS into midrange phones, and Linux should reach mass-market phones "probably in late 2006 or 2007," Chin said. More than half of Motorola's mobile phones will use Linux within 18 to 24 months, she predicted.

Linux is used for lower-level functions such as power and memory management and basic software. However, Motorola relies on Java, which it licenses from Sun Microsystems, for many applications. Indeed, Schaumberg, Ill.-based Motorola announced the phone this week at Sun's JavaOne conference in San Francisco.

Comments

[Chris Cote]

I just purchased the motorola A780. I'm interested in finding some info on Flash Lite for linux based phones, and also any other apps. I haven't seen any info on ssh for these phones, maybe i should check out the MontaVista site.

[Alessandro]

Linux on mobile phone makes sense ! Nice to see coming out !

Chris, Flash Lite currently is only available on Series 60 OS phones.

Alessandro

[interfaSys]

You're wrong about Flash Lite, it's also available on UIQ per example and many other OS/UI combinations.
http://www.macromedia.com/mobile/supported_devices/handsets.html

It would be nice to test the official Flash player for Linux on a handset. You wouldn't get the same phone oriented features, but yoiu would get much better applications while we all wait for Flash Lit 2.0