List of open-source mobile phones
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Here are listed mobile phones which have (substantially) open source code and/or open hardware available.
Notes
Android-based devices do not appear on this list because of the heavy use of proprietary components, particularly drivers and applications [1] [2] [3].
WebOS was initially available only under a proprietary license but the source code was later released under a free license by HP.
All mobile phones have proprietary baseband (GSM module) firmware.
List
Organization | Model | Mobile operating system | Open hardware | QWERTY (hardware) keyboard | Release date | Current state |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nokia | N900 | Maemo 5 (Fremantle) | No | Yes | 2009 | Discontinued |
Nokia | N950 (available to developers only) | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | No | Yes | 2011 | Discontinued |
Nokia | N9 | MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan | No | No | 2011 | Discontinued |
OpenMoko | Neo 1973 (development code name GTA01) | Openmoko Linux, Qtopia (both Linux-based) | Yes | No | July 9, 2007 | Discontinued |
OpenMoko | Neo FreeRunner (development code name GTA02) | Openmoko Linux, Qt Extended, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Android, Gentoo (all Linux-based), Inferno | Yes | No | June 24, 2008 | Discontinued |
Golden Delicious, GmbH | GTA04 | QtMoko, Debian, SHR (Stable Hybrid Release), Android | No | No | 2012 Q2 | Waiting for expressions of interest |
Aava mobile, link | Developer phone (available to developers only) | MeeGo | No | No | 2011 | Discontinued |
Tizen Association, members, mainly Samsung, also Intel | Developer phone (available to developers only) | Tizen | No | No | 2013 | Discontinued |
Replicant team | Nexus S, Samsung: Galaxy SIII, SII, S, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Tab 2, Goldelico: GTA04, HTC: Dream. See the supported devices full list | Replicant (Android distribution) | No | No | 2010-Present | Active |
HP | Palm Pre, Palm Pre Plus, Palm Pixi, Palm Pixi Plus, Pre 2, Pre 3, Veer, HP TouchPad supported devices full list | webOS | No | No | 2009-2012 | Discontinued |
Jolla | Jolla mobile phone, logical successor of Nokia N9 | Sailfish OS | No | No | 2013 Q4 (Expected) | Proposed |
References
- ^ Android (operating system)#Licensing "drivers and firmware vital for the proper functioning of Android devices are usually proprietary"
- ^ Stallman, Richard (2011-09-19). "Is Android really free software? – Google's smartphone code is often described as 'open' or 'free' – but when examined by the Free Software Foundation, it starts to look like something different". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
the software of Android versions 1 and 2 was mostly developed by Google; Google released it under the Apache 2.0 license, which is a lax free software license without copyleft. ... The version of Linux included in Android is not entirely free software, since it contains non-free "binary blobs"... Android is very different from the GNU/Linux operating system because it contains very little of GNU.
- ^ Stallman, Richard (2012-08-05). "Android and Users' Freedom – Support the Free Your Android campaign". gnu.org. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
Even though the Android phones of today are considerably less bad than Apple or Windows smartphones, they cannot be said to respect your freedom.
See also
- FSO, Free smartphone org project: modern service-based middleware platform for Linux-based embedded systems, obeys "No strings attached" principle among others
- Greenphone
- TuxPhone
- Mobile device (mobile platform)
- OsmocomBB