The cell phone industry, being as competitive as it is, is heading toward new frontiers. New innovations are constantly being added. The latest and greatest idea is a touch-screen device that will allow you to accomplish more tasks than ever, including entertain yourself with music, movies, pictures, etc. In this realm, there are many competitors. But two stand out as the most talked about: the Apple iPhone and the FIC/OpenMoko Neo1973.
If you haven’t heard of the iPhone by now, you obviously don’t know anyone that happens to be an Apple fanboy (believe me, you would have heard about it). The iPhone is being praised by Apple fans and the technological world at large as a huge leap in user interface innovation. It features a multi-touch sensitive screen, which allows the user to manipulate images, maps, etc. like never before on a cell phone. It is also being heralded as a wonderful media player, following in the footsteps of its uncle, the iPod. Price: $500-$600.
The OpenMoko Neo1973 phone, however, packs a heavy punch in a different realm: every last bit of software included on the phone is open source, licensed under the GPL. This means that practically anything can be included on your phone. Software developers will be able to take advantage of every hardware resource, ennabling capabilities that are yet to be included in any smartphone so far. Not only that, but it is the only phone to have built-in GPS capabilities. Price: $350.
Which one is the winner? Well, that entirely depends on your priorities. I have discovered a side-by-side comparison list that outlines several important features of both phones (including a third one, the Motorola A1200) and scores each one based on how well it conforms against the features of an ideal, and still imaginary, phone.
Click here to view the comparison.
Quick summary: according to the comparison, the Neo1973 far outweighs the iPhone overall. Aside from price, the iPhone’s main drawback is the fact that it is locked only to Cingular and only software that is signed and approved by Apple will ever make the cut. Sound familiar? It seems to have been Apple’s strategy from the get-go, similar to their ongoing strategy of tightly controlling hardware for their Mac lineup (which is one of the main reasons they still have such a low market share).
It will be interesting to see how the next-generation phone wars turn out.
In case you are unfamiliar with either one, here is some footage to point you in the right direction:
