Last time we’ve heard about OpenMoko, they said the first Neo1973 units will be shipping to developers on May 25. Apparently, nothing happened on that day, and the company has just released new information. Good news is that the Neo’s hardware will be upgraded with the new CPU (a 400MHz Samsung, up from 266MHz in the original spec), more internal flash memory (256MB), WiFi radio, and graphics accelerators.
Starting July 9th, OpenMoko will be taking orders from developers for two Neo 1973 (GTA01B_v4) packs: Neo Base features battery, stylus, headset, AC charger, phone pouch, lanyard, SanDisk 512MB MicroSD card and Mini USB connectivity cable; and Neo Advanced that features everything from the Neo Base pack plus an additional battery, MicroSD card and Mini USB cable, as well as USB host mode cable, debug flex cable, debug board v2 (JTAG and serial console), ruggedized toolbox with shoulder strap, guitar pick (for opening case) and Torx T6 screwdriver. The two models will sell for $300 and $450 respectively.
Finally, consumers can grab their open-source phones somewhere in September. OpenMoko will retail them directly from their site and through other channels. Pricing will start from $450 sans any contract. New specs look promising, let’s just hope they know what they’re doing.
[Via: slashphone]