OStatic

If you're interested in OpenMoko's Neo FreeRunner phone, but don't want to buy a development unit straight from them, there's another choice. Canadian company Koolu has signed on to distribute the phone in the Americas, UK, and EU, with plans to enhance and support the software as well.

Koolu is branding the Neo FreeRunner as the "W.E. phone" - for "works everywhere." Their basic pitch is that the device is actually a low-cost, low-footprint green computing project, which is consistent with the other devices that they sell. They also emphasize that it can run Google Apps as part of a general-purpose computing strategy, and say that they'll offer a "Skype-like" VOIP service through their own partners.

One rather curious angle is that Koolu is promoting a program that will get you a phone for free - if you convince 25 people to sign up for the Premier version of Google Apps, or 100 people to sign up for the free version, using their affiliate links. More traditional pricing without the marketing scheme comes to $399 each, $384 per phone in 5 packs or $369 per phone in 10-pack (all prices in Canadian dollars).

The Koolu site also discusses bringing the Google Android software to market on the OpenMoko phone, though it's not clear how far advanced this project is. In any case, if you're one of the people who finds the iPhone to be too closed, this set of projects offers a potentially viable alternative - though one that still appears to have rough edges.

• openmoko
• phone
• koolu