GeeksPhone One
Encyclopedia
The GeeksPhone One is an Android-powered smartphone
developed and marketed by GeeksPhone
. It is aimed at power users; GeeksPhone claims it to be the first Android phone which is not locked down but gives users full access to the operating system and even encourages modifying it. The device was originally priced at €300 in the EU, lowered to €160 in December 2010, and is currently out of stock.
Hardware specifications of the One were changed at various stages after its announcement:
the device first. New OS images can easily be installed on the device; the company operates a wiki
and a forum for users to share knowledge. However, unlike similar efforts such as Openmoko
, GeeksPhone does not publish details on the phone's hardware beyond common technical specifications.
Another difference to Openmoko is that GeeksPhone aims to provide a stable device suitable for everyday use and capable of competing with other commercial devices on the market. The GeeksPhone One ships with an Android version which has undergone quality tests and passed Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Code Compliance certification, allowing it to include closed-source Android components and participate in Android Market.
As of July 2010, the GeeksPhone is not available through any of the big mobile operators. While GeeksPhone does not rule out cooperation with operators, CEO Javier Agüera has stated that the “freedom-based” business model would have priority over any such agreement.
Developers can get technical support from GeeksPhone and major contributors may receive an additional free handset for development from GeeksPhone and, in some cases, sponsorships.
GeeksPhone initially announced that phones would not yet ship with CCRs preinstalled; however, as of at least October 2010, phones have been shipped with a CCR based on Android 2.2 (Froyo).
under the name Commtiva Z1, with a Chinese keyboard.
The Acer neoTouch P300
appears to have identical hardware but runs Windows Mobile
.
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
developed and marketed by GeeksPhone
GeeksPhone
GeeksPhone is a Spanish start-up company and producer of smartphones.-History:GeeksPhone was founded in early 2009 by Javier Agüera and Rodrigo Silva-Ramos. Its first product, the GeeksPhone One, was announced in 2009 and started shipping in early 2010, becoming the first European brand to launch...
. It is aimed at power users; GeeksPhone claims it to be the first Android phone which is not locked down but gives users full access to the operating system and even encourages modifying it. The device was originally priced at €300 in the EU, lowered to €160 in December 2010, and is currently out of stock.
Hardware
- GPS with DGPS (WAAS/EGNOS)
- 3-axis accelerometerAccelerometerAn accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
- Retractile stylus
Hardware specifications of the One were changed at various stages after its announcement:
- The original prototype looked similar to the Samsung OmniaSamsung OmniaThe Samsung SGH-i900, also known as Omnia I or WiTu , is a mobile phone released by Samsung Mobile. Announced in June 2008, the Omnia was launched in Singapore in mid-June, available in stores on the 20th of June, and in the rest of Asia in July. For some parts of Europe, it was launched in August...
and lacked a physical keyboard, the final design was adopted later. - A DVB-T tuner, although initially announced, is not found in the final product.
- A second, front-facing camera for use in video calls was also mentioned before the release and is clearly visible next to the earpiece in photos of prototypes, although reportedly disabled in initial software releases. The final product lacks this second camera.
- The first releases were shipped with 256 MB ROM; later models are equipped with 512 MB.
Software
The GeeksPhone One originally shipped with a customized build of Android 1.6 (Donut); updates to later Android versions are available. The system image also includes closed-source Android components, as well as some commercial third-party applications.Philosophy
The GeeksPhone One is the first handset produced by GeeksPhone. The company claims it to be the first Android-powered handset which allows the user to modify operating system components without having to rootRooting (Android OS)
Rooting is a process that allows users of mobile phones and other devices running the Android operating system to attain privileged control within Android's Linux subsystem with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and manufacturers put on some devices...
the device first. New OS images can easily be installed on the device; the company operates a wiki
Wiki
A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
and a forum for users to share knowledge. However, unlike similar efforts such as Openmoko
Openmoko
Openmoko is a project to create a family of open source mobile phones, including the hardware specification and the operating system. The project was sponsored by Openmoko Inc....
, GeeksPhone does not publish details on the phone's hardware beyond common technical specifications.
Another difference to Openmoko is that GeeksPhone aims to provide a stable device suitable for everyday use and capable of competing with other commercial devices on the market. The GeeksPhone One ships with an Android version which has undergone quality tests and passed Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Code Compliance certification, allowing it to include closed-source Android components and participate in Android Market.
As of July 2010, the GeeksPhone is not available through any of the big mobile operators. While GeeksPhone does not rule out cooperation with operators, CEO Javier Agüera has stated that the “freedom-based” business model would have priority over any such agreement.
Certified Community Release program
In July 2010, GeeksPhone announced their Certified Community Release (CCR) program. CCRs are Android ports developed by the community and subsequently certified by GeeksPhone. Releases may be certified as “stable” or “beta”. While full credit is given to the developer, GeeksPhone will give technical support to users of these builds and flash phones with a CCR if requested by the customer. Use of a CCR will not void the warranty of the phone.Developers can get technical support from GeeksPhone and major contributors may receive an additional free handset for development from GeeksPhone and, in some cases, sponsorships.
GeeksPhone initially announced that phones would not yet ship with CCRs preinstalled; however, as of at least October 2010, phones have been shipped with a CCR based on Android 2.2 (Froyo).
Market availability and clones
GeeksPhone sells the One in Europe and Latin America. In Russia, computer discounter Vobis distributes the GeeksPhone One under the name Highscreen Zeus, apparently with a different software package than the original GeeksPhone One. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, it is marketed by FarEastOneFarEasTone
FarEasTone is a GSM mobile phone operator in Taiwan.-Service launch:Far EasTone was awarded two wireless service licenses in January 1997...
under the name Commtiva Z1, with a Chinese keyboard.
The Acer neoTouch P300
Acer neoTouch P300
The Acer neoTouch P300 is a smartphone designed by Acer Inc. It runs Windows Mobile 6.5.3 operating system. It was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona and it is officially available from March 2010....
appears to have identical hardware but runs Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
.