An OpenMoko Phone arrives

Earlier today, DHL delivered me an OpenMoko phone.

Apparently, I am one of the 50 people picked to receive this “Phase 0″ piece. The way that post is phrased, it kind of feels like receiving a lifetime achievement award! :) I am certainly in quite august company!

This is truly hackable phone – it goes to the extent of including a torque screwdriver so that you can open the phone!

And this has by far the most glorious small screen I have ever seen (640×480). Plus built-in GPS. More hardware info here

The number of things included! Apart from the phone and the torgue screwdriver, there is an interface board to aid development, a USB charger, a stylus/pen/flashlight/laserpointer, in-ear earphones, a pouch, microsd card+SD adaptor…..

Then the cherry on the pie – a guitar plectrum.

A guitar plectrum???

Apparently, it is for prying the case open, so you don’t break your fingernails! :) I took it for test drive immediately while the phone was charging – feels real good playing Rock and Roll with it on my black Ibanez AR-50. If anyone from OpenMoko is reading this – the plectrum passes QC quite nicely! :)

I am going to have fun with this phone, and expect that I will be writing about it soon. But right now, I need to quickly catch up with a lot of stuff that happened in the past two weeks.

Update: Lots of people bugged me for photos. I really don’t have the patience or the skill for that, so how about looking at Koen “OPenEmbeded” Kooi’s photoset instead? :)