Neither iPhone or OpenMoko are revolutionary

[Attila Csipa]

On Thursday 18 January 2007 10:01, Renaissance Man wrote:
> Truphone. You can take their software package, put it on the cheapest
> supported WiFi/GSM enabled phone you can get and then you have a
> phone that seamlessly swaps between WiFi and GSM with one phone number.

Just out of curiosity, did you actually try this ? I would be very curious to 
find out how do they accomplish this from a technical standpoint. A sort of 
auto-redial via GSM I can understand, but _seamless_ switching without 
carrier assist (not to mention the delays of connection establishing) is 
quite a feat if they can do it.

> The problem with the Nokia E Series, N80s, and Windows smartphones is
> that they're either very expensive and/or they don't actually make
> VoIP via WiFi easy. 

Why should they risk ? They are selling millions of handsets through carriers, 
and they sure don't want to lose those contracts. Take the iPhone, and let's 
see what would have happened if they 'got it'. Add some $ to counter the 
costs of wifi (not just the HW itself, but for the whole feature), discard 
the carrier subsidy and now you have a carrier free funky wifi don't leave 
the country phone that has to be recharged daily and costs 800-1000$. Doesn't 
impress me all that much.