Neither iPhone or OpenMoko are revolutionary

[Andreas Kostyrka]

* David Schlesinger <david.schlesinger at palmsource.com> [070118 03:42]:
> On 1/17/07 6:12 PM, "Renaissance Man" <renaissanceman at macmail.com> wrote:
> > On 18 Jan 2007, at 2:00 am, David Schlesinger wrote:
> > 
> >> You can go out and buy a Nokia 800 or a Sony Mylo today for the
> >> price of a NEO and do VoIP right this instant. If it's changed the
> >> world, I guess I must not have been paying attention.
> > 
> > No you don't appear to be reading correctly what I'm writing. It's GSM
> > +VoIP via WiFi. i.e. cheap mobile phones that people can communicate
> > cheaply with.
> 
> The NEO's not _cheap_, exactly: there was a recent survey of 1,800 recent
> purchasers of cell phones, and 21--not 21 _percent_, mind you, 21,
> period--paid over $400. Not many more paid as much as $350.

Well, I personally do consider it on my personal upper limit for a
smartphone. It's nicely priced, because most smartphones herearound
cost around that much when subventioned by the carrier. (depends upon
the plan).

> 
> But you'd have to be making a lot of expensive calls before a phone like the
> NEO would pay for itself on the basis of having VoIP capabilities.
> 
> (Oh, did I mention that the $350 wouldn't probably be $350 anymore...? You'd
> have to pay for the part, plus the new boards, new test cycle, etc., etc.,
> I'd guess we're talking about taking the cost to you, the end user, up to
> $400, $425, once everything's said and done. But it's okay: you'll have that
> extra six months to save up!)
> 
> >> Ditto.
> > 
> > Good, now understand that VoIP via WiFi + GSM is that killer app. See
> > previous email for more detail.
> 
> I really doubt that. Cheap phone service, out of the many scenarios I can
> envision for a more mobility-capable future, is one of the least
> interesting. I find identity-and-location-based services a lot more
> intriguing...

Exactly. Especially, because one can achieve cheap calls today without
resorting to VoIP on phones. see my other email, VoIP on the run, via
commercial hotspots is almost bound to be more expensive than simpler
solutions.

Andreas