Do you know OpenMoko? Well you should as it will be the new Android headache. Today they announced a new version of the Neo 1973 the open source mobile phone, which will be especially designed for the mass market and will be released this year.

However with Android also coming out this year, how is going to be the disput between those operation system.

The first Neo 1973 is from July 2007, and was an important fact for the open source handsets. The device was sold out within three days, giving to developers a hardware and software to change the way we see mobile, the impact affected not just market but also consumers. This fact brought some peace for those who had this desire for a open source OS for mobile.

But six months ago, Google come into field bringing Android, the SDK is ready for download (with a few bugs), and promise to shake the market for mobile phones. It will take a while before we see the first Android handset, however lets face it Google has a huge status compared with OpenMoko, and this is might what it takes to have a slice of the smart phones market.

Both of them has good advantages, on one hand Google is not alone and it is bringing 30 members with the OHA, which inclued network operator to sell and support Android mobiles. It also wants the 3G to play a big role in the Android platform so the services can take advantage of the wireless high speed. In addition there is the dispute for the 700MHz spectrum due this year.

OpenMoko on the other hand is coming in two tri-band choices: one 850/1800/1900 and the other 900/1800/1900 dispite the great 500MHz processor and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi . Unfortunately there is no mention of 3G compability.

This is a hard choice, both great open source OS, but as I said before Google might have a better chance with those features and of course the Titan Internet status.

[via Information Week]

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