Well, here is where open source meets Apple all arbitrated by none other than the Fake Steve Jobs. It looks like the open source community is hard at work trying to create an iPhone clone. One that will be cheaper and more importantly non-proprietary.

While I am always a fan of open source, I’ve found that open sourcing hardware always comes with its share of growing pains. The underlying technology that most “revolutionary” hardware devices are based on is usually so expensive to re-create that you end up with a product that really doesn’t stand up.

iPhone Clone

OpenMoko

As it stands, OpenMoko (the company responsible for this device) is much more interested in the software surrounding it than in physically recreating the iPhone. They are building their platform on NEO1973 by FIC, and plan to expand their software’s compatibility to include many other phones in the future.

The Phase One product will be available to developers only at the post of $350 not including developer tools. At the moment it is listed as “available soon”. The phase one product is not expected to have much of the functionality that will be built into later versions and is designed primarily as a test bench for new features and a developers tool box.

Web 2.0 Roundup

This device will be heavier, have a smaller screen, have two buttons (whereas the iPhone has one), no camera and no WiFi (due to power constraints) among other things.

Honestly, I don’t really care. If they are able to develop a “comparable” product in the future with a substantially lower price point and open architecture, they still have the opportunity to get traction in the DIY nitch.

Whether they will actually accomplish this is up in the air, but it is an interesting project nonetheless.