The first Linux-based mobile phone for the US market is now available through Dobson/Cellular One, according to Wildseed Ltd. Wildseed's Linux-based fashion phone is available now to Dobson/Cellular One's GSM/GPRS subscribers, Wildseed says, along with 23 “SmartSkins” that bring unique, interchangeable… personalities to the device.

The Identity fashion phone supports interchangable “SmartSkins” with small, integrated “SmartKeys” that bring ringtones, themes, and even games to the Identity phone. Currently, 23 SmartSkins are available, in themes corresponding to popular recording artists, generic moods, and games.

SmartSkins include a SmartKey embedded with themes, ringtones, and games

Wildseed, formerly “GitWit,” first announced the SmartSkin phone concept in March of 2002. It offered LinuxDevices a sneak preview of the device in June of 2003, and in May of this year announced an anticipated launch in July.

The Wildseed Identity runs Linux 2.4.5 on an XScale host processor clocked at 200MHz. It also runs a real-time OS on a separate communications processor that drives the cellular modem. The SmartKey embedded in SmartSkins includes a tiny 8-bit RISC processor running a custom OS.

For more details about the Wildseed Identity and SmartSkins, be sure to see our complete Device Profile.

 
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