GeeksPhone is a Spanish start-up company and producer of smartphones.
History
editGeeksPhone was founded in early 2009 by Javier Agüera and Rodrigo Silva-Ramos. [1] Its first product, the GeeksPhone One, was announced in 2009[2] and started shipping in early 2010.[3] Three new models, including the Zero and Two, were announced in 2010 and are due to be launched in 2011.[4][5][6]
Philosophy
editGeeksPhone specializes in the development, promotion and commercialization of open source mobile telephony solutions. The company considers the One smartphone and its successors (announced in late 2010) the first stage of the its initiative[7], without making any statements about planned future stages.
The company claims to be the first to provide an Android-powered handset which allows the user to modify operating system components without having to root the device first. New OS images can easily be installed on the device; the company operates a wiki and a forum for users to share knowledge.
As of July 2010, the GeeksPhone One is not available through any of the big mobile operators. While GeeksPhone does not rule out cooperation with operators for the future, CEO Javier Agüera has stated that the “freedom-based” business model would have priority over any such agreement.[8]
Although its philosophy is somewhat similar to that of Openmoko, GeeksPhone does not publish hardware specifications for its devices beyond a data sheet. Another difference is that GeeksPhone aims to provide a stable device suitable for everyday use and capable of competing with other commercial devices on the market. The GeeksPhone One ships with an Android version which has undergone quality tests and passed Android Open Source Project (AOSP) Code Compliance certification, allowing it to include closed-source Android components and participate in Android Market.
Asked on his opinion on emerging competitor Synapse-Phones's strategy to offer smartphones with customizable hardware, Javier Agüera stated that he had himself tried the same, but without success. He noted, however, that the existence of a competitor was a confirmation of his business model.
Certified Community Release program
editIn July 2010, GeeksPhone announced their Certified Community Release (CCR) program. CCRs are Android ports developed by the community and subsequently certified by GeeksPhone. Releases may be certified as “stable” or “beta”. While full credit is given to the developer, GeeksPhone will provide technical support to users of these builds and flash phones with a CCR if requested by the customer. Use of a CCR will not void the warranty of the phone.
Developers can get technical support from GeeksPhone and major contributors may receive an additional free handset for development from GeeksPhone and, in some cases, sponsorships.[8]
GeeksPhone initially announced that phones would not yet ship with CCRs preinstalled; however, as of at least October 2010, phones have been shipped with RCMod 3, a CCR based on Android 2.2 (Froyo).
Products
edit| Model | Type | Sold in | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | Smartphone | 2009–2010 | Out of stock |
| Zero | Smartphone | Announced for 2011 | Not yet available |
| Two | Smartphone | Announced for 2011 | Not yet available |
There are speculations that the third, yet unnamed product announced for 2011 will be a tablet computer; however, GeeksPhone has not made a definitive statement.[4][9]
References
edit- ^ "Team". GeeksPhone. 2011-01-05.
- ^ "Spanish firm GeeksPhgone launches "One" Android set". engadget. 2011-01-06.
- ^ "ONE Status Tracking". GeeksPhone Forum. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
- ^ a b "2010 Endings". GeeksPhone Blog. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
- ^ "Merry Christmas!". GeeksPhone Blog. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
- ^ "Geeksphone Zero, lo que será el próximo terminal android español" (in Spanish). Gizmóvil. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
- ^ "Company". GeeksPhone. 2011-01-05.
- ^ a b "Geeks'Phone's CCR Program: a Real Open-Source Phone". Android Guys. Retrieved 18 October 1010.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Tablet PC de GeeksPhone" (in Spanish). GeeksPhone Forum. Retrieved 2011-01-06.