Motorola's Linux-based Ming 2 in Q2
by Thomas Ricker 
posted Dec 18th 2007 at 4:46AM
According to Bill Chen, General Manager of Motorola Taiwan's Mobile Device business, the second generation Linux-based Ming handset won't launch until Q2 of 2008. Not February as initially rumored. What's more, the handset will be introduced in high-end and entry-level configurations -- unfortunately, both are GSM/EDGE, not 3G capable. DigiTimes says that Inventec won the manufacturing contract of this MOTO Beijing designed handset. Given the unusual (for MOTO) use of a lower-case vowel in the name, there's a good chance this was never meant for Stateside consumption anyway. Too bad, eh?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Randy @ Dec 18th 2007 9:05AM
The Ming 1 was a pretty nifty device. The only issue I see w/ this Line is that since it runs an Moto's one-off customized Linux, it won't see any kind of development. I know the ming is not a Smartphone but it has potential that sadly won't be realized.
Smiley @ Dec 18th 2007 9:28AM
Actually most EZX phones (that's the name of Motorola's Linux touchscreen series) end up with their UI/API more or less cracked, up to (but not including) the A1200/E6. Due to the proprietary GSM/Bluetooth stacks, dev end up being more of a few hacks than anything else, but you can install OPIE on an E680i for example.
There is also an ongoing effort to make a specific "EZX Linux" open-source distro (http://openezx.org), much like these Linux distro on HTC phones.
As a side-note, the EZX series is at last expanding beyond the Asian market, as the A1200e will be released in Europe during Q1 2008.