LiMo Foundation Announces Second Vodafone 360 Samsung Handset Based on LiMo R2 Platform

LiMo Foundation, a consortium formed to provide the mobile industry with an open, consistent Mobile Linux-based handset operating system, has announced the Vodafone (News - Alert) 360 Samsung M1, the second LiMo compliant device built upon LiMo Platform Release 2.


According to a press release, the new mobile developed by Samsung (News - Alert) and presented through Vodafone’s feature-rich, highly customizable Vodafone 360 3D user interface (UI) provides a new set of Internet services for the mobile and PC that gathers all of a customer’s friends, communities, entertainment and personal favorites in one place.

LiMo Foundation (News - Alert) is a dedicated consortium of mobile industry leaders working together within an open and transparent governance model to deliver an open and globally consistent handset software platform based upon mobile Linux for use by the whole mobile industry.

“LiMo’s independent platform and governance constructs were established to foster the type of collaboration that is evidenced in this second Vodafone 360 device from Samsung, which brings a deeply customized and highly compelling Vodafone 360 experience to a broader range of mobile consumers,” said Morgan Gillis, executive director, LiMo Foundation, in the release.

Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 was the first LiMo-compliant device from Samsung built up on LiMo Platform Release 2.

According to Gillis, these two handsets from Vodafone and Samsung mark the beginning of an exciting period of broad market adoption led by LiMo’s global operators that will usher in a highly-interactive and trusted mobile internet experience for mobile consumers around the globe.

The new Vodafone 360 Samsung M1 is designed in price and function targeting larger segment of mobile consumers. According to company officials, the new device is “a cost- and technology-conscious option to mass-market consumers previously locked out of the traditional smartphone market and demonstrates the ability of the LiMo Platform to scale across device profiles.”

According to Patrick Chomet, Vodafone group director of Terminals, and a founder director of LiMo Foundation, the motive behind the launch of Vodafone 360 service strategy on the LiMo Platform is because it enables them to work within the LiMo ecosystem to bring high-caliber devices and innovative services to our customers.

“The Vodafone 360 Samsung M1 will revolutionize the way that a broader segment of Vodafone customers access their favorite mobile and social media services through a sleek and user-friendly handset,” Chomet added.

With the release of Vodafone 360 Samsung M1, the total number of commercially available LiMo-based handsets counts to 44, a volume unmatched by any other mobile consortia, according to LiMo Foundation.

JK Shin, executive vice president and head of the mobile communications division at Samsung Electronics said, “As a leading innovator in the mobile phone marketplace, Samsung will continue to work within the LiMo ecosystem to create and deliver an array of sleek and user-friendly devices to consumers around the globe.”

In August, LiMo Foundation announced new LiMo-compliant handsets developed by NEC and Panasonic (News - Alert) Mobile Communications for LiMo board member NTT DOCOMO, TMCnet reported.