zzzPhone real but not running WinMo

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I did a piece for the NYT on the zzzPhone, an a la carte manufacturer that lets you pick and choose your functionality online and then makes your cellphone to order. I talked to the folks for the story and discovered that the phone doesn’t run Win Mo or Windows CE but a “windows-compatible” operating system that some are calling Symbian but which I suspect is a Linux-based OS with Java compatibility. They also sent some images of the final hardware.

Would I send my money to these guys? Probably not. Their story is compelling but the product looks a little half-baked right now — the hardware isn’t even finalized. Maybe in a year, once they iron out the kinks, but by then Dell or someone will be offering the same thing. Hopefully they’ve got a patent.
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From China, Cellphone à la Carte [NYT]