Sure, plenty of folks have gone home extremely happy that they have an iPhone in their hands, but for the rest of us who didn’t snag one, the world goes on. Granted, there will always be a better phone just around the horizon but you can’t deny the fact that the iPhone has roused much more interested than expected - something unprecedented for a cellphone. Openmoko has word on their new “free” phone, the Neo 1973. What makes this phone free? For starters, it ain’t the price that stands at $0, but rather the ability to tweak around with its open source platform.

Imagine a phone that has nearly limitless boundaries, enabling you to change something at your whim and fancy. Should you actually fall for somebody else’s mod, just load it up without batting an eyelid. Each purchase comes with a debug board and tools to open it up, making the Neo 1973 something for seasoned veterans who are old hands at programming their own stuff. Each purchase will come with the Neo 1973 handset, a couple of batteries (which is a good thing always), a stylus, a headset, an AC charger, a phone pouch, and a lanyard. Not only that, you are also treated to a pair of 512MB microSD memory cards from SanDisk, two miniUSB connectivity cables, a USB Host Mode cable, a debug flex cable, a debug board, a rugged toolbox with shoulder strap, a screwdriver, and a guitar pick (to pry open the case).

Shipping will commence when July 9 rolls around. There are around a thousand of these ready for launch, and the Neo 1973 comes in two flavors - Advanced and Base. The Advance package comes with all the above mentioned items, while the Base package misses out on one microSD card. No idea why the Neo Advanced costs so much more at $450 when compared to the Base’s $300 price tag.

Product Page via Gadgetell