Linux phone platform gains VoIP

Release 2.2 of Trolltech's Qtopia Phone software includes a VoIP client

Trolltech has updated its Qtopia Phone platform for Linux handsets, adding a voice over IP (VoIP) client and better support for wireless messaging. The move will make it easier for handset makers to build Linux phones with VoIP capability, but such models are unlikely to be released in Europe for at least a year.

Qtopia Phone 2.2 is the first Linux-based system for phones and wireless handhelds to support VoIP technology, according to Trolltech. It includes a reference open-source VoIP application using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

"The VoIP system integrates into the phone software. The user does not need to know if they are making a call over a cellular connection or Wi-Fi," said Trolltech president Eirik Chambe-Eng. Handset makers can also change the reference VoIP client for another if required.

Qtopia is a user environment that includes ready-made applications such as a phone dialler, personal information management (PIM) tools, and an email client. Versions of Qtopia Phone are used by Motorola and Chinese handset makers such as Cellon.

The first handsets with Qtopia Phone 2.2 will ship in the Chinese market, according to Chambe-Eng. "Many of the big industry players are testing out new technology in China first," he added. Motorola would be a likely candidate to introduce a Linux VoIP phone to Europe, he added, but this would probably be 12 to 18 months after China.

The trend towards IP-based mobile communications will favour Linux because it is a rock-solid platform, Chambe-Eng said. "Linux will shine in the 3G world," he added.

Other enhancements in Qtopia Phone version 2.2 include an SMS client capable of sending messages to groups of recipients, and a general revamp of the look and feel of the user interface.

"A lot of work has also gone into optimisation, to make the whole system faster and more compact," Chambe-Eng commented. The platform does not currently include an instant messaging (IM) capability, but he said that this would be "a natural feature to add".

Qtopia Phone is compatible with Trolltech's Qt ? a cross-platform C++ development framework that can be used to build applications for Windows, Linux/Unix, Mac OS X and embedded Linux.