[liberationtech] hardware options for a computer phone, not a mobile phone...

[John Case]

Hello Michael,

On Sun, 30 Sep 2012, Michael Rogers wrote:

> The Samsung Galaxy Player is essentially an Android phone without GSM
> hardware. It's phone sized and has a microphone and speaker suitable
> for making VoIP calls.
>
> I believe it's possible to install CyanogenMod on it to get a
> completely free software stack. I don't know whether anyone's tried
> connecting a USB GSM modem.


Thanks!  In fact, soon after I posted this, I was browsing through recent 
mp3 player offerings and came to the same conclusion.  I did not know that 
it had a proper microphone and speaker, which is very fortuitous.

The only problem is adding the modem.  Certainly you can plug whatever you 
want into the USB port, so it will work, technically.  However, it's a 
difficult way to use and carry a mobile "phone".  I wonder what the best, 
latest, most modern device that was made, that has a CF card slot, so you 
could insert a modem card ...

I don't think there are CF sized GSM cards, but I could be wrong.  Either 
way, the galaxy player devices only have microSD slots.