There�s a reason smartphones are locked down

“The mobile networks have a rather ambivalent attitude to open
source on phones. On one hand, anything that makes it easier to
make powerful phones cheaply is good, because it costs them less to
subsidise. Plus open source should make it cheap for developers to
create apps for the platform. This is a big change in attitude
because an open, easy to configure, easy to develop for platform is
also very scary for the operators because they’re paranoid about a
rogue – or just badly-written – app or phone taking down the phone
network. That’s why the OpenMoko phone – a truly open phone – never
got very far; the operators were just too worried about having it
on their network.”

Complete Story