Photos: Linux Greenphone unveiled

The Greenphone will be available through Trolltech's website from the end of this month. The basic package — consisting of a phone, cables, and source code on CD — will cost around $700 (£370), although developers can pay extra for enhanced support.

Nord told ZDNet UK he was confident that Trolltech will have "no problem getting rid of" the first batch of about 1,000 devices, although the precise distribution channel is still to be worked out. He added that "the idea is not to make money" but rather to stimulate the development ecosystem.

"One of the responses that came after we announced the phone was from a guy who is a professional sailor and also a software developer," he said. "He wants to use it to make a phone suitable for sailors. Simple things can be done for this group, but it's been inaccessible for them so far."

"Our final goal is to see phones that work better for the end user," Nord added.