Revolution, Geeksphone's top-end Firefox OS phone, on sale Feb. 20
The Revolution comes with a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, a 4.7-inch screen, and either Google Android or Mozilla's browser-based mobile OS.
- Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Jumping up from 2013's lower-end Keon and Peak models, Spanish phone maker Geeksphone plans to sell its new Intel-based Revolution starting February 20 for 239 euros, or about $327.
The Revolution comes with either Google's Android or Mozilla's Boot2Gecko -- the open-source browser-based OS that's better known as Firefox OS. "Firefox OS is a brand currently not available for independent manufacturers not associated with carriers," Geeksphone said, so it's stuck with the B2G name that Mozilla uses to refer to the software project.
Geeksphone switched from the ARM processors in its earlier phones to a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor in the Revolution. That should give Firefox OS fans and developers a bit more processor oomph than what's available today; Geeksphone promises it's a "powerful device."
However, the Revolution isn't cutting edge when it comes to networking: it's only got 3G networking, using HSPA, HSDPA, and WCDMA standards.
Geeksphone, a small Spanish company, has another product in the works, too: it plans to announce details of a new model called "Blackphone" at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona in less than two weeks.
It can be tough bringing new phones to market. Geeksphone had planned a model called the Peak+, but it redirected its energy to the Revolution instead. The company said that customers who'd ordered the Peak+ could switch their orders to the Revolution.
The Revolution has a 4.7-inch IPS screen with a big resolution increase to 2560x1440 pixels.
It's also got a 1GB of memory, 4GB of storage space, a MicroSD port for expanding up to 32GB, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, an accelerometer, light and proximity detector, electronic compass, and a 2,000mAh battery.
For a limited time, it'll cost 222 euros ($304) at Geeksphone's online store.