Trolltech's Linux-based handset, the Greenphone, will set curious coders back at least $695, the company has revealed. The device, announced in August this year, it pitched at software developers rather than consumers or businesspeople.

Trolltech said the device itself costs $695. The company plans to ship the Greenphone with its Qtopia Phone Edition user interface and the Qtopia SDK. Individuals keen to develop code for the phone and incorporate Qtopia elements will also need to pay a $195 software licence fee - a sum waived for folk developing purely open source code. Professional developers may pay even more, unless they already have a QTopia SDK licence.

What separates the Greenphone from other handsets is its user-accessible application storage memory, allowing coders to install apps, test them and re-install the code after any glitches have been fixed.

The Greenphone is based on a 312MHz Intel XScale PXA270 processor backed up with 64MB of RAM and 128MB of Flash memory, and there's a MiniSD slot for more. The device's 240 x 320 display is touch-sensitive. The Greenphone connects to GSM/GPRS networks and has Bluetooth on board. It also has a 1.3 megapixel camera, and measures 10.7 x 4.9 x 1.6cm.

Full details of the Greenphone's pricing and SDK licence terms can be found on the Trolltech website. ®