Trolltech, which provides technologies for Linux and cross-platform software development, today announced that Yuhua TelTech, an ODM (original design manufacturer) for mobile devices, has chosen Trolltech's Qtopia Phone Edition (Qtopia Phone) development platform and user interface as the software foundation for its upcoming Linux-based smartphone named Normandy.

The Yuhua Normandy phone is expected to be available in China in the first quarter of 2005.

Trolltech's Qtopia Phone is a customizable development platform and user interface for Linux-based mobile phones. The phone architecture provides functionality for complete device software design and maximum developer productivity. Features highlighted by the company include:

– User Interface: The phone user interface is highly configurable and designed specifically for mobile phones and minimal key input.

– Applications: the phone incorporates a suite of applications, including PIM (contacts, calendar and tasks), productivity, messaging, telephony, games, multimedia and settings.

– Synchronization framework: Users can synchronize their phone with either Qtopia Desktop, a multiplatform desktop PIM suite from Trolltech, or with Microsoft Outlook.

– Development platform: The phone's core functionality exists in the platform-level features, and provides high functionality using a modest amount of memory.

– APIs: Qtopia features Trolltech's Qt/Embedded as its main application programming interface (API) that developers can use to customize and extend Qtopia.