iMandroid reports that a consumer release of OpenMoko's FreeRunner handset is just around the corner and that... Hang on. I have to change my pants. ...  ...  O.K., and that it will be running Android. Now this... Oh, crap. Hang on... ... ... If you are a regular reader of PhoneDog, you know I am a pretty hard-core fan of Android, OpenMoko, and the FreeRunner. And you may have read that I've been waiting for a stable OM release since '06. So this is a pretty big deal to me.

The same site is reporting that their inside source has listed a soft QWERTY as part of the release. iMandroid's first FR/Android report from December 8th indicated that the phone would be out by '09. It hasn't hit the OpenMoko homepage yet, but you can bet I'll be watching, and posting any more info I can find. The phones have been available for some time, but we have yet to see a release that doesn't require any tinkering or even hacking from the end user.

I hope you aren't playing with my emotions, iMandroid. If not, a good chunk of my student loan refund is spent.