Two members of the Linux Foundation launched LiMo-compliant mobile phones Tuesday as the group seeks to make a mark against the more established platforms currently dominating the wireless marketplace. The nine phones were developed by NEC and Panasonic Mobile Communications for NTT DOCOMO.

The new phones bring the number of LiMo handsets to 42, which the Limo Foundation said represents the highest number of handsets developed by any collaborative organization.

While the nine phones announced Tuesday have advanced features, they still lag the features and momentum of existing platforms including Apple's iPhone, Google's Android, Nokia's Symbian-based phones and Research In Motion's BlackBerries.

"The successful launch of the latest LiMo handsets further establishes LiMo Platform as a leading device platform within today's rapidly evolving mobile ecosystem," said NTT DOCOMO's Kiyohito Nagata, who is the LiMo Foundation's chairperson.

The LiMo operating system uses Linux code and the Limo Foundation is betting that its approach will gain more traction as software developers in the wireless world increasingly turn to open source software such as Linux.

Panasonic is providing five of the new phones while NEC is providing four of them. The new phones feature high megapixel cameras and rich media capabilities.

Most LiMo phones have been developed for Asian markets and they haven't made much of a mark in the U.S. The position of Verizon Wireless in the U.S. as a LiMo Foundation member is intriguing because it is the only major US carrier member of the organization and it has said it plans to introduce a LiMo phone by the end of the year.

Separately, the LiMo Foundation reported that KDDI Corp, Japan's second largest wireless operator, and touch screen developer Immersion Corp. have joined the collaborative group.

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