Hey quit laughing! It might be a great option when I take long trips and go to other unknown areas of the world.

Royal Philips Electronics expects to sample a sub-$5 hardware and software platform for making ultra-low cost mobile handsets by the end of this year. The move is part of an initiative announced Wednesday (June 29) to make handsets more widely available, especially in developing countries.

The Nexperia cellular system platform — including integrated hardware and software constituting the electronics needed in a mobile phone — should drive GSM handset costs below $20, according to Thierry Laurent, Philips Semiconductors’ executive vice president of business development. The long-term goal, said Laurent, is to drive down total handset cost to below $15 by 2008.

The company said “ultra low-cost” handsets will fuel fast-growing demand in regions like China, India, Africa, South America and Eastern Europe. [Read the rest]