OpenMoko has announced an upgrade to its Linux-powered mobile phone and plans to present the device at CES. That’s a slap in the face for open source competitor Google Android, which is still in development.In its announcement, OpenMoko writes “. . . at CES we will formally preview GTA02 to the public. We are doing this at an invitation-only media event, and not the general show floor.”

The GTA02 model was renamed FreeRunner and according to OpenMoko will be “previewed at CES and ship later this spring– first to developers and then to end users as software for the new hardware features becomes available.”

OpenMoko may be looking to build a larger community of Linux software developers as it begins to to make its phone consumer-friendly.

Though Google recently announced the launch of its Android Developer Challenge, the company has not given any indication of when any Android-powered hardware may appear.

That gives OpenMoko a head start in developing additional Linux software for its phone and claiming marketshare.

According to CNET, upgrades to the phone include “a faster processor, Wi-Fi networking, and better graphics abilities. It’s also got built-in hardware for 2D and 3D graphics along with new motion sensors that can trigger automated behavior. The wireless networking supports the 802.11b/g standards.”

With much of the mobile market restrained by phones locked into single networks, OpenMoko is on the leading edge of a revolution in mobile computing.

On its site, the company writes, “mobile phones, currently closed and self limited, will rival broadband computers. When based on Open standards, they will deliver ubiquitous computing and vanish.”