PinePhone

Last updated
PinePhone
PinePhone Wordmark.svg
Pinephone-final.jpg
A PinePhone with the Plasma Mobile interface
Brand Pine64
First releasedJanuary 2020;4 years ago (2020-01)
Successor PinePhone Pro
Dimensions160.5mm x 76.6mm x 9.2mm [1]
Mass185 grams [2]
Operating system Linux
CPU Allwinner A64 ARM Quad core Cortex-A53, 64bit @ max1.2GHz
GPU Mali-400 MP2 [3]
Modem Quectel EG25-G, integrated
Memory2 or 3 GB LPDDR3 [3]
Storage16 or 32GB eMMC flash memory [3]
Removable storage bootable microSD [3]
Battery3000mAh, Samsung J7 form-factor, user-replaceable (est. cost $10 US) [4]
Display720×1440 5.95″ IPS LCD [3]
Rear cameraSingle OV5640, 5MP, 1/4″, LED Flash
Front camera Single GC2145, 2MP, f/2.8, 1/5″
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, single-band, hotspot capable, Bluetooth 4, A2DP, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C USB 2.0 PD/DisplayPort
Data inputssensors:

Other

  • Power
  • up/down buttons
  • LTE/GNSS, WiFi, Microphone, Speaker, Cameras kill switches [4]

The PinePhone is a smartphone developed by Hong Kong-based computer manufacturer Pine64, intended to allow the user to have full control over the device. Measures to ensure this are: running mainline Linux-based mobile operating systems, assembling the phone with screws, and simplifying the disassembly for repairs and upgrades. [5] LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and both cameras can be physically switched off. [6] The PinePhone ships with the Manjaro Linux operating system using the Plasma Mobile graphic interface, although other distributions can be installed by users.

Contents

History

Pine64 sold limited editions of the PinePhone, marketed towards developers and early adopters. The phone shipped worldwide with few geographical restrictions. The "Braveheart" edition, shipped in January 2020, was the first publicly available version of the phone, providing only a test firmware, so the user could test their phone before installing their operating system of choice. [7]

In 2019, Pine64 partnered with existing and well established Linux-on-phone projects to launch a "Community Edition" campaign to incentivize software development for the device. [8] Through this partnership, Pine64 donated $10 for each unit sold to the project maintainers. The community edition PinePhones featured a branding on the back cover and shipped with a custom box designed by the partnered artists. The "Mobian" community edition in February 2021 was the last to be offered. [9]

PinePhone docking bar PinePhone Docking Bar.jpg
PinePhone docking bar

Initially, the PinePhone was only available in one hardware configuration. The enhanced "Convergence Package" was introduced with the postmarketOS community edition announcement, featuring increased RAM, additional eMMC storage, and a USB-C dock known as a "docking bar". The docking bar is capable of delivering power to the phone via USB-C power-in (3A 5V), outputting digital video via HDMI, and has 10/100Mbps Ethernet connectivity and two USB 2.0 ports (for example, external storage, mouse and keyboard). [10]

In February 2021, Pine64 announced the end of community edition devices, [11] and that the default operating system for the production-ready PinePhone would be Manjaro using the KDE Plasma Mobile graphical environment. [12] The company then introduced the PinePhone Beta Edition several weeks later. [13] The Beta Edition's hardware and pricing was confirmed to be the same as the previous three community edition production runs, and the "Beta" was a reference to the software only. Pine64 began pre-orders on March 24, 2021, and began shipping Beta Edition devices in late April.

In October 2021, Pine64 announced the PinePhone Pro. [14] In January 2022, Pine64 started accepting pre-orders of PinePhone Pro for deliveries by February 2022. [15]

Features and comparisons

The PinePhone is often compared to other phones shipping with non-Android Linux distributions, especially the Librem 5, which released around the same time, and the WiFi-VoIP phone Necuno, which does not employ a cellular modem.

Pine64 promises five years of production. The long production life and sharing a common A64 platform with the PineTab tablet and Pine A64 boards is meant to encourage tinkerers to create mods and DIY projects based on the PinePhone.

Hardware

Main board; DIP cut-off switches center right, black-and-white PinePhone-main-board.jpg
Main board; DIP cut-off switches center right, black-and-white
DIP switches on the PinePhone PinePhone Kill Interruptors de Maquinari del PinePhone 4529.jpg
DIP switches on the PinePhone

The original PinePhone used an Allwinner A64 processor, which has four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.152 GHz and a Mali-400 MP2 GPU. Its frame and case cover are made of plastic. It has a 5-megapixel back camera and a 2-megapixel front camera, and a USB-C port with USB 2.0 that supports DisplayPort alt-mode. The 3000mAh battery supports 15W fast charging and is easily replaced without tools. It uses the same form factor as a Galaxy J7 battery to make it easier to find replacement batteries. [16] Linux distributions configure its LPDDR3 DRAM at clock rates that vary between 552 and 624 MHz. [17]

Like the Librem 5, the PinePhone uses separate cellular baseband and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chips. Together with the hardware kill switches, this results in larger printed circuit boards (PCBs) and less energy efficiency compared to the mass-produced Android phone that has an integrated System on a Chip, such as the Snapdragon, Helio or Exynos. The PinePhone is thinner at 9.2 mm than the Librem 5 which is 15.5 mm thick because the PinePhone solders its wireless communication chips to the PCB whereas the Librem 5 places the cellular baseband and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth on two removable M.2 cards. [1] [18] [19]

Pine64 is the second phone maker (after OpenMoko) to offer booting from a microSD card, which allows users to try out one or more operating systems before installing in the internal flash memory.

Another distinctive feature of the PinePhone is the I2C connector under the back cover, which can be used for adding mods to the phone. [20] In 2019 and 2020, Pine64 stated that it was developing four mods: a Psion Series 5-inspired physical keyboard, [21] a 5000mAh battery, wireless charging [22] and a fingerprint sensor. [23]

The PinePhone has six DIP switches under the back cover, the first five of which switch off separately the cellular modem, the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module, the microphone, the rear camera, and the front camera. The sixth DIP switch will convert the 3.5 mm headphone jack into a UART serial port, [20] which is the first time this kind of switch has been included in a mobile phone.[ citation needed ]

Circuit schematics of the PinePhone are available. [24]

Software

Use of APT performing an update, running on the Linux distribution Mobian, with the upper bar colored red to warn that root privileges are being used. CellPhonePinePhoneLinuxMobian.jpg
Use of APT performing an update, running on the Linux distribution Mobian, with the upper bar colored red to warn that root privileges are being used.

The PinePhone aims to be fully open source in its drivers and bootloader. Despite this, due to the scarcity of open-source components for cellular and wireless connectivity, the firmware for the Realtek RTL8723CS Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, as well as the optional autofocus firmware for the OmniVision OV5640 back camera, remain proprietary software. In order to mitigate potential threats to privacy, these components communicate with the rest of the system only over serial protocols, such as USB 2.0, I2S and SDIO, which do not allow direct memory access (DMA). Use of these protocols also permits them to be physically disconnected via kill switches. [25]

In late 2020, Pine64 started an incentive called the Nutcracker Challenge, in order to encourage the development of open-source wireless networking on the BL602 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth board. [26] Some distributions support the use of USB Wi-Fi adapters that use open-source wireless firmware. [27] Modem firmware of the Quectel EG25-G LTE board is based on a proprietary Android userspace, though an unofficial, mostly open-source version exists, replacing most proprietary components, except for the baseband firmware and the TrustZone kernel, which is signed by Qualcomm. [28]

Operating systems

The PinePhone relies completely on open-source operating systems developed by external communities, with only the flashing onto the phone done by Pine64 directly. [29] Because these community OS projects were involved in the development of the PinePhone, it has been ported to 19 Linux distributions and seven graphical user interfaces, as of August 2021, [30] such as Ubuntu Touch by UBports, postmarketOS, Mobian (Debian ARM), LuneOS, Nemo Mobile and Maemo Leste.

An unofficial porting project, GloDroid, has ported Android 11 to the PinePhone. [31]

Editions

Limited editions
ModelPre-installed OSPre-installed graphical interfacePre-order dateShipping dateHardware revisionProcessorRAM (GB)eMMC storage (GB)Price
Pinephone - Braveheart Edition [7] Factory Test image based on postmarketOScustom UINovember 15, 2019 [32] January 17, 2020 [3] v1.1 Allwinner A64 ARM Quad core Cortex-A53, 64bit @ max1.2GHz216$149
Pinephone - UBports Community Edition [33] Ubuntu Touch LomiriApril 2, 2020 [33] May 2020v1.2
Pinephone - postmarketOS Community Edition [34] postmarketOS Phosh July 15, 2020 [35] August 25, 2020v1.2a2/316/32$149 / $199 (latter includes USB-C dock)
Pinephone - Manjaro Community Edition [36] Manjaro Phosh [37] September 17, 2020 [36] October 30, 2020v1.2b
Pinephone - KDE Community Edition [38] Manjaro (customized version) [39] Plasma Mobile December 1, 2020 [38] January 2021
Pinephone - Mobian Community Edition [40] Mobian PhoshJanuary 17, 2021 [40] February 2021
Pinephone - Beta Edition [13] ManjaroPlasma MobileMarch 24, 2021 [41] April 2021
Pinephone Pro - Explorer Edition [42] ManjaroPlasma Mobile20222022 Rockchip RK3399S SoC with 2× 1.5GHz A72 cores and 4× 1.5GHz A53 cores4128$399

Reception

In August 2020, AndroidPolice reviewed the first Community edition, and beside the title "The Linux-based PinePhone is the most interesting smartphone I've tried in years" it touted the number of available distros, and the idea behind communities being provided with the means of developing their OS. [43]

In January 2020, ZDNet called the PinePhone hardware "promising" and noted the hardware switches. [44]

In December 2019, Martins D. Okoi of FossMint said that the first edition of the PinePhone is aimed at Linux-savvy users who would like to test beta operating system builds, but the version for general users should be available in March 2020. [45]

In November 2019, Phillip Prado of Android Authority said that the PinePhone had the potential to "expand our imaginations into what mobile computing could look like", but he was not expecting it to replace everyone's Android device. [46] Ars Technica wrote about the unusual external ports of the phone, offering I2C, GPIO and serial. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

A mobile operating system is an operating system used for smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smartglasses, or other non-laptop personal mobile computing devices. While computers such as typical/mobile laptops are "mobile", the operating systems used on them are generally not considered mobile ones, as they were originally designed for desktop computers that historically did not have or need specific mobile features. This line distinguishing mobile and other forms has become blurred in recent years, due to the fact that newer devices have become smaller and more mobile unlike hardware of the past. Key notabilities blurring this line are the introduction of tablet computers and light-weight laptops and the hybridization of the two in 2-in-1 PCs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ubuntu Touch</span> Mobile interface for Ubuntu developed by Canonical Ltd.

Ubuntu Touch is a mobile version of the Ubuntu operating system, being developed by the UBports community. Its user interface is written in Qt, and is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers, but the original goal of convergence was intended to bring Ubuntu Touch to laptops, desktops, IOT devices and TVs for a complete unified user experience.

Besides the Linux distributions designed for general-purpose use on desktops and servers, distributions may be specialized for different purposes including computer architecture support, embedded systems, stability, security, localization to a specific region or language, targeting of specific user groups, support for real-time applications, or commitment to a given desktop environment. Furthermore, some distributions deliberately include only free software. As of 2015, over four hundred Linux distributions are actively developed, with about a dozen distributions being most popular for general-purpose use.

Linux for mobile devices, sometimes referred to as mobile Linux, is the usage of Linux-based operating systems on portable devices, whose primary or only Human interface device (HID) is a touchscreen. It mainly comprises smartphones and tablet computers, but also some mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) portable media players that come with a touchscreen separately.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Briar (software)</span> Mesh-networking and messaging app

Briar is an open-source software communication technology, intended to provide secure and resilient peer-to-peer communications with no centralized servers and minimal reliance on external infrastructure. Messages can be transmitted through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, over the internet via Tor or removable storage, such as USB sticks. All communication is end-to-end encrypted. Relevant content is stored in encrypted form on participating devices. Long-term plans for the project include support for distributed applications such as crisis mapping and collaborative document editing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung Galaxy Core Prime</span>

The Samsung Galaxy Core Prime is an Android smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The Galaxy Core Prime features a 4.5 in (110 mm) WVGA display, 4G LTE connectivity and Android Kitkat 4.4.2. Some variants can be upgraded to Lollipop 5.0.2 OS or Lollipop 5.1.1. The 4G version of Samsung Galaxy Core Prime (SM-360FY/DS) was launched on 2 June 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Librem</span> Computer line by Purism featuring free software

Librem is a line of computers manufactured by Purism, SPC featuring free (libre) software. The laptop line is designed to protect privacy and freedom by providing no non-free (proprietary) software in the operating system or kernel, avoiding the Intel Active Management Technology, and gradually freeing and securing firmware. Librem laptops feature hardware kill switches for the microphone, webcam, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Pine Store Limited, known by its trade name Pine64, is a Hong Kong-based organization that designs, manufactures, and sells single-board computers, notebook computers, as well as smartwatch/smartphones. Its name was inspired by the mathematical constants pi and e with a reference to 64-bit computing power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purism (company)</span> Computer manufacturer focusing on software freedom

Purism, SPC is an American computer technology corporation based in San Francisco, California and registered in the state of Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinebook</span> Notebook intended for open-source software

The Pinebook is a low-cost notebook developed by Hong Kong-based computer manufacturer Pine64. The Pinebook was announced in November 2016 and production started in April 2017. It is based on the platform of Pine64's existing Pine A64 single board computer, costing US$89 or US$99 for the 11.6" and 14" model respectively. Its appearance resembles the MacBook Air. The Pinebook is sold "at-cost" by Pine64 as a community service.

postmarketOS Free and open-source operating system for smartphones, based on Alpine Linux

postmarketOS is an operating system primarily for smartphones, based on the Alpine Linux distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosh</span> Graphical interface for mobile devices

Phosh is a graphical user interface designed for mobile and touch-based devices and developed by Purism. It is the default shell used on several mobile Linux operating systems including PureOS, Mobian, and Fedora Mobility. It is also an option on postmarketOS, Manjaro, and openSUSE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Librem 5</span> Linux based 2020 Smartphone

The Librem 5 is a smartphone manufactured by Purism that is part of their Librem line of products. The phone is designed with the goal of using free software whenever possible, includes PureOS, a Linux operating system, by default, and as of 2021 is the only smartphone recommended by the Free Software Foundation. Like other Librem products, the Librem 5 focuses on privacy and freedom, and includes features like hardware kill switches, and easily-replaceable components. Its name, with a numerical "5", refers to its screen size, and not a release version. After an announcement on 24 August 2017, the distribution of developer kits and limited pre-release models occurred throughout 2019 and most of 2020. The first mass-production version of the Librem 5 was shipped on 18 November 2020.

The Necuno is a phone-like mobile device exclusively manufactured in Finland. It seeks to provide high level security and user privacy by omitting the cellular modem. For this reason, it cannot be used on a regular mobile phone network. Instead it offers VOIP via a peer-to-peer encrypted communication platform called Ciphra. Standard cellular connectivity is planned for later versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PineTab</span> Tablet intended for open-source software

The PineTab is a low-cost tablet developed by Hong Kong-based computer manufacturer Pine64. The PineTab was announced in May 2020, with shipping beginning in September 2020. It is based on the platform of the existing Pine A64 single board computer, with the platform being used in related devices, such as the Pinebook and PinePhone.

The scope for this page is that used for list of open-source mobile phones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plasma Mobile</span> Plasma workspace variant for smartphones

Plasma Mobile is a Plasma variant for smartphones. It is currently available for the Pinephone, and supported devices for postmarketOS such as the OnePlus 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PinePhone Pro</span> Smartphone with Linux-based mobile operating system

The PinePhone Pro is a smartphone developed by Hong Kong-based computer manufacturer Pine64. The phone is the successor to the PinePhone released in 2019. The default operating system is Manjaro ARM, with Plasma Mobile as the user interface. The device is a developer platform with open hardware specifications but with unfinished software. The target group of the device is free and open-source software developers who will develop the software. The device was first shipped to developers in December 2021, and in February 2022 devices were made available to consumers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobian</span>

Mobian is a project to port the Debian GNU/Linux distribution running the mainline Linux kernel to smartphones and tablets. The project was announced in 2020. It is available for the PinePhone, PineTab, Librem 5, OnePlus 6/6T and Pocophone F1. Droidian is a version of Mobian which runs top of Android's variant of the Linux kernel and the Libhybris and Halium adaptation layer, and works with devices which are supported by Ubuntu Touch. It can be installed using UBports installer.

References

  1. 1 2 "The $149 Linux Phone: Everything You Need to Know". OMG! Ubuntu!. 8 November 2019.
  2. ↑ Aufranc, Jean-Luc (16 July 2020). "Pinephone "Community Edition: PostmarketOS" Launched with 3GB RAM, 32GB Flash, USB-C Hub". CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Amadeo, Ron (2020-01-16). "The PinePhone starts shipping—a Linux-powered smartphone for $150". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  4. 1 2 "PINEPHONE". PINE64.
  5. ↑ "September Update: The PinePhone is real & shipping soon". PINE64. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  6. ↑ T., Raffaele (2 September 2019). "Librem 5 vs. PinePhone: comparison of two Linux smartphones". TuxPhones.
  7. 1 2 "November Update: Brave Heart, Pinebook Pro reception and more". Pine64. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  8. ↑ Erecinski, Lukasz (August 19, 2019). "Its time to start giving back". Archived from the original on January 21, 2021.
  9. ↑ Lukasz, Erecinski (January 15, 2021). "January Update: Happy New Gear!". pine64. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021.
  10. ↑ Erecinski, Lukasz (July 15, 2020). "July Update: biggest update in months!". Archived from the original on January 21, 2021.
  11. ↑ Erecinski, Lukasz (February 2, 2021). "The end of Community Editions". Pine64. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  12. ↑ Sneddon, Joey (February 16, 2021). "PinePhone Picks a Default OS — But Not the One I Expected". OMG! Ubuntu!. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  13. 1 2 Erecinski, Lukasz (March 15, 2021). "March Update: Status Report". Pine64. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  14. ↑ "October Update: Introducing the PinePhone Pro". PINE64. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  15. ↑ "PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition pre-orders open January 11". PINE64. Retrieved 2022-01-13.
  16. ↑ amosbatto (2019-08-25). "Comparing specs of upcoming Linux phones". Purism forum.
  17. ↑ devrtz (2020-05-12). "[Volunteer needed]Too high DRAM clock speed MAY be causing you random crashes/freezes". Pine64 forum.
  18. ↑ Amadeo, Ron (2019-09-26). "Purism's Librem 5 phone starts shipping—a fully open GNU/Linux phone". Ars Technica . Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  19. ↑ "Librem 5 Update: Fresh Dogwood Pictures". Purism . 2020-05-21. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
  20. 1 2 "PinePhone". pine64.org wiki. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "December Update: Thank You For 2019!". PINE64. 5 December 2019.
  22. ↑ "May Update: PineTab pre-orders, PinePhone Qi charging & more!". PINE64. 15 May 2020.
  23. ↑ "December Update: The Longest One Yet". PINE64. 15 December 2020.
  24. ↑ PINE64 (2020-10-11). "PinePhone v1.2b Released Schematic" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ↑ Erecinski, Lukasz (26 January 2020). "Setting the Record Straight: PinePhone Misconceptions". pine64.org official Pine64 homepage.
  26. ↑ "Nutcracker Challenge: Blob-Free WiFi & BLE". PINE64. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  27. ↑ "How about a more libre PinePhone with atk9k_htc?". LINux on MOBile. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  28. ↑ By (2022-07-12). "Open Firmware For PinePhone LTE Modem – What's Up With That?". Hackaday. Retrieved 2022-09-11.
  29. ↑ Aufranc, Jean-Luc (16 November 2019). "PinePhone "Braveheart" Limited Edition Linux Smartphone is Now Available for $150". CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.
  30. ↑ "PinePhone Software Releases". pine64.org wiki. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  31. ↑ "GloDroid Brings Android 10 OS to Raspberry Pi 4, Orange Pi SBC's, PinePhone, and PineTab - CNX Software". CNX Software - Embedded Systems News. 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  32. ↑ "PinePhone Linux smartphone pre-orders start next week". SlashGear. 7 November 2019.
  33. 1 2 "PINEPHONE – "Community Edition: UBports" Limited Edition Linux SmartPhone $149.99". Pine64. Archived from the original on 2020-05-31. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  34. ↑ "June Update: postmarketOS CE PinePhone, Shipping & PINE64 Cluster". Pine64.
  35. ↑ "postmarketOS". July 17, 2020. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  36. 1 2 "September Update: Let it sink in…". PINE64. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  37. ↑ "Which interface was pre-installed on the PinePhone CE: Manjaro?". PINE64 Forum. 2021-08-03.
  38. 1 2 "KDE Community Edition is now available | PINE64". December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 3, 2021.
  39. ↑ "PinePhone: KDE community edition". plasma-mobile.org. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021.
  40. 1 2 Erecinski, Lukasz (January 17, 2021). "Mobian Community Edition". pine64. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021.
  41. ↑ Erecinski, Lukasz (March 19, 2021). "Beta Edition Pre-Orders". Pine64.
  42. ↑ "PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition". PINE STORE. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  43. ↑ "The Linux-based PinePhone is the most interesting smartphone I've tried in years". AndroidPolice. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  44. ↑ Leprince-Ringuet, Daphne. "This Linux smartphone is now shipping for $150". ZDNet. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
  45. ↑ Okoi, Martins D. (2019-12-19). "PinePhone - An Open Source Smart Phone for Everyone" . Retrieved 2020-01-15.
  46. ↑ Prado, Phillip (2019-11-28). "PinePhone: Everything you need to know about the $150 Linux-powered phone". Android Authority. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
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