Ever since the first Linux capable single-board computers came out, there have been projects turning them into handhelds. The Raspberry Pi Zero and in particular the Compute Modules are ideally suited to this. While there are more common projects that find their way into our feed we’ve certainly seen a few of them in our time, enough now that a new one has to be special to really catch our eye. Which brings us to the PiBrick from [Ahmad Amarullah], which sets the bar pretty high.
The device is a Compute Module 5 smartphone sized computer with a 3.92″ OLED touch display and the ubiquitous BlackBerry-derived keyboard. It’s drawn together with a PCB that holds all components and peripherals, and this and the 5000 mAH battery fit in a 3D printed shell that gives it the form factor of a chunky smartphone. You can see it at the link above, and also find it in a GitHub repository.
Handheld computers always represent something of a compromise as they can only ever offer relatively small screens and keyboards. But they live or die on their versatility and robustness, both of which this one has in spades. We like it, a lot.
Thanks [Nick] for the tip.
No. of times it was used before it went to a forever “maybe later” storage: 5.
Your use case might be different, but I use my UMPC every single day. I don’t like using a touchscreen as the main input device, so this gadget could fill that niche admirably. With the Pi camera I could also use it for signal or other video apps. Basically a smartphone but with a proper keyboard and no Google or Apple shenanigans.
Not as cool as a Sharp Zaurus SL-5500 20 years ago, but okay…
However, what people are doing with it all the day? Ich mean I have plenty of old devices likes this. (Zaurus 760 or 1000) But I have no idea what I can do with them since wie all carry a mobile around every day.
Sad, but true.
You can run NetBSD on a Zaurus, at least.
Android phones and iPhones are not general purpose computing machines. You can’t ssh and compile and run Apache on them, without a tremendous amount of work.
I personally would love a machine that can run a properly open OS without silly restrictions.
ssh is easy, there are even apps jsut for ssh connections. compiling with gcc: Termux.
runnign Apache will be difficult as its for windows but nginx should be fairly easy.
Well, if Google insists on enshitifying Android by making de-Googled phones impossible, I will definitely need something like this along with a hotspot. I don’t care about having “voice” calling… I almost never use that anyway.
With a module like the SIM7600 this should be doable too. I haven’t got further than a proof-of-concept on the breadboard, but I was able to do voice calls controlled by AT commands from a Raspberry Pi Zero. I wonder if there would be room inside the case of this piBrick to fit a SIM7600 internally….
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I just ‘don’t get’ cyberdecks. Are they actually useful for people, or just a cool project for kids and people wanting to get into the tech?
It’s a bit of both. For decades movies always had cool clips of someone pulling out a computer and doing something in a jam. Or fallouts pip boy.
At the same time. Sometime I want a little app to follow me around. I don’t want to write it in swift or kotlin and emulate a phone or register it to some app registry. I just want to compile some binary for some thing I want. I don’t want to pay 2 dollars a month for a reminder app, I want my contacts encrypted at rest, etc
Thank you. That makes sense.
i pull out a computer and do something on the run all the time. it’s called a phone. i write my own mobile software all the time too. it’s called an app. you do have to comply with an API (like any programming), but you do not have to upload it to the app store.
Nah, it’s perfectly normal.
Some of us are just not into sports for example or car racing.
Nothing wrong with that.
Cheer them on because they are having fun. What harm is there in increasing the amount of happiness in the world?
As a owner of a few cyberdecks, the DIY part is the best, it’s not the best Linux experience in the world but you do get to learn a little about a lot
It’s an interesting take. Do I want another smart phonelike device or do I want a cyber deck… Or do I want a Linux smart phone? Or do I want a Linux smartphone and a cyber deck…
I like this because it’s discrete. You could conceal your desires to write scripts or type bash commands in public by looking like you are tweeting about your Sandwich or whatever people do.
It’s discrete, which is good. But by your last sentence, it sounds like you’re looking for “discreet.”
Thanks, I was today years old. Sad to say.
That’s definitely pretty cool, but adding 5G or LoRa to the board is the obvious next step.
WiFi HaLow is another option
Hardly anything uses HaLow and the range isn’t very good. 868/915 MHz LoRa would be a lot more useful since it could be used with MeshCore and Meshtastic.
speaking of LoRa — why has nobody yet come out with a tiny board with built-in GPS & LoRa that fits onto a dog collar? in the Adirondacks, dog trackers that depend on the cell network only work in a few places. i got a RAK Mini that sort of worked, but i’m still trying to figure out how to attach it to a collar.
There are some cases you can 3D print for the T1000-E that will attach to a dog collar or harness. Not the smallest form factor, but I’ve used them with my bigger dogs and the work well. Includes GPS and you can have them sound off when receiving a message via a Meshtastic private channel.
There is an internal usb connection that one guy on Discord used to add a Xaio NRF24/SX1262 for Meshtastic support.
https://discord.com/channels/1444639885863424082/1463793606476169288/1508282310640926732
I just got done building mine yesterday, Amarullz sells the parts on discord in batches and you assemble it.
He did a really awesome job designing the pcb!
Thanks for the tip. From the Youtube videos I got the impression there were kits for sale but I was having trouble finding them.
Thanks for posting a link to a mandatory discord account. Why do people do that.
Yeah I’m not going to sign up to Discord just for this. I’ve sent the creator a message via oshwlab, hopefully there’s another way.
How do you like it so far? I see that a link has popped up for Tindie: https://www.tindie.com/products/amarullz/pibrick-pocketcm5-kit-for-raspberry-pi-cm5/
Out of stock for now but I’m seriously considering getting one.
Or a dumbphone as a hotspot. This is what I do with my GPD MicroPC. Actually that is getting a bit old after 5 years of daily carrying. This PiBrick might be a good replacement. I’ve heard only good things about those Blackberry keyboards.
I’d want a low power co processor that could handle some basic low power background tasks. The CM5 is just on or off as I understand it. No low power mode, no sleep mode. I want to be maintain a wireless connection and be able to run apps that receive notifications efficiently well sipping the battery.