PINE64 to launch PineCom, a cheaper, modem-free PinePhone-like PDA

The first PinePhone, initially launched (more or less) as a cheaper alternative to the Librem 5, gained enormous success thanks to continuous efforts by both software developers and the team, releasing several variants, upgrading specifications and making this $150 Linux phone probably much better than most people would have expected, to the point of having several users already considering using it as a daily driver within few months. Then came the $99 PineTab, which has been made available for sale some months ago, and then the $25 PineTime smartwatch, which is still under development, and all of these devices, featuring open-source, low-cost hardware and full openness to developers, are gaining a very successful following.

With the latest announcement, given a couple of hours ago on Twitter, it seems like the Pine64 team never wants to cease to surprise their fanbase with new devices. The new device is supposed to have a very PinePhone-like hardware, given how "full software compatibility" with it is already ensured, in order to provide users with an even cheaper mobile communication device for tinkering with Linux software.

Several things will be removed from the original hardware, according to the announcement, and while the final hardware is unsure, and to be partly decided by the community, the proposals are the following:

• no modem and/or GPS
• no cameras, or just one
• less sensors
• more modern, 5GHz Wi-Fi module
• SPI flash storage
• smaller, 5" LCD panel
• different aesthetics

As said above, these are just proposals on how to cut costs for the PineCom PDA, but the road is still long until any plans or pricing will be known.

More information on the PineCom PDA can be found in the original forum thread at this page, where you are all encouraged to express your opinions to help the device take shape.

Lets create the PineCom