The folks behind the $149 PinePhone Linux smartphone have introduced a new version that’s designed to work not only as a mobile Linux device, but also as portable desktop computer.
The new PinePhone Convergence Package is a new $200 bundle that includes a version of the smartphone with souped up specs, plus a USB-C docking station that makes it easy to connect a display, keyboard, mouse, and even Ethernet.
Starting today, you can place an order for the limited edition PinePhone Community Edition: PostmarketOS with Convergence Package bundle for $200. Or you can just order the phone itself for $150, but you’ll get a slightly less capable device for that price.
Read more at LinuxSmartphones.
For $199…?
Impressive. Good job Pine64 group!
I can’t wait for the ~~day~~ year when they make the transition into beefier specifications. At the least: 1080p display, 4GB RAM, 14nm, Cortex A73 processor. Basically around the level of laptops back in 2010, whilst current phones are around 2015 laptop performance levels (when grossly simplifying it). Though 2010-L is not impressive, and would be fair-priced at $399… I just can’t see it happening. By the time that transition does come, I think mainstream phones would have evolved further to sport 4K-HDR screens, 32GB RAM, using the 4nm nodes, and a new ARMv9 processor to boot (maybe rivalling 2020 laptop levels).
Once the software bits are worked out, I would gladly pay >$1000 for a phone with beefy specs that could offer full convergence, and yes, I understand that linux ARM software still isn’t as abundant as x86.
Samsung already has what you will
Gladly pay for.
Its called Samsung DEX
DeX used to be a Linux Distro that ran natively on the phone, alongside the AndroidOS. It was a great experience on the Note 9.
But on the latest software iteration they removed it. DeX is basically Android with higher dpi scaling and floating windows.
@Kangal you’re thinking of Linux On DeX. DeX itself was always just a desktop-like experience for android. They added in Linux on DeX later, and got rid of it in less than a year.
If you want to run a desktop linux distro alongside android, you can still use UserLAnd or AnLinux. You theoretically don’t need DeX to do that, just a phone with video out over USB-C if you want to use a bigger screen.
https://liliputing.com/2019/10/samsung-scraps-linux-on-dex-no-linux-on-samsung-phones-running-android-10.html
Apparently you can desolder a pcb component in the earlier revisions to get video out working.
Supposedly video out over USB-C wasn’t working with earlier revisions of the PCB. I suspect you’ll need to order one of the new 3gb ones if you want video output to work at all.