The folks at Pine64 are designing an official keyboard accessory for their Linux-powered PinePhone smartphone. Eventually you’ll be able to purchase a physical keyboard that snaps onto the phone by replacing the back cover, and which will allow you to type with your thumbs without covering the display.
Or you could just 3D print your own keyboard for the PinePhone. That’s what one person seems to have done, and thanks to a series of design files posted a Thingiverse, you may be able to make your own… although there’s still some work required to make it fully functional.
The DIY keyboard accessory combines a set of off-the-shelf components including keycaps, switches, switching diodes, nuts and screws along with a Pro Micro microcontroller and 3D-printed parts including:
- Case
- Keyboard bottom
- Kickstand
- Top plate
- Hinges
- Gear
At this point, developer James Williams notes that the keyboard firmware and i2c interface are still works in progress, and not yet ready to share. So you may want to wait for that to be complete before trying this at home unless you want to try your own hand at creating QMK firmware.
via @thepine64