SQFMI BeepBerry Pocket Computers

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2023: BeepBerry Pocket Computer Announcement

On May 18, 2023, it became known that computer the pocket BeepBerry was developed, combining the recognizable design of the classics (smartphones Blackberry reflected in its name) and the computer Raspberri Pi as the basis. As reported, the computer works on the basis, and Linux for the convenience of interaction with it, the developers have provided a hardware QWERTY -keyboard again, a tribute to the memory of Blackberry. Behind the device is a development team that SQFMI previously released smartwatch Watchy ESP32 E-Ink, which are running. operating system Raspberry Pi OS Lite

BeepBerry. Photo: shop.sqfmi.com.

BeepBerry is really a pocket solution with a 2.7-inch display. The size of the device is 104x74x15 mm, that is, it is smaller than most of modern full-size mobile phones. For example, the dimensions of the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max are 161x78x8 mm, and the usual 14 Pro is 148x72x8 mm.

The model will arrive sale relatively soon - everyone will be able to buy the basic version in August 2023. For $79 (6380 rubles at the exchange rate as CENTRAL BANK of May 18, 2023), and a single-board Raspberry Pi Zero computer will be supplied with it. If you pay $99 (8000.), rub Then instead of the basic Raspberry Pi Zero, the Raspberry Pi Zero W with built-in wireless modules will be used. communications

Why the developers opted for these two Raspberry Pi one-boards is unknown, especially since back in October 2021, the more modern Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W computer, costing only $15 (1210 rubles), was released. In addition, there are numerous clones of these computers with more modern electronics at the same price.

BeepBerry is not a solution for every day that can replace a smartphone, it is a device for exotic lovers. electronic engineers The computer does not have built-in memory - it is replaced by removable microSD media, and the 2.7-inch display is a high-contrast LCD panel Sharp with a resolution of 400x200 pixels and ultra-low power consumption.

BeepBerry. Photo: shop.sqfmi.com.

The controls located on the front panel under the display are copied from Blackberry smartphones, and it's not just about the QWERTY keyboard, which, by the way, has a backlight. Of greater interest is the set of buttons between the screen and the keyboard, where, as in Blackberry mobile phones, there was a place for an optical touchpad.

The computer is powered by a 2,000 mAh lithium polymer battery, with no battery life claimed. There is a USB-C interface for programming and charging, there is an LED indicator that can be configured for various notifications, as well as a programmable side button.

BeepBerry runs on open source software, and its hardware component is also open. The developers will place all the necessary schemes in their repository on GitHub (for 2023 owned by Microsoft). They also prepared instructions for installing Raspberry Pi OS firmware on BeepBerry and adding drivers for the display and keyboard to it.

The developers have no secrets - all documentation on the computer is in the public domain. As for the name of the device, it comes from the messaging application for Beeper which BeepBerry is a suitable^[1] platform^[2]

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