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The first smartphone based on a Raspberry Pi computer has been built.
Linux engineer, David Hunt, spend just $158 building the device, which uses off the shelf components and requires no soldering.
The components consist of a 2.8-inch 320×420 TFT LCD screen, a Sim900 GSM/GPRS module for inserting a standard SIM, a 2,500mAh battery, and a Raspberry Pi Model B.
The mini device runs on custom software, which brings a dial pad to the PiPhone’s screen so users can make calls.
The credit-card sized mini PC has been making waves in the IT and education sectors since its launch. There are now three variants of the Raspberry Pi and there have been numerous other projects utilising the device.
Kano, a recent kickstarter project aimed to make the Raspberry Pi as ‘easy to build as lego’, boasting that a PC could be made in just 107 seconds.
The mini PC has also caught the eye of dog owners. One used the Raspberry Pi to build a bark-activated door, while another has used to device to create No More Woof – a headset that can translate a dog’s thoughts into human language.
In November, Raspberry Pi Foundation CEO Eben Upton revealed that the device has sold over two million units so far. Read our interview with Upton here.
Check out Hunts demonstration of the PiPhone below:
