PinePhone¶

The developer version PinePhone is already in the hands of developers and a new batch is shipping in January¹², hardware won't change much from now on.

Feature	Hardware	Comments	TODO
System on a chip	Allwinner A64 Quad Core9	* The bootloader should be fully free software7 including ARM Trusted Firmware8 * The code should be upstream already7	TODO: * Look at the code
GPU	Mali 400 MP2 GPU1	* A "pipe" driver is in Linux since 5.2 * Has (very early) support in Mesa	TODO: * Regularly check kernel and MESA status
Modem	Quectel EG-25G1 with2 worldwide bands4	* The EG-25G is an international version of the EC25 * It probably runs GNU/Linux too but we need to confirm that	TODO: * How supported is the AT support? * How supported is the QMI the protocol? * What's the similarity with the EC-25?
GNSS1: GPS, GPS-A, GLONASS4
WiFi	RTL8723CS3	* Requires a nonfree loadable firmware3
Bluetooth: 4.0, A2DP1		* It uses a nonfree firmware3. TODO: * Check if it really requires that firmware or if it has some rom code that could be used ?
USB – C1 (Power, Data and Video Out)		* USB 2.09 * Serial console is only available in the headphone connector (activated by the 6th contact on the dipswitch10)
RAM	2GB of LPDDR3 RAM		TODO: * Check if it meets Android 9 requirements
Main Camera	Single OV6540, 5MP, 1/4″, LED Flash1	* Mainline driver5 * No firmware required5	TODO: * Check if it requires a loadable firmware
Selfie Camera	Single GC20351, 2MP, f/2.8, 1/5″		TODO: * Check if it requires a loadable firmware
Bootable Micro SD1 16GB eMMC1	*Boot order:MicroSD->eMMC6
Sensors accelerator, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, ambient light1			TODO: * What chips are used
LCD panel and touchscreen	5.95″ LCD 1440×720 18:9 aspect ratio (hardened glass)	Probably works with free software11
Power Management	AXP80313

References¶

¹ Some of the specifications are available on the device page

² PinePhone discussion in Replicant's mailing list: https://lists.osuosl.org/pipermail/replicant/2019-July/001997.html

³ From #replicant channel on Freenode:

< MoeIcenowy> The Wi-Fi changed to RTL8723CS (this chip also does BT), which needs non-free firmware to be feed

⁴ From #replicant channel on Freenode:

< MoeIcenowy> The GNSS should be also done by EG25-G

⁵ From #replicant channel on Freenode:

< MoeIcenowy> The OV5640 camera doesn't need firmware and its driver is mainlined

⁶ From #replicant channel on Freenode:

The boot order is strictly MicroSD->eMMC, which is set in the A64's boot ROM

⁷ From #replicant channel on Freenode:

The bootloader (U-Boot SPL + ATF + U-Boot) is free software, all mainlined now (and the downstream dirty U-Boot cannot boot upstream Linux kernel)

⁸ From #replicant channel on Freenode:

<MoeIcenowy> https://github.com/ARM-software/arm-trusted-firmware

⁹ Allwinner A64 Datasheet: http://files.pine64.org/doc/datasheet/pine64/A64_Datasheet_V1.1.pdf

¹⁰ PostmarketOS Pinephone page: https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/PINE64_PinePhone_(pine64-pinephone)#Serial_console

¹¹ From #replicant channel on Freenode:

01:48 < adjtm> GNUtoo, lukasz confirmed me that the lcd doesn't require proprietary firmware to be uploaded
01:49 < adjtm> the conversation between pine64 staff about the lcd that someone posted on irc was probably before deciding in
               the last lcd

¹² PINE64 December 2019 Update: https://www.pine64.org/2019/12/05/december-update-thank-you-for-2019/

¹³ From Xalius on PINE64 IRC. Details at: https://linux-sunxi.org/AXP803