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by Lukasz Erecinski

Happy New Year, the keyboard and cases are here!

The PinePhone & PinePhone Pro keyboard case and add-on cases are now available in the Pine Store!

Go to store

About the keyboard case

The keyboard case works with both the PinePhone and PinePhone Pro and features a clam-shell design. It uses pogo pins located on the phone’s midsection and attaches by replacing the default back cover. When folded, the phone’s screen and the keyboard rest securely against each other. The hinge features a 180° design, which not only allows for two-hand typing on a surface but also for comfortable thumb-typing when fully extended. The etched keycaps can be easily relocated for alternate layouts such as AZERTY or QWERTZ. The keyboard case runs an open firmware, which means that anyone with the know-how can alter existing functions or add new ones. The bottom (keyboard) and top (phone) sections of the assembly are well-balanced thanks to the large, 6000mAh, internal battery capable of charging the PinePhone (Pro) during operation. The internal battery effectively triples the phone’s battery life. The internal keyboard battery can be manually toggled on/off and the keyboard’s battery charge level can be read in the supported OSes; the keyboard remains functional with the battery fully depleted.

You do not lose access to the PinePhone (Pro)’s USB-C port, speaker, microphone, or any external features, such as volume and lock buttons, with the keyboard attached. There is also a cut-out for the camera, torch, and headphone jack. The USB-C port on the keyboard is capable of powering both the keyboard and PinePhone (Pro) simultaneously. This means that you can plug in a USB mouse, a USB-C dongle, or some other peripheral while the phone and keyboard’s internal battery charge. Please keep in mind that the keyboard case transforms the PinePhone (Pro) into a PDA, which means that taking calls will likely prove awkward without a wired or wireless headset connected. 

More information

To learn more about the keyboard and its journey please read:

Keyboard case core features

  • Well balanced clamshell construction 
  • Unbranded and understated design; black shell with dark gray/ matte black keycaps 
  • Pogo pin-compatible with PinePhone and PinePhone Pro
  • 180° hinge for two-hand typing on surface or thumb-typing when held
  • Rearrangeable etched keycaps with deep travel
  • Programmable open source firmware by Megi
  • Accessible phone’s headphone jack, USB-C port, volume keys, and microphone
  • 6000mAh internal battery capable of charging the PinePhone (Pro); charge levels reported in OSes that support this feature
  • USB-C charging; capable of charging keyboard case and PinePhone (Pro) simultaneously 

About the add-on back cases

We are simultaneously releasing the much anticipated add-on back cases for the PinePhone and PinePhone Pro. These three cases offer: PineDio (LoRa), Qi Wireless charging and fingerprint reader functionality. Similarly to the keyboard case, these add-on cases make use of the pogo pin interface found on the PinePhone and PinePhone Pro’s midsection. All three cases are made of very sturdy polished black plastic and feature a modular construction. Simple disassembly of the electronic components opens up a gateway for hacking in additional functionality, at least for those of you who are up to the challenge. It also means that the cases are just as repairable as the PinePhone itself.

More information

To learn more about the add-on back cases and their journey please read:

Fingerprint reader case core features

Wireless charging case core features

  • Unbranded and understated design
  • Sturdy ribbed construction
  • Qi Wireless and Wireless Power Consortium protocols supported
  • Works out of the box with the PinePhone or PinePhone Pro, no software needed
  • Modular, easy to disassemble
  • Hackable design

PineDio LoRa case core features

  • Unbranded and understated design
  • Sturdy ribbed construction
  • Uses Semtech SX1262 power efficient LoRa module
  • Software enablement for the PinePhone by JF 
  • Modular, easy to disassemble
  • Hackable design

Phoptographs by Martijn Braam

keyboard, pinephone, pinephone-pro

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