PinePhone¶

The prototype version of PinePhone is already in the hands of developers and a new batch is shipping in January 2020¹², 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. * Audio connected to both PCM interfaces on the A6414. * PCM audio still experimental: sending to the modem works fine, receiving produces mangled samples14.	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

Source code¶

Kernel and bootloader are available at https://gitlab.com/pine64-org
Downstream projects such as UBports and postmarketOs gather efforts there for future mainlining.
Support for several features (e.g. modem PCM audio, power management) still needs to be upstreamed to mainline Linux.

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

¹⁴ From Xalius.