PinePhone Now Offers a Convergence Package
The makers of the Linux PinePhone are now offering a model that makes desktop/mobile convergence a reality.
Although the Linux PinePhone is still not ready for primetime, the company behind the product have upped the ante with a hardware add-on that makes it possible to turn that Linux-powered mobile platform into a full-blown desktop.
The new Convergence Package is a limited edition option that makes use of the PostmarketOS, which is based on the Alpine Linux distribution that includes both mobile and desktop modes. In order to make this work, the PinePhone uses a docking station with two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a 10/100Mbps ethernet port.
Because PostmarketOS is still in alpha development, it cannot be considered ready for consumer usage, however the core functionality (phone, SMS, LTE, GPS, GPU acceleration) are all operational.
The Convergence Package phone specs aren’t going to wow anyone (especially if you’re looking for a flagship device). You’ll find an Allwin A64 chipset, a 64-bit Quad-core 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A-53 CPU, a MALI-400MP2 GPU, 32GB of internal storage, 3GB of LPDDR3 SDRAM, a micro SD Card slot (which supports up to 2TB of storage), a single 5MP main camera and a 2MP selfie camera.
The Convergence Package sells for $199.00 and is up for pre-order now. According to Pine64, they are not yet certain if this package will become a regular offering, or if it will remain a limited edition.
Issue 245/2021
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Mageia 8 is Now Available with Linux 5.10 LTS
The latest release of Mageia includes improved graphics support for both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.
-
GNOME 40 Beta has been Released
Anyone looking to test the beta for the upcoming GNOME 40 release can now do so.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 4.2 has Arrived
The latest stable version of OpenMandriva has been released and offers the newest KDE desktop and ARM support.
-
Thunderbird 78 is being ported to Ubuntu 20.04
The Ubuntu developers have made the decision to port the latest release of Thunderbird to the LTS version of the platform.
-
Elementary OS is Bringing Multi-Touch Gestures to the OS
User-friendly Linux distribution, elementary OS, is working to make using the fan-favorite platform even better for laptops.
-
Decade-Old Sudo Flaw Discovered
A vulnerability has been discovered in the Linux sudo command that’s been hiding in plain sight.
-
Another New Linux Laptop has Arrived
Slimbook has released a monster of a Linux gaming laptop.
-
Mozilla VPN Now Available for Linux
The promised subscription-based VPN service from Mozilla is now available for the Linux platform.
-
Wayland and New App Menu Coming to KDE
The 2021 roadmap for the KDE desktop environment includes some exciting features and improvements.
-
Deepin 20.1 has Arrived
Debian-based Deepin 20.1 has been released with some interesting new features.