PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition Linux-based Smartphone At $399

PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition was initially announced on October 15, 2021, featuring the low-power and high-performance Rockchip RK3399S system-on-chip. As we all know, Rockchip has been releasing powerful SoCs in the market for embedded electronic hardware devices, but this chip is specifically designed for computing, personal mobile, and other smart devices. Taking advantage of Big.Little architecture and a NEON coprocessor, PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition is one of the very few Linux-based smartphones on the market.

As mentioned, the flagship smartphone is built around the RK3399S system-on-chip with tightly integrated 64-bit dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 and quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor clocked at up to 1.5GHz frequency. The hardware incorporates 4GB LPDDR4 SRAM operating at 800MHz frequency, which is decently good for a Linux-based handheld smart device. However, this smartphone cannot be compared among the other flagships and top-tier devices in the market.

Specifications of PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition

• System: Rockchip RK3399S featuring 64-bit 6-core 4x ARM Cortex A53 and 2x ARM Cortex A72
• GPU: Mali T860MP4
• Storage: 128GB eMMC flash memory, Micro SD Card (supports SDHC and SDXC, up to 2TB)
• Memory: 4GB LPDDR4 RAM
• SIM card slot: Micro-SIM
• Display:
  • Size: 6-inches diagonal
  • Type: 1440 x 720 in-cell IPS with Gorilla Glass 4
  • Resolution: 1440×720, 18:9 ratio
• Camera:
  • Back Camera: 13MP Sony IMX258 with Gorilla Glass 4 protective layer and LED flash
  • Front Camera: 8MP, OmniVision OV8858 front-facing camera
• Audio system: 3.5mm jack & mic and Loudspeaker
• Battery: Lithium-ion, rated capacity 2800mAh
• I/O: USB Type-C, USB Host, DisplayPort Alternate Mode output
• Charging: Charging: USB type-C, 15W – 5V 3A Quick Charge, follows USB PD specifications
• Operating system: Manjaro with Plasma Mobile
• Dimension: 160.8×76.6×11.1 mm
• Weight: Approx. 220g

This 6-inch phone offers 1440×720 pixel resolution at an aspect ratio of 18:9. The internal storage for the PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition is 128GB eMMC while it can be expanded up to 2TB via MicroSD card. Such high internal storage is rare for most of the flagship smartphones on the market. On the side of the sensors, the hardware offers an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, ambient light, and compass sensors. While the battery life is one of the most concerning factors for the user, the device comes with a Lithium-ion rated capacity of 2800mAh.

All the orders placed before January 18, 2022, will be shipping starting on January 24, 2022, from the Hong Kong warehouse. While any orders placed after that date can be expected to ship as late as the end of February 2022. The PinePhone Pro Explorer Edition is currently priced at $399 on the official store.

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