Summary
- Pine64 is discontinuing the repairable Linux smartphone PinePhone Pro due to low sales.
- The Pro version, intended for enthusiasts, offered hardware improvements, like 128GB storage and a better chipset.
- The original PinePhone is still available for $200 for those who don’t mind the weak specs.
Pine64, the creator of the PinePhone line of Linux-focused smartphones, is apparently killing off the Pro edition of the PinePhone. You can still get the original PinePhone though.
Pine64’s store listing for the PinePhone Pro shows it’s currently out of stock, and according to reports by Lilyputing, the PinePhone Pro is officially being discontinued thanks to low interest. It was always meant to cater to enthusiasts and tinkerers, and evidently those folks were not enthused enough to justify continuing to manufacture this specific Linux phone.
When the PinePhone Pro was introduced in 2022, it was joining the regular PinePhone (shown in the photo above) as a Linux fan’s dream, albeit underpowered. Both originally came with Manjaro Linux pre-installed, but it appears the Pro switched to a pre-beta version of Sailfish OS. Both were meant for early adopters, not consumers at large.
Hardware wise, the Pro was better than the regular, adding features and improving others while still remaining humble to keep costs low. For example, the Pro added Gorilla Glass 4 protection and replaced the Allwinner A64 chipset with a better Rockchip RK3399S. The Pro also had 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, which beat the original’s 2 or 3GB of LPDDR3 memory. The standard PinePhone only offers a paltry 16GB of eMMC storage in the cheaper configuration and a still-wanting 32GB in the pricier option, but the Pro actually provided 128GB.
Both the Pro and regular versions were meant to be user-repairable, held together with Phillips screws so you can open the phone easily. Replacement parts are sold directly to owners by Pine64.
You can still buy the original PinePhone from Pine64 for $200. The ultra-budget $150 model is currently out of stock. If you’re really determined to get your hands on a PinePhone Pro, though, it looks like they’ve occasionally been sold on eBay in the US at prices ranging from $200 to $350. I couldn’t find any current auctions, but when they do appear, they’ll likely be on the pricier side now that the grim reaper has come for the Pro edition. The Pine64 store still appears to be selling all of the PinePhone Pro spare parts, so you can theoretically keep using and repairing it, should you get your hands on one.
The death of the PinePhone Pro adds to the complex story of Linux smartphones. Many of the best options are not sold in the US, and when you do get your hands on one, basic functionality can be spotty. You might be better off just buying a regular Android phone and flashing it with an alternative operating system like postmarketOS. That takes a level of tech savvy many don’t have, though, and security and other forms of long-term support is questionable at best. GrapheneOS, as far as I can tell, is the most reliable and secure option, but it’s limited to currently-supported Google Pixel devices.
Regardless, it’s sad to see a Linux phone bite the dust when it was already difficult to find good options.
Source: Liliputing
