The makers of the PinePhone have now launched their first e-book reader tablet. PineNote, which shipped in limited numbers to developers last year, is now more readily available. It’s a Linux-based E-ink tablet, but ships with no Operating System (OS). In this article, we will be discussing the key specs, features, price, and availability of the PineNote E-ink tablet.
PineNote E-ink Tablet
No Default OS
PinNote is an e-ink tablet/book-reader from the Pine64 community that is popular for its lineup of Linux-based PinePhone. Like the other products under the brand’s umbrella, PineNote users have complete control over the device, so much so that it doesn’t come with any pre-installed OS.
In other words, it is strictly for enthusiasts or developers that can do with a bootloader. The plan is to run mainline Linux OS and applications on the tablet. Developers are already working on porting Alpine and Debian Linux on PineNote. In addition, we can expect ports for other OS, including NixOS to be available in the future.
In terms of specs, PineNote is arguably the most powerful E-ink device on the market. It comes packed with a Rockship RK3566 processor with four Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. The chip is paired with 4GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage.
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Rest of the Specs
As for the display, PineNote sports a 10.3″ E-ink panel with a resolution of 1404 x 1872 pixels. This panel has 16 levels of grayscale and even supports the Wacom EMR pen, which comes with the Developer Edition. Technically, you should be able to take notes on the E-ink panel with a compatible stylus, but you should probably wait until it ships with a stable operating system.
Moving on, PinNote is enclosed in a white and black plastic body. It weighs around 438 grams and is 7.4mm thick. You will also get a magnetic cover for free with the Developer Edition.
Fueling the tablet is a 4000mAh battery with support for 15W PD charging. There is a USB Type-C charging port that can also be used for data transmission. In terms of wireless connectivity, PineNote has support for Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0. Similarly, it also boasts a stereo speaker setup and four microphones.
PineNote E-ink Tablet Specifications:
- Body: 191.1 x 232.5 x 7.4mm; 438 grams
- Display: 10.3-inches TFT LCD, 60Hz Refresh Rate
- Resolution: 1404 x 1872, 227 DPI
- Chipset: Rockchip RK3566
- CPU: Quad-Core (4x Cortex-A55, up to 1.8GHz)
- GPU: Mali G52 2EE
- Memory: 4/6GB LPDDR4 RAM, 128GB storage
- Software & UI: No Default OS
- Audio: Stereo speakers, 4x microphones
- Sensors: Gyro
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 2.0 Type-C
- Battery: 4,000mAh Li-Po with 15W PD charging
- Color: White & Black
PineNote E-Ink Tablet Price and Availability
PineNote E-Ink tablet is up for order from Pine64’s official site for $339 (~NPR 47,500). However, the product page warns that it is strictly for developers and enthusiasts as there is no default software.
- Meanwhile, check out our picks for the best tablets under $500.
