Hobbyist builds mobile phone with Raspberry Pi

A developer has built a smartphone based on a Raspberry Pi that costs the equivalent of 114 euros. The builder shows in a video published on Monday that the device is suitable for calling, but that other functionalities are still missing.

Developer Dave Hunt built the PiPhone around a B-model of Raspberry Pi. He equipped the well-known mini computer with an Adafruit PiTFT touchscreen with a resolution of 320×240 pixels and a 2500mAh lipo battery, which he could ‘neatly’ place between the computer and the screen.

The PiPhone also includes a SIM900 module from SIMCom that can be used to make calls, send text messages and send data. Hunt also built a SIM card slot at the bottom of the circuit board, so that conversations are possible via the mobile phone network.

Hunt, who is originally a Linux developer, wrote the software for his PiPhone himself. Currently, the interface consists only of a text field in which a phone number appears, a numeric keypad, a delete button and a button to initiate and end calls. Hunt wants to put the software, which he says is not programmed neatly and orderly, on GitHub if there is sufficient interest.

In a video that Hunt put online on Monday, he shows that calls can be made with the PiPhone. According to him, the PiPhone would also be easy to hold; Initially, the unit got hot due to a lack of ventilation space, but a small fan keeps it cool enough to hold a conversation.

The hobbyist built the PiPhone as a proof-of-concept, he writes. “It’s more to see what can be done with a relatively small form factor and with cheap components. I don’t expect anyone to make this phone any time soon, but I had a lot of fun with it.” According to him, the PiPhone fits in well with the projects he had before, such as the time-lapse controller Lapse Pi.

Since its release, the Raspberry Pi has had several uses. For example, one hobbyist used the mini PC to turn it into a mirrorless camera, while another modified his microwave. Early this month, the Raspberry Pi Foundation released a new version of the mini-computer that could perform all the core tasks of a regular Pi with a smaller board.