Notkia Linux Communicator
Nokia 168x form factor “phone” runs mainline Linux.
Modern smartphones, as noted in Reimu NotMoe's project writeup, are increasingly unfriendly to both privacy and hacking. After some frustration with this fact, in 2020 'NotMoe tried using a Raspberry Pi with a touchscreen HAT, battery, and 4G module as a DIY phone. While described as a failure – in part because of its three hour battery life – it was able to make calls and work with SMS.
The phone idea wasn't forgotten, though. With a bit of inspiration via Game Boy-RetroPie builds, and another year-plus of work, this hacker settled on the Nokia 168x form factor, and stuffed a mainline Linux system into this minuscule shell.
This new “phone,” now with the moniker "Notkia," features an Ingenic X1000E processor, allowing it to run slightly faster than a Raspberry Pi Zero, while using less power in the process. Connectivity includes LoRa, WiFi 2.4G, and Bluetooth, plus GPS/GLONASS for finding your way around. Missing is a cellular modem; however, between LoRa and WiFi, one should be able to communicate in a wide variety of situations, and get at least a rough sense of direction for navigation.
The Notkia's screen is quite impressive, eschewing the original Nokia’s 128x160 TFT for a new 240x320 IPS display. While it’s larger than the frame, which hides some pixels, it still has around a 220x280 usable resolution, plus better color and response time. The device looks impressive in the clips below, which also shows off its audio playback ability. It even has a Yamaha MA-3 music synthesize for 00’s-era ringtones. While there’s still some work to be done on this little communicator, the device’s throwback form factor, plus modern components, shows a lot of promise!