Crowdfunded Dragonbox Pyra handheld PC almost ready for launch

The Dragonbox Pyra comes with a transparent casing and fully upgradable specs. (Source: Dragonbox)

First announced in 2014, the crowdfunded Dragonbox Pyra handheld mini PC is finally close to commercial release. The German developers released the final specs, which now include a 5-inch 720p screen, a TI OMAP 5 dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU, 2 or 4 GB RAM and 32 GB eMMC storage. What sets apart this model is the ability to upgrade each hardware component.

by Bogdan Solca, 2018/07/31

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The German team behind the Dragonbox Pyra project recently announced that they finally agreed on the specs for the crowdfunded handheld PC that has been in development for the past 4 years. If all goes well with hardware and reliability tests, the team should apply for CE and FCC certifications very soon, and then shipping to the backers who pre-ordered it in 2016 for ~US$585 should follow shortly after.

First of all, this device will be running GNU/Linux, not Windows. It will come with a 5-inch 720p screen and will be powered by a Texas instruments OMAP 5 dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU coupled with 2/4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage. For a device this small, the Dragonbox Pyra packs enough connectivity options, including full-size and micro USB ports, and HDMI out, audio in/out plus dual SDXC card slots. Moreover, it comes with WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 support, a backlit keyboard with custom gaming buttons, and a transparent case.

Sure, the hardware looks quite dated compared to the GPD's models, but the backers who already pre-ordered the handheld PC in 2016 also benefit from a hacker-friendly interface that makes it easy to upgrade all components and code in support for new ones, as well.