From the 2019 the new Raspberry Foundation project was unveiled with the aim of making a tablet available to users 8 inch based on a Raspberry Pi card, called CutiePi and according the CutiePi team, This tablet that is presented as the thinnest for the world could be used in many scenarios.
And now Announcement of its availability under pre-order at $ 199 was released, while the device will be sold to end consumers at $ 229 after the pre-order phase. The device was born thanks to a financing campaign collective on Kickstarter and is already in the mass production phase so it can be pre-ordered through a special store on Shopify and deliveries should start in July.
Regarding the characteristics of the device the company in charge of the project has the following characteristics:
- Screen: 8 inch IPS LCD screen (1280 x 800)
- Battery: 5000 mAh Li-Po
- Processor: BCM2711, Quad Core Cortex SoC - A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit 1,5 GHz, Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module, Wireless, 2 GB Lite (CM4102000)
- Connectivity: WLAN 2,4 GHz, 5,0 GHz IEEE 802.11 b / g / n / ac and Bluetooth 5.0, BLE
- Camera: 5MP rear camera (OV5647)
- Connectors: 1x USB Type-A, 1x USB Type-C (charging and OTG), 1x micro HDMI, 1x microSD slot
- Dimensions: 206 (L) x 134 (H) x 14 (D) mm
- Operating System: OS Raspberry Pi + Shell CutiePi
CutiePi has 2GB of RAM and a Broadcom BCM2711 processor with four ARM Cortex-A72 cores operating up to 1,5 GHz. In addition, the 206 x 134 x 14 mm tablet has an 8-inch IPS screen that supports touch input, while the dimensions and resolution of the screen in the new model remain unchanged from the previous model, plus the CutiePi also has a micro HDMI port for connecting the tablet to an external monitor.
As well we can find a built-in microphone, which is another feature new that should be useful. However, CutiePi has stuck with the 2W speakers from the previous model, but it may have removed its six GPIO ports and unsurprisingly.
The new CutiePi supports up to Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, there are also USB Type-A and Type-C ports, along with a 5 MP camera as can be seen in the previous description, also the device integrates most of the basic functions of the tablets such as WiFi connection, a camera, various USB ports (A, C, micro HDMI, microSD), etc.
But with this project, the main changes here lie in the fact that we have a touch screen and there is no need for a power cord to power the device.
Regarding its screen, the company that markets the CutiePi affirms that it has designed from scratch a mobile user interface based on the open source Qt framework and called CutiePi shell in order to provide users with a ready-to-use tablet, although in most cases, for users who buy the devices based on Raspberry Pi boards have advanced notions of hardware and software requiring device autonomy.
That is why for several users, CutiePi's team mentions that it could improve the device's features, like the screen (offering a larger screen with Full HD resolution), a more robust battery and GPIO pins, given the price of the device.
While for other users that the device may not be viable given its characteristics and in relation to the cost however, whatever some say, it should be noted that many users have carried out this crowdfunding project from the beginning and they are eagerly awaiting delivery of their tablet.
Finally if you are interested in knowing more about it about the device, you can check the following link.
As for those who are interested in placing their order, they can do so from the link below.