PineTab now available for reservation for € 88.53. Should you buy one?

On May 15, PINE64 told us that we could reserve the tablet they were preparing at the end of the month. It was not so. They ran into some issues, and while they didn't mention COVID directly, it likely had some blame for delaying phone shipments. They said they were going to be delayed for a few days, but today June 10, for a few hours, PineTab can now be reserved, one of the best options to mess with Ubuntu Touch.

PINE64 has made two versions available to us: the single tablet and a tablet + keyboard combo, a backlit, magnetically attached one that also includes a touchpad, which will make the PineTab look a bit more like a very cheap laptop. Of course, it must be borne in mind that, at least at the moment, the keyboard is only available in an English version; They have not yet mentioned if there will be versions in other languages, although I would not have too many illusions.

On June 15 we will know when the PineTab will start shipping

We remind you that the technical specifications of the PineTab are as follows:

• Default operating system: Ubuntu Touch
• Allwinner A64 Quad Core SOC with Mali 400 MP2 GPU.
• 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM.
• 10 ″ MiPi 720p capacitive LCD screen.
• Micro SD card slot from where the operating system can be started.
• 64GB of eMMC.
• HD digital video output.
• USB 2.0A
• Micro USB 2.0 OTG
• 2Mpx front camera.
• 5Mpx main or rear camera.
• Optional M.2 slot.
• Stereo speakers and microphone.
• Volume buttons and «Home» button.
• Keyboard that can be attached magnetically (optional).
• 6000mAh battery.
• 3.5 ″ Barrel Power port (5V 3A).
• Multiple expansion boards for LTE, LoRa and SATA SSD.
• Price $ 99.99. I have asked for one and they do the $ / € conversion, so in Spain and the CE It is priced at € 88.53 or € 106.25 for the keyboard version. To the previous price you have to add the shipping costs and it was, so in Spain it exceeds € 120.

PINE64 warns: it is not a normal tablet

On the page to reserve the PineTab, PINE64 does some caveats:

• We will not be able to buy the PineTab together with other products, due to something related to the battery.
• 1-3 dead pixels on the screen are "normal" for an LCD panel and should not be considered a defect. If you are reading this and it surprises you, it is a truth like a temple, something real that nobody mentions, but that prevents us from throwing the guarantee on practically any brand.
• It is a tablet designed for the PINE64 community, that is, users who want to try this whole world of a device at a low price, with touch Linux and that offers options to install / test other operating systems, such as postmarketOS or the mobile version of KDE neon. It is not a normal tablet like an Android and some things will be more difficult to do. It is a different world and it must be taken into account. They warn saying directly that if a low level of satisfaction, such as pixels, is going to be a problem for you, simply do not buy it.

About when they will start shipping is something they are still debating internally. There is only something confirmed: will report on June 15, but this does not mean that they will start sending them that day. Depending on what they decide in the internal debate, the PineTab could start shipping next Monday, being delusionally optimistic, later this month or even later. Hopefully and I hope, the first lucky ones will be able to enjoy our PineTab this June.

Should you buy a PineTab?

Personally, I only like to give information that I am sure or almost sure of, so I can't give a clear answer to this question because I have not yet tested the operating system myself. Yes, I have investigated how it works and you have to take into account some things:

• It looks nothing like Android. If what you want is a tablet with native and perfect applications such as official Twitter or Instagram, don't buy it.
• If you want to do the same as Ubuntu, don't buy it. Ubuntu Touch has restrictions to ensure its operation without spoiling anything, so we won't be able to do many things that we can do on computers.
• If you want to try Ubuntu Touch, buy it. It is the cheapest device you can get, even more than their phones.
• If you want to try things and much of your use is web, buy it. It has its own applications, and in the Open Store there are more, many of them web-based.
• You like messing around: buy it. In your frets you can install different mobile versions of Linux, install desktop apps with Libertine, as we will explain here or in our sister blog Ubunlog, and use an operating system that has a promising future.

Are you going to buy the PineTab?

Reserve normal version.

Reserve version with keyboard.