PinePhonePro with Rockchip RK3399 is coming

Now everything is clear – PinePhone Pro will be available soon. It’s faster and more efficient than its predecessor, the PinePhone, which Pine64 says will not disappear from the store.

A few days ago, Pine64 posted a video that only showed that a new device would probably be coming soon.

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— PINE64 (@thepine64) October 8, 2021

Today we know that it will be a new smartphone – PinePhone Pro. It is powered by a modified Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core SoC operating as 128GB of internal eMMC flash storage. It features a high-fidelity 13MP main camera sensor and a 5MP fron-facing camera.

It’s been over two years since Pine64 announced PinePhone at FOSDEM 2019

Since then, it has been possible to create a phone that works with mainline linux and is used by many users as the daily driver. Although the software for PinePhone will be constantly developed (I love Open Source), it’s time to look to the future. Time for PinePhone Pro.

PinePhone Pro created in cooperation with Rockchip.

It is worth emphasizing the close and fruitful cooperation of Rockchip engineers with Pine64.
Rockchip is a leading fabless IC design company that focuses on Intelligent IoT. Rockchip specializes in SoC design, analog circuit chip design, and algorithm research.
How is the cooperation with Rockchip described by Pine64?
“We worked closely with Rockchip’s engineering team to fine-tune the SoC’s performance so that it meets the necessary thermal and battery-consumption envelopes. Rockchip’s team was also instrumental in enabling the PinePhone Pro’s suspend state, which allows the smartphone to receive calls and SMS messages while preserbing battery.”

Will the PinePhone peripherals be compatible with PinePhonePro? Good news – yes.
The PinePhone Pro uses the same pogo-pin systems and back cober attachment as the original PinePhone, making it compatible with all existing add-ons. Both the keyboard and the PineDio LoRa, fingerprint reader, or wireless charging will also work with the PinePhone Pro.

When will PinePhone Pro be available?

Unfortunately, we do not know the exact release date of PinePhone Pro for pre-sale yet.
Explorer Edition pre-orders for tech savvy end users are slated to open later this year.

How much is it?

The PinePhone Pro costs $399
Additional charges, such as import taxes and shipping fees apply.

Wait a second, but the Pinebook Pro also uses the RK3399. Are both devices equally efficient? Yes. Almost.
Although both devices use the RK3399, due to thermal constraints imposed by the case, the PinePhone Pro is approximately 20% slower than the Pinebook Pro. PinePhone Pro, however, will have a lower screen resolution and better optimization, therefore the performance of both devices will be comparable.

Full convergence, meaning your phone is not just a phone

Performance at the PinebookPro level makes the PinePhone Pro a computer after connecting a monitor, keyboard and mouse. A computer where you can surfing the web, watching 1080p videos and even in light photo editing.