Smartphones are great. They’re technological marvels, cramming a huge amount of computing power and a ton of functions into very compact packages that are much more affordable than they have any right to be. But they also feel kind of “meh,” you know? And their existence has all but destroyed the pocket computer market. Thankfully, Mecha Comet is a promising new option in that underserved market.
Mecha Comet is not just a smartphone with a Blackberry-style keyboard, nor is it simply a fancy enclosure for an SBC. It is a fully featured pocket computer with swappable modules to suit user needs and upgradable hardware to enhance performance.
The base Mecha Comet unit has a 3.92” AMOLED display with capacitive touch and a mainboard built around an NXP i.MX 8M or i.MX 95 SoM (system-on-module). It will be available with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage, and swappable microSD or NVMe SSD storage. Power comes from a large 4100mAh lithium battery.
Then there are a whole host of sensors and communications adapters. Those include an 8MP camera, a motion sensor, a haptic feedback motor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Then there are the modules, which snap onto the front just below the screen. At launch, there will be a tactile keyboard, a gamepad, and an IO board. That last one should be particularly interesting to our audience, as it enables hacking and expansion.
On the operating system side, Mecha Comet will come with a custom Linux 6.12-based distro called Mechanix. But everything is open, so you can run whatever ARM64-compatible OS or software you like. The Mecha Comet itself will also be released as open hardware, with hacking and modification encouraged.
In fact, the only real downside that jumps out to me is that this is an ARM64 device, which will limit compatibility. Though that is much less of an issue than it used to be.
That all sounds really good, which is why the Mecha Comet Kickstarter campaign has already raised more than $620,000 from more than 1,800 backers. If it appeals to you, you can grab the early bird special for the Mecha Comet i.MX 8M Plus with 2GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage for $189. Rewards should ship in May.