The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Many people are STILL waiting for the (real) successor of the Nokia N900. But other devices are also in the make that might be interested for people whit a lower budget (and even getting a higher specs device).


Pros Neo N900:

• - Uses Hildon (correct me if I'm wrong)
• - Uses (almost) the same N900 housing
• - Resistive touchscreen
• - QWERTY keyboard
• - 4G
• - Open source
• - It's designed to work as a phone.
• - Unique modem sandbox gives the user (and only the user!) full control of the device and maximum possible privacy.

Cons Neo 900:

• - Not so affordable
• - Low specs for it's time

Pros Pyra:

• - Much bigger screen (720p 5" LCD)
• - Resistive touchscreen
• - Better CPU
• Texas Instruments OMAP 5 SoC
  2x ARM Cortex-A15 @ 1.5Ghz with NEON SIMD
  2x ARM Cortex-M4
• - Better GPU
  PowerVR™ SGX544-MP2
  Vivante GC320 2D Accelerator
• - More Ram
  2GB RAM
• - HDMI Video Out
• - Dual video output (You can connect HDMI and show something else on the TV screen while you see something else on your device)
• - Various sensors (like gyro-sensor, etc.)
• - Huge battery for a long battery life (6000mAh)
• - Gaming controls (who doesn't like gaming!? :p)
  DPad, 4 shoulder buttons, 6 face buttons
  Two accurate analog controls with push-button
• - Glass effect QWERTY keyboard with backlight
• - Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0*
• - Dual (!) SDXC card slots
• - 2x Full-size USB Host (one can be used as eSATA-with a small adaptor),
• - 1x Micro USB 3.0
• - 1x Micro USB (Debug and Charging)
• - Fully configurable RGB-LEDs for notifications
• - 3G/4G/UMTS and GPS module
• - Affordable price
• - Open Source
• - Fully Desktop environment experience

Cons Pyra:

• - It might be a bit bulky
  Clamshell design (like the Nintendo DS/3DS)
• - It might not replace your phone.

Some pics of the Pyra:
https://boards.openpandora.org/uploa...72de401afe.jpg


Renders:
https://boards.openpandora.org/uploa...1438221804.jpg

https://boards.openpandora.org/uploa...1438221841.jpg

https://boards.openpandora.org/uploa...1438221768.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSVM7n9yZaU



I guess that sums it up for now :)

The Pyra is already in prototype phase, so it wont be long until it will be sold for everybody :)

Here is a nice quick video where the Pyra is visible in early prototype:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmeOIYr4yjM

Website Neo900:
http://www.neo900.org

Website Pyra:
http://www.pyra-handheld.com

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

It might be indeed . . .

I so very, very, very, much want a device to follow my N900. I look at the Neo900, which is an amazing effort from that team, but also so unfortunately behind the state of the art. (And so expensive. . . . Not that I wouldn't buy one if I didn't have to sell one of the kids to do so. :( I'd spend it if I could, but I just can't. Really, I would.)

So I look at the Pyra. Wow. Again, such an amazing effort, but unless my eyes and sense of scale deceive me, so very, very, big. Especially the thickness dimension. The N900 with an Otterbox was big enough to wear a hole in my jeans pocket -- this looks considerably thicker.

Don't get me wrong: I'm amazed (impressed, astounded, flabbergasted) by the work these teams have done. But sadly, our community of consumers of a N900 successor just doesn't seem to attract the attention of manufacturer with the deep pockets to fund a design team that can create a state-of-the-art 2015 device at a price point I can justify. That stuff's expensive to do -- I understand.

Again, no one should interpret this as a disparagement of the Neo900 or Pyra teams' work. I'm nothing but impressed. I'm just selfishly disappointed in the (market-wise) small number of potential consumers for such a product that I so badly desire.

And one more time: kudos to the Pyra team! If I can find suitable pants for your product, I may buy one yet. (And Neo900 guys, if those pants have $1000 in the pockets, I'll get one of yours, too.)

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

i really like the pyra but i ll never buy one as the keyboard layout or rather those ugly nubs gets me on my nerves.
and
no pryra and neo900 are diffrent type of devices built for entirely diffrent purposes , also little similarities in two diffrent devices does not make them same.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

What about the Pyra? :rolleyes:

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

i am nuts over how to pronounce it
pls do me a favour digitize your voice speaking it and upload it here :)

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I've got a Pandora and am keeping a close eye on the development of the Pyra which looks fantastic, but I'm not sure I'd use it as a phone...

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I really like the Pyra too. As with the mobile phone industry, I've been very disillusioned by the gaming industry in the last few years and the direction it continues to head in. The Pyra is a breath of fresh air. Basically it's the ultimate gaming handheld device. If I had a full time job I'd pre-order one in an instant. As I don't, I'm sticking with the Neo900 for now.

A few important points to add to your list including critically, why I don't think the Pyra can be called an N900 successor:

Neo900 pros:

• It's designed to work as a phone.
• Unique modem sandbox gives the user (and only the user!) full control of the device and maximum possible privacy.
• The possibility of a mass produced "STEP2" successor with decent specs.

Pyra cons:

• Don't expect it to replace your phone.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I'm taking about the spelling ;)

Edit: I've seen now that you've edited your post... But even after your edit, it's still hard to believe that you couldn't spell Pyra... :o


I've added your points.
But I didn't get about the STEP2 thing. Can you explain a bit more?

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

STEP2 is the anticipated successor to the Neo900. From what I remember, if the Neo900 is successful (success defined by devices shipping to the few hundred project backers), it should be a lot easier to find investors or launch a successful crowd funding campaign which will allow them to make a device with modern specs that can be mass produced.

I thought there was a dedicated thread for STEP2 but I couldn't find it but here's some info about it from the main Neo900 thread:

https://talk.maemo.org/showthread.ph...02#post1444602

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Yesssss!

Not to forget,

• - It doesn't exist (yet)

:)

Bulky, perhaps. But since when is a clamshell design a con?

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Thats why I said: it might be, (i wrote the reason why it might be bulky, not that clamshell is a con)

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Obviously, this is all IMHO . . . your mileage may vary, some terms and conditions apply, see disclaimer, you may have certain other legal rights, etc . . .

A clamshell design has its own pros and cons, which depend on usage. For a device that's used as a telephone -- which is how I'd use a successor to the N900 -- the cons predominate.

(By clamshell, I mean something hinged on the long edge like this Pyra or Gameboy DS or the old Sharp Zaurus (the clamshell ones, natch). I don't mean a "flip phone" style device hinged on the shorter side -- that's a different animal.)

The pros I can think of for a clamshell are the protection that it affords the screen when closed, the ability to use the lid state as an on-off or run-pause (or whatever) switch, and the (potential) ability to angle the screen for optimal viewing -- e.g. while it sits on a table and you watch a video.

The cons are mostly about how the form factor dictates that the device can only be used in the "open" state. With a slider like my N900, I can place or receive a call (mostly) one-handed from the touchscreen with the keyboard stowed. A slider or touchscreen-only device doesn't need an auxiliary screen for caller ID.

A clamshell design assumes I'm always gonna be interacting with the unit using the keyboard (or controller pad for a game device.) That makes it perfect for a tiny computer. A better tiny computer than a touchscreen-only smartphone, I'd say. Perhaps a better tiny computer than my N900, but again, at the expense of one-handed usage cases.

For me (and sadly far too few others outside of this forum) the N900 represents a device that provides a great combination of computer and phone features that matches my needs nicely. It replaced my candybar phone, my Palm Pilot, and my SL-5500 -- and it was smaller than two of them! I really want an affordable modern successor. But as they say: "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride." Maybe the solution is selling the kids.;)

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I have a Pandora and I love it for what it is. A gaming handheld / mini PC. The Pyra will be pretty similar (better specs though) and will be the successor of the Pandora. Not sure yet - I might buy a Pyra too.
So great products - and it would be very nice to be able to use mobile internet (3G/4G whatever) or even use it as a phone when you have nothing else. That said, it is not a phone and never intended to become one.

The N900 is a phone / Mini PC and the only successor is the NEO900. Not sure if I will buy one but I hope those guys will make it a success.

That said, if you are looking at it from the mini-pc angle (I started using my N900 only as an emacs mini pc) the Pyra will be an excellent - albeit bulky - choice.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

It has an escape button and can be used as a portable PC or Kodi media center. Worth buying but not a N900 replacement. Is there any news about the price?

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

You can pre-pre-order https://boards.openpandora.org/topic...ady-to-rumble/ now.
Final price is not determined yet - but I thought somewhere between 500-600 € .
However you can already order one for 1400 € delivery in November - the prototypes are being sold for that price.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I have used a few linux machines for phone calls (over GSM)
and this all depends upon what kind of wwan chipset
is under the hood.
Some are pluggable and can be replaced,
and some are soldered in which is a real show-stopper.

I would wonder whether the chips envisioned for PYRA
have voice/SMS capability.
If so,
It could indeed replace your phone, right out of the box.

I recognize it would be a bit kludgy,
but much easier than carting around a mini-itx
with a compatible USB modem and a dangling LCD screen.

cheers

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

The last time I looked into it, they intended to use the same Gemalto baseband modems as will be used in the Neo900.

Of course it could replace your phone to a certain extent. FSO or oFono provide full telephony stacks so that's not an issue, but it would be kludgy indeed. I'm not really sure that a comparison to carrying around a mini-ITX really constitutes as justification for the Pyra replacing your phone.

The point I was trying to make is that is not designed to be a phone. It's not really the optimal size for a phone. The microphone and speaker placement mean that you can't hold it like a phone to make calls. The clamshell design makes it awkward to answer calls efficiently. You could use a hands-free kit to work around these problems but that's not exactly ideal.

The software issues are a bit more of a concern. To leave the device in a state where it is ready to receive calls at all times will likely drain the battery very quickly. It's possible this issue may eventually be addressed but phone functionality is not a primary concern for the Pyra developers so don't expect this to be resolved any time soon.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Just read that all the 8 Pyra prototypes are sold, I thought they costed 1400€ but the price was 1666 € .
Still 34 pre-pre orders available.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

33 pre-pre orders left:
https://www.dragonbox.de/en/353-pyra-voucher-pyra.html

(Please note that this is a voucher for a pre-order. Its not the full price yet)

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

[OT]"This video contains content from BBC Worldwide, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."
WTF??? I am in the effing country where effing BBC is based. What copyright grounds? [/OT]

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Yeah, I had trouble with it too. I enabled Tor and it played once but then it was blocked again when I tested the link immediately after. Someone should write in to Points of View and tell the Beeb that "worldwide" means something different from what they think it means.

EDIT: Apparently it's blocked everywhere but in the US. Try this link instead:

https://nyc1.unblockvideos.com/index...aIGteGKeqc5pog

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I sorta liked the OpenPandora; but this just... I can't say that I see this as a replacement for the venerable Nokia N900.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

painfully, but in context:

With neo900 being at least another year down the road,
and anything else having capacitive screens absent keyboards,
virtually any submission can be a 'possible replacement' for the n900.


This addiction is worse than smoking -
I quit smoking two years ago
but I still use the n900 - I use it exclusively.


I just bit the bullet and ordered Aquaris E5 HD,
but I realize it will never even come close to the utility of the n900

Seeing the Pyra getting nearer to shipping is good.
Perhaps, if nothing else, the design will inspire another step.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I have the unpopular opinion that the Neo900 is not a device I'd ever put any money, time nor hope into.

No device that's started from these forums has made it out yet despite years of hype or at a price that made sense. I'm quite aware that the Pyra didn't start at TMO/ITT. But Neo900 and that aluminum case that'll never get delivered both started here years ago; neither delivered to the masses yet...

Funny thing, I'd actually see myself using the Pyra more for emulation of older games more than anything else.

But that's me... and that's my largely unpopular (and unrequested) opinion.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I'm not sure what's happening with Estel. There were prototypes, long time ago, but news haven't been heard for a long time. Maybe, CNC milling machine broke down, or something...

Neo900 is active, and publishing news, and they will have proto_v2 soon. They will succeed (or I believe so), despite PayPal's attempts to slow them down.

Pyra is also moving, and they do not have troubles with PayPal. They are selling prototypes already, and will also succeed (that's not the first time for them, unlike Neo900).

I am not into computer games (except chess, and occasionally mahjong), so I see Pyra more like a small laptop, but that's just my opinion.

Best wishes.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Pyra doesn't have a SIM card slot though - does it?

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I have an Openmoko neo1973, three Openmoko Freerunners, a gta04 two N900s (I've had five at various times) and an N950. I have a preorder in for a neo900, and I'll buy a Pyra when they go into full production. I consider myself a supporter of these things. That being said, I don't ever expect to see a successor to the N900. Of all these devices, it was the only one made by a company that had the resources to make a real mobile phone. That's just not something a handfull of people, with a target run of a few thousand devices, can do. These small-run products always have some crazy problem like the Freerunner glamo chip that ends up badly compromising the device. It's not that the engineers are incompetent - they just can't go through 10 prototype cycles, or even get state-of-the-art parts. The neo900 is being made partially from recycled parts from six year old phones! As time goes on, upgrading a 2009 phone to give it 2011 hardware, at huge expense, will make less and less sense - if it really does take another year for the neo900 to go into production, the only market will be people obsessed with privacy, to the extent that they are willing to forgo having a phone with a software ecosystem. I think our community should concentrate on something like supporting SailfishOS on Android hardware. We're just never going to get good handset hardware designed for a gnu/linux phone.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

pretty cool, Not a device to replace n900, but for me anything wud be exciting that is as mobile as a cell phone and is running full fledged Linux with options to install any distribution. price shud be reasonable though, which doesn't seem to be here as well given the hardware.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

it does... it's right on the VERY FIRST post :p

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I must say, I very much like the idea of Pyra as a mini-laptop but... is it not supposed to be for GAMING?
The last time I checked, which admittedly was not very recently, gaming on Linux was not exactly a big thing.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Actually, things are starting to change... Here are some games that run on Linux via SteamOS (not that I have tried them myself, so I can't personally guarantee that they all work):

http://store.steampowered.com/browse/linux/

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

True but that applies more to desktop (and living room) Linux gaming. Steam is for x86/x86-64 only so it won't run on the Pyra.

The Pyra is more for retro gaming rather than modern gaming. Expect it to run everything that can run on the Pandora plus more due to its superior specs. This includes emulation of classic consoles/arcades/computers, stuff like apkenv, game engine ports and RE'd reimplementations, and even no source ports!

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Lol?
N900 is a beauty!
But this... this is just looks... unacceptable. Designed without any sense of beauty..
In this device, everything that's can be wrong on a device's design, is wrong. Even its ergonomy... it's questionable at least.
Its color, size, curves, edges, ergonomy... like 90's handheld monochrome videogame, it's horrifies me. :)
Even with nerd standards.
I like the idea behind it, but its... wow... still shocked...
And yep, big. Way too big.
In this size-category, almost any noname UMPC is looking better, in its looks and its function.

If it's creators read this topic: please, hire someone with basic device-designing skills!

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Wow. Gotta disagree here. Modern cellphones have reached an utterly ridiculous pinnacle of minimalism; they're all just huge, thin strips of glass that look like they came right off a Star Trek: The Next Generation set. Maybe pretty to look at, but un-ergonomic as all hell.

I want a device that I can hold in my hand. I want buttons that I can push. I want a screen that I can use without constantly having to put my own fingers in the way. The Pyra is definitely a step back towards sanity... :)

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

We're going to disagree here. I'm past the multitude of buttons and switches and what not. Too many points of failure for a pocketable device.

Pyra looks like a weird cross of the N900, a Casio calculator watch and a ColecoVision controller with a pinch of Darth Vader's chest.

Not a fan.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I cannot reconcile your two statements . . .

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

Our tastes merely diverge. I'm quite sure it's happened in the past; you'll live.

Besides I've lived in the 70's and 80's where everything had to have a suite of knobs and flip switches. I don't want that any longer. Pyra just doesn't do anything for me. It's a mélange of design do's and don'ts that just looks horrid and like an awfully dated piece of geekery.

For the record, I'm still mad that my vintage Entex Defender game knob just free spins to this day...

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

It was a joke, of course. Because what could be more cool than a combination of those things: calculator watch, Vader, ColecoVision, and N900? My lust for that ColecoVision was never requited. :( But I did finally get that Casio watch with my lawn-mowing money!

(And after dealing with a touchscreen in my wife's car, I'm not so sure that actual switches are all that bad an idea -- at least until we can make a genuinely tactile touchscreen.)

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I knew it was a joke; I was responding in kind.

LOL - I had all four items: N900 (hated it due to poor GPS lock in Pittsburgh), Casio watch (loved mine in 6th grade), ColecoVision (I need to remake Omega Race) and of course, the best villain for a kid to idolize... Darth Vader.

Hell.. you'd think that all of those things combined would be cool, come to think of it.

I require voice commands in my car. But I'm scared it'll register each and every curse word I use during traffic... hmm.

Re: The successor of Nokia N900 - Pyra (Well, sort of)
 

I agree with every word, man.
Todays smartphones are just useless to me, I dont want a big screen that I can stroke all day..
I need a good qwerty. What I dont want on my device, is Android, iOS, or WP.
BB is nice, but Passport is overpriced for me.. :(

Anyway... I need buttons, nice screen, Linux-based system too.
But not in this form of advanced ugliness, please. :D
This project can be done with so so much nicer looks.
This is exactly why most people think that opensource devices are ugly.. and immature for commercial success.. because mostly they are. Its designers aim is to create something different... I think that doesn't mean it's have to be scary. :D