Raspberry Pi + BlackBerry keyboard + screen = Beepberry

A Beepberry with a 3D-printed shell next to a Watchy smartwatch. © Squarofumi.

Beepberry is the fusion of a backlit BlackBerry Classic keyboard, a Raspberry Pi Zero W and a 2.7-inch Sharp Memory LCD 400x240 monochrome display, all powered by a 2,000mAh battery. The device is the brainchild of Eric Migicovsky who created the Pebble smartwatch and who co-founded Beeper, the all-in-one messaging app that centralizes all the services, from Whatsapp to iMessage (using a Mac as a bridge or an old jailbroken iPhone). Migicovsky wanted a device to read and send messages on weekends using Beeper, without the distraction of a smartphone’s sideshow, though you’ll find a lot more uses for the mini-computer of course. You can also get 3D models on the website to print a protective case. Since the Beepberry isn’t equipped for cellular connectivity, you’ll have to rely on Raspberry Pi’s built-in Wi-Fi for your communications. The Beepberry is available for preorder for 99 USD, or for 79 USD without Pi Zero W. You’ll also need an SD card.

⇨ YouTube, “Beeper Hardware (aka Franky) Demo”

⇨ The Verge, Umar Shakir, “Beepberry is a BlackBerry keyboard tinker toy from the founder of Pebble.”

2023-05-18