Hacker Converts Nokia 1680 Feature Phone Into A Linux Machine

The Nokia 1680 was a feature phone launched in 2008, just before smartphones started to become the norm. Designed for calling and texting with little extra features, this phone has a small screen, T9 numeric keypad and only supports 2G networks.

But a hardware hacker nicknamed Reimu NotMoe took the entire phone apart and replaced it with a custom circuit board and components to turn the Nokia 1680 feature phone into a Linux computer. pocket. It's called Notkia.

With more modern software replaced, the Notkia can be seen as almost a Linux smartphone in the body of a feature phone. While replacing the circuit board, this hacker kept the case, keyboard and other buttons.

The new board is powered by a 1GHz Ingenic X1000E single-core MIPS processor with 64MB of RAM and 32MB of NOR flash and 4GB of NAND flash memory.

The original 128x160 pixel TFT screen is also replaced by a 2 inch IPS LCD screen, 240x320 pixels. However, this screen turned out to be a bit big for the device, so a few pixels were trimmed to fit the phone's plastic frame. Finally, the screen only has a resolution of 220x280 pixels.

In addition, Notkia's circuit board also includes other components such as: USB-C port, 5MP OV5640 camera with auto focus, Yamaha MA-3 music synthesizer (including ringtones), Analog MEMS microphone, card AMPAK wireless with wifi 4 and Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Semtech SX126x LoRa transceiver, finally BL-5C battery.

Combined with the Linux software, the phone can type with the T9 keyboard. With added wireless connections, the Notkia can be used as a wireless communication device or walkie-talkie. But there is one thing this Notkia can't do like a modern smartphone - it's making phone calls or using data over a high-speed data network.

That's because Reimu NotMoe couldn't find a 4G LTE module small enough to fit in this phone case.

The board is also fitted with a GNSS module for satellite navigation, but has yet to be tested. And since there's no 3.5mm jack, you'll need a wireless headset or a headset with a USB-C jack to use headphones on the Notkia.

Design details and a list of components are detailed on the Hackster and HackADay pages, in addition, Reimu NotMoe also intends to open source any future projects. You might even be able to purchase a Notkia or a kit so you can make your own in the future, when the project is submitted to crowdfunding service Crowd Supply to raise capital.