Many of us remember the days of the Blackberry, and some might be eager to revisit the feeling of that classic PDA. Today we’ve got a Raspberry Pi project to share that does just that with Eric Migicovsky’s Beepberry creation. The Beepberry is a portable, pocket-sized computer for hackers and communicating on Beeper. According to Migicovsky, Beepberry is part of a partnership between Beeper and SQFMI . The Beepberry is officially available for preorder for $79.

Although it has an onboard RP2040, a separate SBC is necessary to use the Beepberry. It’s compatible with the Raspberry Pi Zero W and other SBCs with the same form factor, including the MQ-Pro and Radxa Zero. Be sure to choose a unit without a pre-soldered header, as it needs to be low profile to fit onto the PCB.

The PCB supports a small 2.7-inch 400 x 240px e-Ink display. This uses low power and will retain the last image projected on the screen until it’s powered on again. For user input, it features a tactile keyboard and a touchpad. The keyboard is backlit, making it easier to see and use in low-light environments.

Spec-wise, users have quite a bit to take advantage of. The Beepberry PCB also includes a programmable button, a programmable LED, 16MB of onboard flash, and a power switch. A JST connector is available for connecting a 2000 mAh LiPo battery. It also features a small GPIO breakout to attach additional accessories to the unit.

Software-wise, the Beepberry is designed to run the 32-bit version of Raspberry Pi OS Lite. There’s plenty of documentation available on the Beepberry website, which also includes a section dedicated to the software. You can read more about programming the Beepberry in this documentation .

If you want to read more about this pocket-sized Raspberry Pi project or maybe even snag one for yourself, check out the official Beepberry website and visit the online shop . The first units are expected to ship in August without a Pi Zero W, while units with a Pi Zero W will be released in September.