Mecha Comet Modular Linux Handheld Surpasses Kickstarter Goal, Set for Fall Shipping
Mecha Comet, a modular handheld Linux PC with phone features, raised $1.2M on Kickstarter and is expected to ship in October or November.
The device is slightly larger and heavier than a typical smartphone. It has a 4-inch AMOLED display, microphones, speakers, a SIM tray, two USB ports, and a mini HDMI port. Three separate kill switches control Wi-Fi, microphone, and camera, alongside a boot-mode switch for the SD card and three pins providing direct access to a debug console.
Snap-in extensions include a keyboard with programmable backlight colors, a gamepad, and an IO Breakout that exposes 40 pogo pins for modules, sensors, and microcontrollers. Slashdot says all of these are open hardware. Founder Shoaib Merchant said, "I'm looking forward to more community designs over the upcoming months."
A Kickstarter video from Merchant demonstrates native apps such as Music, Notes, Settings, and Files, as well as a Terminal app running on the color screen. A Linux correspondent at How-To Geek, cited by Slashdot, said the device ships "with a custom, hardware-optimized Linux distro out of the box," and called it "like having a dedicated Linux terminal in your pocket." The correspondent also argued that the device "could be the future of Linux smartphones."
The hardware can power on over USB PD without a battery. The system-on-chip includes an NPU, enabling on-device AI workflows that are absent in budget smartphones. Slashdot's report mentions that the reporter personally plans to use the device for SSH access to a main computer and home lab, and plans to install an LTE modem in the M.2 slot rather than an SSD for mobile connectivity. It also notes that a partner saw the Mecha Comet as an ideal minimalist phone for digital detoxing, with a built-in media player, a basic notes app, and the ability to run Spotify from the terminal.