PINE64 Teases the PineTime Pro Smartwatch, While the AI Bubble RAM Price Storm Halts Production

PINE64 community manager Camden, also known as "CarbonatedCaffeine" and "Caffeine," has announced an incoming new wearable from the open hardware specialist — along with the less welcome news that the rising price of memory means production of the company's tablets and phones has been halted.

"The new device is an improvement on the original with an AMOLED display, GPS, a custom chip, a digital crown which also features an extra button and new sensors including a blood oxygen sensor," Camden writes of the PineTime Pro, an upgraded successor to the original PineTime smartwatch. "Power to individual components can be cut, unlike the non-Pro watch, which will improve battery life."

The announcement came with a single image of the new gadget, sat next to an existing PineTime — demonstrating a somewhat larger footprint, stretched vertically compared to the original, and a bright colorful display with deep blacks. Unfortunately, nothing else has been announced: not compatibility with the existing PineTime ecosystem, not specifications, and certainly not price. "There has been discussion on if we do fund raising by baking in a small offset cost into the devices," Camden notes, "or if we do a service with costs for fund raising. This decision has not been made yet."

While the impending launch of the new PineTime Pro is to be welcomed, there's news from PINE64 that is significantly less so: the ongoing memory price hike, driven by inexhaustible demand from the generative artificial intelligence (AI) bubble, means that production of high-memory devices including the Pinetab2, PineNote, and PinePhone have been put on hold. "PineStore founder TL Lim has stated that he doesn't wish to increase the price of hardware significantly," Camden explains, "so production is halted for the time being. Any remaining stock will be sold and that will be it for now. This will not impact devices such as the PineTime, PineBuds, Pinecil, or PineVoice."

The same reason, along with a shift in community focus, is cited as to why we won't be seeing a PinePhone 2 any time soon. "Aside from the current chip shortage, PineStore has determined that it is too high of a financial risk to release another phone," Camden says. "The PinePhone 2 is currently in limbo for a number of reasons (financial riskiness, DRAM shortage, old Android devices make cheaper and more powerful Linux phones). But hopefully PineStore will eventually bring out another model."

The full community update is available on the PINE64 blog; no release date has yet been provided for the PineTime Pro.