Pine64 is preparing to launch the PineTime Pro, a major upgrade to its open source smartwatch that first appeared more than six years ago. The new model keeps the original PineTime in the lineup at $27 (€25), but adds features that could make it a more capable platform for developers working on open source firmware.
The PineTime Pro brings a 5.4 cm (2.13 inch) AMOLED display with 410 x 502 pixel resolution, a substantial step up from the original's 3.3 cm (1.3 inch) 240 x 240 pixel IPS LCD screen. Under the hood, Pine64 has equipped the watch with a custom dual Arm Cortex-M33 chip featuring one application core running at up to 200 MHz and a dedicated Bluetooth core. That represents a major performance leap from the original's nRF52832 with its single 64 MHz Cortex-M4 core. Memory gets a similar boost, jumping from 64KB SRAM to 800KB SRAM plus 8MB PSRAM, while flash storage increases from 512KB internal and 4MB SPI to 8MB SQPI.
New hardware includes GPS, a blood oxygen sensor alongside the existing heart rate monitor, a microphone, speaker, and a digital crown with an extra button. Pine64 considered adding an ambient light sensor and LoRa radio but ultimately decided against both due to constraints around circuit board space and RF design. The watch also moves the debug port to an external 4-pin connector, making development work more accessible.
The expanded capabilities have already attracted attention from developers behind PineTime operating systems like InfiniTime and WaspOS, who are working on software for the new hardware. With significantly more processing power and RAM, developers expect the platform could support ports of games and other software, including the recently open-sourced PebbleOS. The original PineTime ships with InfiniTime, an open source firmware written in C++ that pairs with Linux systems through Gadgetbridge on Android or companion apps like Watchmate for Linux desktops. Both InfiniTime and WaspOS developers are adapting their firmware for the Pro model's new hardware, though compatibility status remains under development as the device approaches production.
Pine64 is currently testing a new version of the printed circuit board and expects to begin production once third-party software reaches a suitable level of maturity. The company has not announced pricing or a specific release date, though the PineTime Pro will almost certainly cost more than the $27 original given its substantially upgraded hardware.
