PinePhone keyboard, NFC and wireless charging
The October update published by PINE64 brought a lot of news. First of all, a physical keyboard, NFC and wireless charging.
Qi wireless charging and NFC to PinePhone
Pine64 plans to add functionality to the phone with custom rear cases that will communicate with the phone via pogo pins. The first two cases will introduce Qi and NFC wireless charging to the PinePhone.
Qi wireless charging is already working as it doesn’t require software, but NFC implementations will obviously require software to be enabled. The Qi charging back case has been ready for use for a while, but as it turned out, the coil and electronics did not fit our current case design. The design of the back cover had to be slightly changed to accommodate the new functionality – the physical space was increased to accommodate the additional electronics.
PinePhone keyboard
Pine64 also introduced a flip keyboard design. The clamshell design can be folded almost flat, making it convenient to use without placing the device on a surface. The keypad section also houses a large (possibly 5000mAh) battery that not only doubles the phone’s standby time, but also acts as a heavy counterweight. Pine64 chose to use the keyboard layout that was proposed and discussed with the community in August. From a mechanical point of view, the keyboard clamps onto the phone (for which the back cover must be removed) and connects to the device via pogo pins.
source: https://www.pine64.org/2020/10/15/update-new-hacktober-gear/
