Pine64’s RISC-V tablet now ships with a Debian-based Linux distro and improved hardware

by · Liliputing

The PineTab-V is a 10.1 inch tablet with a 1280 x 800 pixel IPS LCD display, 8GB of LPDDR4 memory, 128GB of eMMC storage, and a detachable keyboard with backlit keys.

What really makes it different from most tablets though is that it’s powered by a RISC-V processor rather than an ARM or x86 chip. Pine64 began selling the tablet to developers and early adopters in 2023, and now the company has announced that it’s ready to ship a newer model with some hardware and software updates.

For the most part, this is still the same tablet: it has the same processor, display, and other features, so Pine64 isn’t giving it a new name. But the updated hardware includes:

  • An accelerometer
  • An LED status indicator light
  • A “proper ID for the PineTab-V in the EEPROM”

Pine64 says it’s also fixed a problem with slow charging when the tablet is powered off. And the default operating system that comes pre-installed is now a Debian-based GNU/Linux distro developed and maintained by StarFive, the company that makes the StarFive JH7110 processor used in the tablet.

That chip features four 1.5 GHz SiFive U74 RISC-V CPU cores and Imagination BXE-4-32 graphics. It’s not exactly a fast processor compared to the latest ARM chips that are more commonly found in tablets. And it’s not even that fast by RISC-V standards.

But the PineTab-V isn’t designed to be a high-performance device that can replace an iPad. It’s more of a development platform and playground for enthusiasts who want to get their feet wet with RISC-V architecture.

The tablet has a metal and plastic body that measures 242 x 161 x 9mm and weighs 520 grams (or 990 grams with the keyboard). Other features include a microSDXC card reader with support for cards up to 2TB, a 5MP primary camera, 2MP front-facing camera, stereo speakers, and a 3.5mm audio jack plus USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Type-C ports.

The PineTab-V has a 6,000 mAh LiPo battery, support for 15W (5V/3A) charging, and support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. A Community Edition version of the tablet is available from the Pine64 Store for $225.