PineTab2

The PineTab2 with the detachable keyboard attached

The PineTab2 is PINE64's successor to the original PineTab Linux tablet computer, featuring a faster processor and better availability. The tablet is available in two configurations, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The tablet ships with a detachable keyboard that doubles as a protective cover.

The tablet is designed around the Rockchip RK3566 processor, which features 4 energy-efficient Cortex-A55 64-bit ARM cores and enjoys good mainline Linux support.

Pre-orders started on the 13th of April 2023, with pricing starting at USD 159 for the 4GB/64GB version and USD 209 for the 8GB/128GB version. The PineTab2 is expected to ship mid-May of 2023.

Specifications

• SoC: Rockchip RK3566
• CPU: 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8 GHz
  • 32KB L1 Instruction Cache and 32KB L1 Data Cache per core
  • 512KB unified system L3 cache
  • ARMv8 Cryptography Extensions
• GPU: Mali-G52 MP2 @ 800 MHz
  • Supported by the open source 'Panfrost' driver in Linux and Mesa
  • Supports OpenGL 3.1 and OpenGL ES 3.1 with many newer extensions
• NPU: 0.8 TOPS Neural Processing Unit
• RAM: 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4
• Storage:
  • 64GB or 128GB internal eMMC
  • 1x MicroSD slot
• Display: 10.1" IPS LCD Resolution 1280x800
• Cameras:
  • Front: 2Mpx, chipset: Galaxycore GC02M2
  • Rear: 5Mpx, chipset: Omnivision OV5648
• Battery: 6000 mAh (22.2Wh)
• Buttons: Power, volume up, volume down
• Network:
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth
• I/O:
  • 1x USB-C 3.0
  • 1x USB-C 2.0
  • 1x MicroHDMI
  • 1x 3.5mm audio jack
  • 1x 5 pin Pogo connector for keyboard
  • (PCIe on PCB as a flat flex ribbon connector, no room for M.2 NVMe drives in case)
• Multimedia:
  • rkdjpeg: 1080p120 JPEG decode
    • no driver in mainline yet
  • hantro: JPEG/VP8/H.264 encode, 1080p MPEG-2/H.263/VP8/H.264 AVC decode
    • mainline driver does not yet support all codecs/functions
    • see Mainline Hardware Decoding and Mainline Hardware Encoding
  • rkvdec2: 4K H.264 AVC Main10 L5.1/H.265 HEVC Main10 L5.1/VP9 Profile 0 and 2 L5.1 decode
    • no driver in mainline yet
  • rkvenc2: 4K H.264 AVC/H.265 HEVC encode
    • no driver in mainline yet
• Build: Metal and Plastic
• Dimensions: 242x161x9mm
• Misc:
  • Protective cover with keyboard

Development efforts

Main Article: Quartz64 Development

Linux mainline is already quite far along for the device, as the SoC is the same as is used in the Quartz64 line of devices.

Notable features currently missing are the display panel driver (needs submitting), Wi-Fi driver (needs porting/major cleanup) and camera driver (needs writing).

Datasheets for Components and Peripherals

Rockchip RK3566 SoC information:

• Rockchip RK3566 ver 1.0 datasheet
• Rockchip RK3566 and RK3568 TRM (Technical Reference Manual)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Tablet support a Pen?

No, adding a digitiser for pen inputs would make the price too high.

Can I run Android on it?

Theoretically yes, practically there's little chance anyone wants to make a well-supported Android build for this device. If you're looking for an Android tablet, buy any mainstream tablet, you'll get better value for your money.

Is there SPI Flash?

No.

My only Development Experience is Visual Basic Macros in Excel and Redstone in Minecraft, should I buy this?

At this stage, probably not, unless you're happy with a tablet that has a buggy Wi-Fi driver and no camera controller driver.

How does the Tablet compare to a Pinebook Pro?

It's slower, as it is intended to be a successor to the PineTab1, not the Pinebook Pro. It'll still handle web browsing, video playback and documents fine though.

What is the Performance of the PineTab2 compared to the PineTab-V?

The PineTab2 is notably faster than the PineTab-V. You can see this by comparing the Quartz64 sbc-bench results to the Star64 ones. Performance should not be a factor of consideration when purchasing a PineTab-V.

Does PineTab2 play back DRM'd Content such as Netflix?

No, there are no Widevine binaries included in the image the PineTab2 ships with. (If they even exist for aarch64?)

External Links

• December 2022 Community Update
• February 2023 Community Update