The archive · Hardware & Devices · Product decision · 2019–2026
Flipper One bets fully open Linux hardware; HN 1,266 pts, ~$350 Kickstarter
After 1M+ Flipper Zeros sold, Flipper Devices bets the next device is a pocket, fully open Linux computer — announced pre-sale, ~$350 Kickstarter planned
Flipper Devices
What the business is
Flipper Devices makes pocket multi-tool hardware for hackers — Flipper Zero, its viral wireless pentest gadget — and Flipper One, an open-source pocket Linux computer with an 8-core Rockchip RK3576, 8 GB RAM, dual gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, and an M.2 slot for 5G, SDR, or AI modules.
How it started
Flipper Devices, co-founded by Pavel Zhovner, launched Flipper Zero via crowdfunding in 2020; the tamagotchi-like pentest multi-tool became a phenomenon and has sold over a million units. A successor project, Flipper One, was rebuilt from scratch several times over years of internal work; in 2026 the team decided to go public before the hardware was finished.
What happened
On May 21, 2026, Flipper published 'Flipper One — we need your help,' laying out goals (the most open and best-documented ARM computer, full mainline Linux, no binary blobs), an open Developer Portal, a co-processor architecture, M.2 and GPIO expansion, Flipper OS profiles, and the FlipCTL UI framework. Two HN threads drew 1,266 and 526 points. Collabora confirmed the RK3576 upstream partnership and showed a working prototype at Embedded Recipes in Nice on May 28; TechCrunch and The Verge covered the announcement, and TechCrunch reported the base configuration would cost under $350.
No ending yet — it is still running.
Background
Flipper Devices, the company behind the viral Flipper Zero wireless multi-tool, announced Flipper One on May 21, 2026 — not a successor to the Zero but a different bet: a pocket-sized open-source Linux computer. It pairs an 8-core Rockchip RK3576 with 8 GB of RAM, dual gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, HDMI 2.1, and an M.2 expansion slot for 5G modems, SDRs, AI accelerators or SSDs, plus an RP2350 microcontroller that keeps the device usable when Linux is off.
The bet is openness itself. Flipper says it wants to build the most open and best-documented ARM computer in the world, with full mainline Linux kernel support and no binary blobs, and it partnered with Collabora to upstream the RK3576 into kernel.org. Unusually, the company announced the device before it was finalized or sellable: it opened a public Developer Portal with specs, schematics, task trackers and dev logs, and invited the community to help design hardware and software.
Hacker News responded hard — the announcement thread drew 1,266 points and 482 comments, and a companion tech-specs thread drew 526 points. TechCrunch and The Verge covered it the same day; TechCrunch noted Flipper Zero's 1M+ units and $150M+ in sales, and reported the base Flipper One would cost under $350, with a Kickstarter planned later in 2026.
What has to be true
- Flipper Zero proved hackers will pay for open hardware; Flipper One extends that brand to Linux computers instead of competing on specs.
- Publishing unfinished work (dev portal, schematics, task lists) is the marketing: HN's 1,266-point thread shows the community joined as co-builders.
- Choosing a Rockchip SoC with mature mainline support (via Collabora) makes the open-source promise credible rather than aspirational.
- A ~$350 Kickstarter relaunch is the real test: attention converts into preorders only if the open-development story holds through shipping.
What can be applied
If openness is the product, publish unfinished specs and dev logs before selling: it turns skeptical HN readers into co-builders — but a crowdfunding relaunch must convert goodwill into preorders.
Aftermath
As of 2026-09-02, Flipper One remains in development with no sale or preorder page. The Developer Portal and dev logs are public: the first dev log (June 9, 2026) reported RK3576 hardware video decoding merged into mainline Linux, eSIM support added, and community-suggested mechanical changes (antenna rail, cooling fan module) being tested for the next hardware revision. Collabora's mainline work continues; a Kickstarter at roughly $350 for the base configuration was expected later in 2026, and Flipper OS and FlipCTL are still concepts.
Sources
- Flipper One — We Need Your Help
- Flipper unveils a Linux-powered networking gadget built for hackers and tinkerers
- The new Flipper One is a pocket-sized Linux computer
- Collabora + Flipper: Opening up the RK3576
- Flipper One – we need your help
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You just read one. Describe what you are building, and see who is betting on the same thing.
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