Mecha Comet: Modular Linux handheld raises over a million dollars on Kickstarter
The ARM-Linux handheld Mecha Comet has raised over one million US dollars on Kickstarter. The modular device is aimed at anyone looking for an open, repairable handheld system.
3,346 people pledged 1,198,844 US dollars for the Mecha Comet on Kickstarter – against an original funding goal of just 50,000 dollars. The campaign ended on August 23, 2026.
Those who want the handheld can choose between two Arm SoCs: the NXP i.MX 8M Plus with four Cortex-A53 cores, a Vivante GPU, and a 2.3 TOPS NPU, or the NXP i.MX 95 with six Cortex-A55 cores, an Arm Mali GPU, and a 2 TOPS NPU. Options include 2, 4, or 8 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of eMMC storage. An M.2 slot allows for the installation of an SSD or a mobile modem. The use of the slot for upgradeable, more powerful AI accelerators is currently being tested.
Source: Mecha Systems Inc.
The housing measures 155 × 73 × 14 mm and weighs 225 grams. The AMOLED display is 3.92 inches with a resolution of 1080 × 1240 pixels and a brightness of 500 nits. The equipment includes two USB-C ports, Mini-HDMI (DisplayPort over Type-C at 2k60), a 3.5 mm jack, a SIM slot (for 4G/5G modems), a MicroSD card slot (up to 1 TB), an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus (IMX219), two digital microphones, an HD speaker, and a haptic vibration motor. Additionally, there is Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.4 with BLE and LE Audio, a 9-axis motion sensor (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer), and a security chip (Trust Anchor) for encrypted communication. The 4100 mAh battery is charged via USB-C.
Source: Mecha Systems Inc.
The Mecha Comet runs on Mechanix OS, a Fedora-based Linux derivative. The bootloader, kernel, and root file system are open source. Native apps for files, camera, music, and notes are pre-installed.
Source: Mecha Systems Inc.
The special feature is the modular hardware. Extensions can be docked via a magnetic 40-pin connector – currently, a programmable keyboard (25 dollars), a gamepad (20 dollars), and a GPIO breakout module (15 dollars) are available. The extensions can be ordered individually or as a bundle – the «All Extensions Bundle» costs 50 dollars, and the «Gamepad+Keyboard» bundle costs 40 dollars. All extensions are based on open hardware. The hardware itself is released under the CERN Open Hardware License – this means the blueprints are public and you are allowed to replicate and modify them.
Source: Mecha Systems Inc.
After the end of the Kickstarter campaign, the Mecha Comet can still be pre-ordered via the manufacturer's website – albeit at higher prices than during the crowdfunding phase. The Kickstarter versions ranged between 159 and 269 dollars. The current pre-order starts at 239 US dollars plus 28 dollars for shipping – depending on the destination country, customs duties and import sales tax may be added. Delivery is scheduled to begin in the fall. As is usual with such projects, a certain residual risk remains regarding the exact delivery date.
Mecha Systems guarantees software support for Mechanix OS for seven years. The installed NXP SoC is provided with long-term driver updates by the chip manufacturer itself until 2036 – this ensures compatibility at the lowest level, independent of support from Mecha Systems.
I find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.
From the latest iPhone to the return of 80s fashion. The editorial team will help you make sense of it all.
Show all
