Thats why I said: it might be, (i wrote the reason why it might be bulky, not that clamshell is a con)

Obviously, this is all IMHO . . . your mileage may vary, some terms and conditions apply, see disclaimer, you may have certain other legal rights, etc . . .

A clamshell design has its own pros and cons, which depend on usage. For a device that's used as a telephone -- which is how I'd use a successor to the N900 -- the cons predominate.

(By clamshell, I mean something hinged on the long edge like this Pyra or Gameboy DS or the old Sharp Zaurus (the clamshell ones, natch). I don't mean a "flip phone" style device hinged on the shorter side -- that's a different animal.)

The pros I can think of for a clamshell are the protection that it affords the screen when closed, the ability to use the lid state as an on-off or run-pause (or whatever) switch, and the (potential) ability to angle the screen for optimal viewing -- e.g. while it sits on a table and you watch a video.

The cons are mostly about how the form factor dictates that the device can only be used in the "open" state. With a slider like my N900, I can place or receive a call (mostly) one-handed from the touchscreen with the keyboard stowed. A slider or touchscreen-only device doesn't need an auxiliary screen for caller ID.

A clamshell design assumes I'm always gonna be interacting with the unit using the keyboard (or controller pad for a game device.) That makes it perfect for a tiny computer. A better tiny computer than a touchscreen-only smartphone, I'd say. Perhaps a better tiny computer than my N900, but again, at the expense of one-handed usage cases.

For me (and sadly far too few others outside of this forum) the N900 represents a device that provides a great combination of computer and phone features that matches my needs nicely. It replaced my candybar phone, my Palm Pilot, and my SL-5500 -- and it was smaller than two of them! I really want an affordable modern successor. But as they say: "If wishes were horses then beggars would ride." Maybe the solution is selling the kids.

I have a Pandora and I love it for what it is. A gaming handheld / mini PC. The Pyra will be pretty similar (better specs though) and will be the successor of the Pandora. Not sure yet - I might buy a Pyra too.
So great products - and it would be very nice to be able to use mobile internet (3G/4G whatever) or even use it as a phone when you have nothing else. That said, it is not a phone and never intended to become one.

The N900 is a phone / Mini PC and the only successor is the NEO900. Not sure if I will buy one but I hope those guys will make it a success.

That said, if you are looking at it from the mini-pc angle (I started using my N900 only as an emacs mini pc) the Pyra will be an excellent - albeit bulky - choice.

It has an escape button and can be used as a portable PC or Kodi media center. Worth buying but not a N900 replacement. Is there any news about the price?

You can pre-pre-order https://boards.openpandora.org/topic...ady-to-rumble/ now.
Final price is not determined yet - but I thought somewhere between 500-600 € .
However you can already order one for 1400 € delivery in November - the prototypes are being sold for that price.

I have used a few linux machines for phone calls (over GSM)
and this all depends upon what kind of wwan chipset
is under the hood.
Some are pluggable and can be replaced,
and some are soldered in which is a real show-stopper.

I would wonder whether the chips envisioned for PYRA
have voice/SMS capability.
If so,
It could indeed replace your phone, right out of the box.

I recognize it would be a bit kludgy,
but much easier than carting around a mini-itx
with a compatible USB modem and a dangling LCD screen.

cheers

The last time I looked into it, they intended to use the same Gemalto baseband modems as will be used in the Neo900.

Of course it could replace your phone to a certain extent. FSO or oFono provide full telephony stacks so that's not an issue, but it would be kludgy indeed. I'm not really sure that a comparison to carrying around a mini-ITX really constitutes as justification for the Pyra replacing your phone.

The point I was trying to make is that is not designed to be a phone. It's not really the optimal size for a phone. The microphone and speaker placement mean that you can't hold it like a phone to make calls. The clamshell design makes it awkward to answer calls efficiently. You could use a hands-free kit to work around these problems but that's not exactly ideal.

The software issues are a bit more of a concern. To leave the device in a state where it is ready to receive calls at all times will likely drain the battery very quickly. It's possible this issue may eventually be addressed but phone functionality is not a primary concern for the Pyra developers so don't expect this to be resolved any time soon.

Just read that all the 8 Pyra prototypes are sold, I thought they costed 1400€ but the price was 1666 € .
Still 34 pre-pre orders available.

33 pre-pre orders left:
https://www.dragonbox.de/en/353-pyra-voucher-pyra.html

(Please note that this is a voucher for a pre-order. Its not the full price yet)

[OT]"This video contains content from BBC Worldwide, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."
WTF??? I am in the effing country where effing BBC is based. What copyright grounds? [/OT]