Create your own mobile phone with this easy-to-follow DIY kit

Image: CircuitMess

By StackCommerceMashable Shopping2020-03-15 09:00:00 UTC

TL;DR: Learn how to build a fully functional phone with the Ringo DIY Mobile Phone Kit for $179.95, a 7% savings as of March 15. 

Android or iPhone? How about neither. With this Ringo DIY Mobile Phone Kit, you can create your own.

Building a phone yourself with this kit won’t stand up to your brand-new iPhone 11, but it’s still pretty cool. This Arduino-based, DIY mobile phone, dubbed the MAKERphone, comes disassembled as a kit. You’ll put it together yourself, learning about programming in Python and Scratch, as well as the basics of electronics along the way. Once you finish assembling it, the MAKERphone will be fully functional, letting you play games, run apps, and more. And you can pat yourself on the back for your hard work.

In a promo for this Kickstarter-backed project, which raised a ridiculous $324,453 (over 20 times the goal), founder Albert Gajšak notes that you can even make phone calls, text your friends, and play Nickelback (even if you’re just making fun of them). 

Oh, and putting it together, he says, is kind of like putting IKEA furniture together, but more fun. Check it out:

In the box, you’ll get a circuit board, a GSM module, sound module, amplifier module, main microcomputer module, a 128×160 full-color TFT LCD, a microSD card, and even the tools you’ll need for the build. Naturally, you’ll also get a build guide to help you along the way; you’re not expected to do it ALL yourself. It takes around five hours to put together on average and is fully customizable and compatible with lots of hardware expansion modules. So, if you’re a pro, you can even take your MAKERphone to the next level.

This kit usually costs $195, but you can save a few bucks and get it on sale for just $180.