A new open-source handheld called the Mecha Comet is officially up for pre-order, and it’s arriving with an early discount that should catch the eye of makers, tinkerers, and anyone who wants a portable device they can truly customize. Designed around modular hardware and user-friendly flexibility, the Mecha Comet aims to sit in that sweet spot between a DIY project and a ready-to-use handheld—meaning you can keep things simple out of the box or dive deep into customization if that’s your style.
What makes the Mecha Comet stand out is its “open” approach. The hardware is built to be expanded, and the software experience is meant to be shaped by the owner. It ships with a customized Linux-based operating system from Mechanix, giving developers and enthusiasts a familiar foundation while still offering plenty of room to tailor the interface, performance, and features.
On the front, the handheld uses a 3.92-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 441 PPI pixel density and up to 550 cd/m² brightness, a combo that suggests sharp visuals and solid readability for a device in this size class. If you want a bigger view, it also supports video output to an external display via HDMI—useful for docking-like use cases, testing projects on a larger screen, or turning the handheld into a tiny desktop-style machine.
Connectivity and expansion are clearly a major focus. You’ll find two USB-C ports, with one used for charging the 4,100 mAh battery. Internally, buyers can choose between two processor options depending on the model: an i.MX8M with four Cortex-A53 cores, or an i.MX 95 with six Cortex-A55 cores. Memory and storage options are also configurable, with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of RAM, and either 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage.
The standout feature for hardware enthusiasts is the included M.2 3042 slot, which opens the door to meaningful upgrades. It can be used to add components such as a mobile modem, an SSD, an NPU, or even a LoRaWAN gateway. Alongside that modular potential, the handheld also includes WiFi and Bluetooth, plus extras like a motion sensor and a camera—rounding it out as something that can handle experimentation, lightweight portable computing, prototyping, and more specialized projects.
The Mecha Comet is built to be flexible in how you use it day to day, too. It can be paired with either a keyboard or a gamepad, letting it shift between productivity and play depending on your setup.
Pricing for the pre-order starts at $189 through a crowdfunding campaign, with shipping currently planned to begin in May 2026. As with any crowdfunding hardware, it’s worth remembering there’s always some risk—timelines can change, final specs can shift, and there’s no absolute guarantee the product will reach mass delivery exactly as promised. Still, for anyone looking for a modular Linux handheld with expansion options and an open, customizable design, the Mecha Comet is shaping up to be one of the more interesting portable devices on the horizon.
