PocketTerm35 Pi Handheld

A new PocketTerm35 handheld has appeared on Waveshare’s store, packaging a Raspberry Pi into a pocket-size Linux terminal starting at $149. (waveshare.com) Waveshare lists four versions: a $149 PocketTerm35-Pi5 with a Raspberry Pi 5 and 64 gigabyte microSD card, a $179.99 PocketTerm35-Pi4 with a Raspberry Pi 4B and 64 gigabyte card, an $87.99 accessory kit with battery, and a $99.99 accessory kit without battery on the product page’s option selector. (waveshare.com) The hardware centers on a 3.5-inch 640 by 480 touch display, a 67-key QWERTY silicone keyboard, a built-in 5,000 milliamp-hour battery, and USB-C charging with pass-through power so it can charge and run at the same time. (waveshare.com) A Linux terminal is a small computer for typing commands directly, and the PocketTerm35 uses a full Raspberry Pi 4B or 5 board rather than a stripped-down custom module. That design keeps standard ports like Gigabit Ethernet and USB on the case, instead of forcing users onto adapters or docks. (waveshare.com) (raspberrypi.com) (linuxgizmos.com) The Pi 5 version ships with a 1 gigabyte Raspberry Pi 5 board, a low-cost model Raspberry Pi introduced in December 2025 at $45. The Pi 4 version uses a 2 gigabyte Raspberry Pi 4B, which Raspberry Pi still lists with Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, and four USB ports. (raspberrypi.com 1) (raspberrypi.com 2) (waveshare.com) Waveshare pitches the device for “portable development and debugging,” which is closer to carrying a tiny admin console than carrying a gaming handheld. The company says it is meant for entering commands, running development tools, and handling daily Linux tasks on the device itself. (waveshare.com) That puts the PocketTerm35 in a niche that has stayed active around Raspberry Pi hardware: machines for field maintenance, lab work, and maker projects where wired networking and local input matter more than screen size. The product page lists dimensions of 93.5 by 168.5 by 37 millimeters, small enough for a bag pocket but thick enough to house the full board and ports. (waveshare.com) (notebookcheck.net) The tradeoff is visible in the specs. A 640 by 480 display and 1 gigabyte of memory on the $149 Pi 5 model are enough for shell work, remote access, and lightweight apps, but they are well below what buyers would expect from a general-purpose laptop or a modern handheld personal computer. (waveshare.com) (raspberrypi.com) For now, the PocketTerm35 looks less like a mainstream mobile computer than a purpose-built Raspberry Pi tool with a battery, keyboard, and Ethernet jack attached. Waveshare has already put it on sale, so the next test is whether developers and server tinkerers treat it as a real carry-everywhere terminal instead of a novelty. (waveshare.com)