STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO BUILD YOUR OWN REPAIRABLE SMARTPHONE FROM SCRATCH
A phone you can actually open with a screwdriver, built around a Raspberry Pi and a real SIM card.
Open-hardwareAutomation
Built withRaspberry Pi
- difficulty
- ●●●●○
- time
- a weekend-plus
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE908 stars
●●●●○ · a weekend-plus · GPL-3.0 · 908 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
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COMPAREE VERDICT
The OURS project is a working Linux phone you assemble from off-the-shelf parts: a Raspberry Pi 3, a Waveshare 4G modem HAT, two 18650 batteries and a 4-inch touchscreen. It makes real calls and sends real texts through a Python app, and because the Pi is a full computer, you can plug in HDMI and USB and use it as a desktop. The appeal is not that it matches a commercial phone — it does not, and the author lists what he would improve — but that every part is documented, replaceable and yours. The README gives a parts list with prices (about 198 dollars in April 2023), a schematic, setup commands and the main assembly steps, backed by build photos; the fiddly part is the space-saving work — custom-cut plugs and trimming the 4G HAT with a rotary tool. If you want a phone you can open with a screwdriver and understand completely, this is exactly that. If you want something you can hand to a non-technical friend, it is not.
IN THE REPO
GOOD TO KNOW
- —A README build guide with a parts list (with prices), schematic, setup commands and dozens of build photos, plus a Python app for calls and SMS.
- —Case files are included: a laser-cut DXF for 3 mm MDF in the repo, plus a 3D-printable version on Thingiverse.
- —The parts list specifies the Waveshare SIM7600G-H 4G HAT (B) with a supplier link — check it is still stocked in your region.
- —GPL-3.0 licensed, permits commercial use.
- —Author calls out audio whine and resistive touch as known limitations — not a daily-driver replacement.
- —Version 2 is in progress — early PCB design files are in the v2 folder, but there are no build instructions yet.
Parts to buy
11 itemsFrom our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
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Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Read the bill of materials and check if the 4G module is still available (The parts list names the exact Waveshare SIM7600G-H 4G HAT (B); confirm it is available before ordering the rest.)
- 2.Order the Pi, screen, batteries and a SIM7600-based 4G HAT(Do not buy a SIM800 module — it is 2G only and many networks have shut down 2G.)
- 3.Start with the modem HAT connected to the Pi and test AT commands before final assembly(If the modem does not register on the network now, it will not work in the enclosure either.)
- 4.Follow the README assembly steps and the 37 build photos for wiring and case mounting(These are build snapshots, not step-by-step instructions — pause and trace each connection.)
KNOWN ISSUES
- The code talks to the Waveshare SIM7600G-H 4G HAT (B) with AT commands — if you use a different modem board, expect to adjust startup.sh and phone.py.
- 18650 batteries in series with no protection board are a fire risk if shorted. Use cells with built-in protection and a proper holder, not loose cells and tape.
- The resistive touchscreen requires calibration and does not support gestures or multi-touch — if you expect swipe-to-unlock, you will be disappointed.
- Signal can be weaker than on a normal phone: the author swapped the bulky GSM antenna for a small PCB antenna to fit the case and says reception works but is only good-ish. Test calls, SMS and data before you glue the case shut.
- The case is cut from 3 mm MDF using the DXF in the repo — a thinner board will not fit without editing the design; a 3D-printable version is on Thingiverse.
- If you have never sent an AT command to a modem, budget an extra afternoon for that learning curve before blaming the hardware.
Can this replace my daily phone?
Probably not for most people. It does calls, SMS and contacts, and the author says it can run web apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube, but his own improvement list includes a faster Pi, a capacitive touchscreen instead of resistive, and fixing audio whine — and it is 9 x 16 x 3 cm with about 5 hours of battery.
What networks does it work on?
Any network with 2G, 3G or 4G and a nano-SIM, depending on your modem module. The SIM7600 supports LTE; the older SIM800 is 2G only and many carriers have shut down 2G.
Can I run Android apps?
No. It runs Linux and a custom Python app for calls and SMS. You can install desktop Linux software, but not Android APKs.
How long does the battery last?
The author quotes about 5 hours. It runs on two 3,500 mAh 18650 cells stepped down to 5.1 V for the Pi, and extending battery life is on his own improvement list.
Is there a PCB or do I solder everything point-to-point?
No custom PCB in version 1. You can snap together a test version with no soldering (Pi, 4G HAT, touchscreen, power supply, USB cables), but the compact build involves soldering the charger, power switch and supply wiring, making stripped-down plugs, soldering a USB link to the back of the Pi and trimming the 4G HAT to fit. The author's principle is still 'less soldering, more connecting'.
Community builds
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Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
Version 1 uses a resistive touchscreen, and the author lists audio whine as a known problem, but it makes real calls on a real network and you can open it with a screwdriver. Would you daily-carry it, or is this a weekend project that lives on the shelf?
Evan Robinson
Evan Robinson built the OURS phone around low-cost, off-the-shelf, modular parts and shared everything needed to replicate it. Version 1 was finished in 2024 and is documented in the README with a parts list, schematic, setup commands and build photos. Version 2, with its own PCB, is in progress.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the README is a real build guide, not just a photo gallery. It has a parts list, a schematic, the setup commands, the phone app script and a laser-cut cover file, plus 37 build photos, and it explains how the creator shrank the cables and trimmed the 4G board to fit. Version 1 runs on a Raspberry Pi 3 with a Waveshare SIM7600 4G HAT and two 18650 cells, with about five hours of battery life. The author is honest about the limits: a resistive touchscreen, audio whine, a brick-like size, and apps that mostly run in the browser. Trimming the 4G HAT is the riskiest step, and the README warns that one lifted track kills the most expensive part. Version 2 PCB files are already in the repo, and the community talks on Telegram. If you want to understand every part of your phone and fix it with a screwdriver, this is exactly that. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.