The PINE A64 was announced on December 9, 2015, when PINE64 launched its Kickstarter campaign for a low-cost 64-bit ARM single-board computer. Early backers were told to expect boards in February 2016, with later backers and complete kits scheduled for subsequent months. February was a projected fulfillment window, not a single worldwide retail release date. The campaign’s headline price was $15 for the basic board, before power, storage, shipping and other accessories.
What the PINE A64 announcement actually was
The PINE A64 was a family of single-board computers, not an operating-system release. PINE64 presented it as an inexpensive 64-bit alternative to the small ARM boards common in 2015. The launch event was the Kickstarter campaign that went live on December 9, 2015.
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The campaign offered a basic PINE A64 board and higher-specification PINE A64+ versions. PINE64’s archived campaign information listed Android 5.1 and Ubuntu-based software among the launch-era options, while later community support expanded to additional Linux, BSD and Android distributions.
The original board used Allwinner’s A64 system-on-chip (SoC), four ARM Cortex-A53 CPU cores and an ARM Mali-400 MP2 GPU. It booted from removable storage and exposed a broad set of display, camera, GPIO and expansion connectors.
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PINE A64 release and shipping timeline
| Date or period | Event | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| December 9, 2015 | Kickstarter campaign launched | Public announcement and crowdfunding start. |
| February 2016 | Early-backer boards projected to become available | An estimated fulfillment window, not a guaranteed general-retail launch. |
| March–April 2016 | Later backers projected to receive boards | Contemporary campaign estimate for later pledges. |
| April–May 2016 | Complete kits projected to ship | Kits were scheduled separately from bare boards. |
| 2016 onward | Product family established | The boards subsequently appeared through normal PINE64 sales channels; an exact first retail date is not established by the cited launch report. |
The launch report describing the campaign and its projected windows is available from CNX Software.
Original launch prices and the real setup cost
The basic Kickstarter pledge was advertised at $15. The campaign FAQ also described $19 and $29 pledge levels for different configurations or quantities. Those figures were board pledges, not the price of a ready-to-use computer.
- A compatible 5 V/2 A power supply was required.
- A bootable microSD card was required unless you already had suitable storage.
- HDMI display equipment, keyboard, mouse and USB peripherals were not included with a bare board.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth required an optional module.
- The contemporary report listed historical shipping of $7 to the United States and $12 elsewhere; those were campaign-era charges, not current rates.
The archived campaign FAQ explains the power and microSD requirements at pine64.backerkit.com/faq.
PINE A64 versus PINE A64+
| Feature | PINE A64 | PINE A64+ |
|---|---|---|
| SoC | Allwinner A64 | Allwinner A64 |
| CPU | Four Cortex-A53 cores, approximately 1.152–1.2 GHz | Four Cortex-A53 cores, approximately 1.152–1.2 GHz |
| GPU | ARM Mali-400 MP2 | ARM Mali-400 MP2 |
| RAM | 512 MB DDR3 | 1 GB or 2 GB DDR3 |
| Ethernet | 10/100 Mbps | 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit |
| Storage | Bootable microSD or USB storage | Bootable microSD or USB storage |
| Video output | Full-size HDMI | Full-size HDMI |
| USB | Two USB 2.0 host ports | Two USB 2.0 host ports |
| Wireless | Optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module | Optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module |
The meaningful reasons to select the Plus model were its additional RAM and Gigabit Ethernet. Processor, GPU and most connectors were substantially the same. PINE64’s board documentation lists the model features at pine64.org/documentation/Pine_A64/Board_features/.
Core processor, memory and graphics specifications
- SoC: Allwinner A64, an ARMv8 64-bit design.
- CPU: Four ARM Cortex-A53 cores. Current PINE64 documentation gives approximately 1.152 GHz; launch material commonly rounded the figure to 1.2 GHz.
- CPU features: 32-bit and 64-bit execution, NEON SIMD, VFPv4 and LPAE; 32 KB instruction cache, 32 KB data cache and 512 KB L2 cache.
- GPU: ARM Mali-400 MP2, with documented OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1 support.
- Memory: 512 MB DDR3 on the standard PINE A64; 1 GB or 2 GB DDR3 on PINE A64+ variants.
The SoC and memory details are documented by PINE64 at pine64.org/documentation/Pine_A64/Further_information/SoC_and_Memory_Specification/.
Video capabilities: decode claims are not desktop guarantees
Campaign material claimed hardware H.265 4K decoding at 30 frames per second, multi-format 1080p decoding, H.264 1080p encoding at 60 fps or 720p at 120 fps, and HDMI output up to 3840×2160 at 30 fps.
Those figures describe the SoC’s media engine and signal output. They do not guarantee a smooth 4K desktop, modern browser playback or compatibility with every streaming service. Operating-system drivers, codec integration, hardware acceleration, browser DRM, thermal conditions and application support determine what actually works. The original claims are recorded in the campaign FAQ.
Ports, storage and expansion
- Full-size HDMI Type A output with HDMI 1.4 support.
- Two USB 2.0 host ports.
- MicroSD card slot for boot and user storage; the original boards had no built-in mass storage.
- 3.5-mm TRRS audio/microphone jack.
- 2×20-pin Pi-2 GPIO header.
- 2×17-pin Euler expansion header and 2×5-pin EXP/console header.
- MIPI DSI display interface and a touch-panel connector.
- CSI camera interface supporting up to 5 megapixels in PINE64 documentation.
- RTC battery connector and lithium-ion battery connector.
- Infrared receiver.
- Header for the optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module.
The original board documentation specifies a microUSB 5 V/2 A power input. Wireless connectivity was not integrated into the base board, so a board-only purchase did not automatically provide Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
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Published dimensions differ by source. The campaign FAQ listed approximately 127 × 79 × 21 mm and 46 g, while current PINE64 board documentation lists 133 × 80 × 19 mm. The difference may reflect board revisions, measurement conventions or later documentation updates; do not treat the two figures as a single definitive measurement.
Both the original documentation and campaign information specify 5 V at 2 A, supplied through the board’s microUSB power input. A bare-board purchase therefore still needs a suitable power adapter.
Software support then and now
Launch-era software
The campaign FAQ described Android 5.1 Lollipop and Ubuntu with a 3.10 kernel as available or planned around launch. Ubuntu Snappy, Lubuntu and openHAB-related projects were also part of the early use-case story.
Later community software
PINE64’s current device page lists a broader ecosystem including Linux, BSD, Android, Remix OS and Windows IoT-related support. Availability and quality vary by image and by board revision. Some systems use older vendor (BSP) kernels, while others use mainline Linux.
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- Use an image specifically built for the PINE A64 or the correct A64+ memory configuration.
- Do not assume a Raspberry Pi image, case or GPIO accessory is electrically or mechanically identical.
- Mainline support can improve maintainability, but individual peripherals and accelerated graphics may still have uneven support.
- A 64-bit SoC does not mean every operating system, driver or application runs in 64-bit mode.
PINE64’s device overview is at pine64.org/devices/pine_a64/.
What you need beyond the board
- Choose the board model and verify whether you need 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB of RAM and 10/100 or Gigabit Ethernet.
- Provide a stable 5 V/2 A microUSB power supply.
- Prepare a compatible bootable microSD card, or use supported USB storage after boot.
- Add an optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module if wireless networking is required.
- Connect HDMI, USB input devices and any case, camera, display or GPIO hardware required by your project.
Is the PINE A64 still worth buying?
Good matches
- Low-cost embedded experiments and educational projects.
- Lightweight servers, network appliances and legacy software.
- Retro, specialized or hardware-history projects.
- Projects that benefit from the A64+’s Gigabit Ethernet and extra memory.
Poor matches
- Modern desktop and browser-heavy workloads.
- AI, high-performance computing or demanding multimedia.
- Deployments requiring integrated wireless, onboard flash or long current security maintenance.
- Projects where a newer SBC offers better drivers, acceleration and community documentation.
The Allwinner A64 is now an old platform. The 512 MB model is particularly restrictive for graphical workloads, and the original boards have no onboard eMMC or flash storage. Newer PINE64 families, Raspberry Pi products, Orange Pi boards and Libre Computer products may be more suitable depending on software and support requirements. Official comparison starting points are Raspberry Pi products, Orange Pi and Libre Computer.
How PINE A64-LTS differs
The later PINE A64-LTS should not be treated as the same board as the original PINE A64 or PINE A64+. PINE64 positioned the LTS model for longer-term supply and documented the Allwinner A64/R18 family, 2 GB LPDDR3, SPI flash and optional eMMC on the LTS platform.
PINE64 pages contain different historical supply-duration statements: one says supply was guaranteed until at least 2022, while another says at least 2025. These are statements tied to particular documentation versions, not a current promise of stock. See the PINE A64-LTS device page and the LTS platform documentation for the model-specific details.
Current availability
At the latest cited store check, PINE64 listed a 512 MB PINE A64 board for $15 and marked it in stock at pine64.com/product/pine-a64-512mb-board/. That is a time-sensitive current listing and does not change the historical Kickstarter timeline. Check the PINE64 store for current stock, accessories, shipping and regional taxes.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
