The M1 device is a Flipper Zero alternative with a faster STM32H5 microcontroller and Wi-Fi connectivity (Crowdfunding)

The M1 is a multitool device that bundles several hacking and penetration tools in a package that looks like a retro-gaming console and could be viewed as a Flipper Zero alternative with a more powerful STMicro STM32H5 Cortex-M33 high-performance MCU featuring Arm TrustZone hardware-based security for additional protection for sensitive data.

m1 multitool deviceThe M1 multitool device features transceivers for infrared, sub-1 GHz, Bluetooth, NFC, RFID, and Wi-Fi. This means that the M1 can replace most of your remotes as well as your RFID and NFC-based items (membership cards, access fobs, business cards, credit cards, etc.) It also has twelve 3.3V (5V tolerant) GPIO pins that can be used to add extra functionality to the device.

M1 specifications:

  • MCU – STM32H5-series microcontroller, with a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M33 core, 1MB RAM
  • Storage – MicroSD card slot
  • Display – 1.54-inch display, 128 x 64 resolution
  • Connectivity
    • Bluetooth 4.2 BR/EDR BLE Sensitivity -96dBm
    • Infrared – 800nmTX/RX range, 38kHz
    • RFID –  125kHz antenna, with support for EM-4100 and HID Prox cards
    • Wi-Fi 4 – 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4Ghz
    • Sub-GHz – 142-1050Mhz, up to +20 dbm
    • NFC – 13.56MHz
  • I/O
    • USB Type-C
    • 12x GPIO pins, 5V tolerant
  • Buttons – 5-button directional pad, exit button
  • Battery – 2,100mAh battery good for 14 days of operational time

m1 hardware hacking

The Flipper Zero is a portable, multipurpose hacking tool that launched on Kickstarter in 2020 and achieved massive success, raising almost 5 million dollars with a single campaign. It has since gained an app store and a video game module powered by the RP2040.

Going off the specs alone, the M1 looks like a clone of the Flipper Zero, and its tagline on Kickstarter is similar to the Flipper Zero’s. It is described as a “compact multitool for technophiles and hackers” and the Flipper is a “multitool device for hackers”. The M1’s Kickstarter campaign has been quite successful so far raising over $500,000 with all stretch goals reached for the $119 device, and still 20 days to go.

The Flipper Zero is hard to buy at the moment, driving up the demand for a product in the same category. Also, the M1 offers an upgrade to the Flipper Zero in certain areas, such as the processor, battery, wireless connectivity, and security. It remains to be seen whether the M1 can match the level of support and community offered by the Flipper Zero.

According to the makers, the project is open-source, and the firmware and blueprints for the M1 will be available in a public GitHub repository after launch. You can find more information about the M1 device on Kickstarter and the company’s website.  If you have been looking for a Flipper Zero alternative, the M1 multi-tool might be right for you. However, the makers have been reluctant to admit any similarities with the Flipper Zero when probed and we think that is quite sketchy.

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