LILYGO T-Deck Plus – A Blackberry-like ESP32-S3 devkit with QWERTY keyboard, trackball, LoRa, GPS, battery, and more

The LILYGO T-Deck Plus is an ESP32-S3 based handheld development kit that resembles a Blackberry phone with a QWERTY keyboard and trackball. The device features a 2.8-inch IPS LCD, a GPS module, a LoRa transceiver, and a 2,000mAh battery which means you can take it outside and do some pen-testing and research. Additionally, the board features a microphone, a speaker, and a microSD card slot for storage.

Just last year, LILYGO introduced the LILYGO T-Deck ESP32-S3 development board with LoRa and a 2.8-inch display, and the T-Deck Plus builds on the earlier design but also adds a GPS module and a higher capacity battery.

LILYGO T Deck Plus handheld development board

LILYGO T-Deck Plus specifications

  • ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 wireless module
    • SoC –  ESP32-S3FN16R8 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ up to 240 MHz with
      • 2.4 GHz 802.11n WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity
      • Memory – 8MB PSRAM
      • Storage – 16MB SPI flash
    • PCB antenna
  • Storage – MicroSD card slot
  • Display – 2.8-inch IPS display with 320×240 resolution; ST7789 SPI display controller
  • Audio
    • A built-in speaker using MAX98357A amplifier
    • 2x MSM381A3729H9CP MEMS microphones
    • Both the speaker amp and microphones are controlled by the ES7210 Audio DAC.
  • Wireless
    • 2.4 GHz 802.11n WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity (ESP32-S3)
    • SX1262 LoRa module @ 868/915 MHz; up to +22 dBm Tx power (built-in internal antenna and option for external antenna support)
    • Optional GPS module which gets connected to the Grove UART connector
  • USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming
  • User input
  • Expansion
    • 4-pin Grove connector (UART)
    • 6-pin header (unpopulated) connected to ESP32-C3 (T-Keyboard) with UART, BOOT/IO09, Reset, VCC, and GND
  • Misc
  • Power Supply
    • 5V via USB Type-C port
    • 2,000 mAh battery; IO04 ADC pin for battery voltage; TP4065B battery charger chip (based on schematics)
  • Dimensions – 115 x 72 x 20 mm

t deck plus

After looking at the specification, and the documentation it’s clear that they have changed nothing and put the T-Deck inside a case and called it a Plus. Is everybody going the Apple way?

The case now has a 1/4-inch mounting hole on the back of the device, with that you can now mount the device on a tripod or attach something else to the device.

T Deck Plus lilygo 12

Previously we have written about various unique projects with ESP32-S3 including the ESP32-S3 PD Stepper, the WiCAN Pro, the MoreSense MS-06 air quality monitor, the MechDog AI Robot Dog the ReSpeaker Lite Voice Assistant Kit and many more feel free to check those out if you are looking for unique projects.

While most of the LILYGO devkits are designed for experienced users, where you need to write your own code to work with the hardware. The T-Deck and T-Deck Plus benefit from some useful community-developed projects like Meshtastic or Scott Powell’s Ripple QWERTY firmware. Meshtastic is a ready-made solution for secure, long-range communication, for off-grid mesh networking, whereas the Ripple QWERTY firmware provides an alternative user interface for the device. Very recently, Ripple QWERTY also added support for Google Maps, group chats, shared calendars, and more.

Like the old T-Deck, the new Plus model can be programmed using Arduino IDE or PlatformIO. Additional documentation is available on the LILYGO GitHub repository. Note – I copied the new Git link from the products page of the T-Deck Plus, but this link redirects me to the same page as the T-Deck.

The LILYGO T-Deck Plus is priced at around $81.48 and can be purchased from the AliExpress store, and it should soon become available on Amazon where the original T-Deck is sold for $52 and up.

LILYGO T Deck Plus in hand and external antenna setup

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12 Comments
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Willy
Willy
3 months ago

This could possibly make a nice terminal for various SBCs as well as to program/debug ESP32s.

mini
mini
3 months ago

It’s funny how you can still easily source BB Q10 and Classic keyboards a decade after their release. Makes me wonder how many of these they made.

Jens Alfke
Jens Alfke
3 months ago

This is kind of weird — it has _two_ different ESP32s in it, one Tensilica and one RISC-V? And one of them just drives the keyboard? And it’s in a nice phone-style case but doesn’t have an internal battery?

Things that make you go “hmm…”

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
Admin

That’s because the company already has the T-Keyboard with ESP32-C3, so instead of redesigning a keyboard and developing firmware, they just re-used their existing keyboard.

I understand it has a 2,000 mAh battery based on the article. But somehow that battery is not listed in the specs…

Johnny
Johnny
15 days ago

According to schematic keyboard on Plus model, ESP32-C3 is not used anymore, keys are connected to TCA8418 I2C GPIO expander.
I should buy one and check it on the PCB

Farooq
3 months ago

The link to AliExpress gives a 404

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)
Admin

That’s because you must be in Europe. Red tape delays the listings for Europeans. The link should work in a few days.

It can also be pre-ordered on LILYGO’s website: https://www.lilygo.cc/products/t-deck-plus

jay
jay
3 months ago

May be good for park rangers in forest service. I think Forest Service could use a wide variety of off the shelf tech, which is currently their weak spot. It remains too much hippydom and not enough gadgetdom.

Smokey DaBear
Smokey DaBear
3 months ago

Here at the Ranger station our goal is to convert every tree hugging hippy ranger into code writing urban DIYers. Just think of the gadgets they will come up with while they are fornicating with the deer, and grizzly bears.

Farooq
3 months ago

I just learned the S3 in this beauty has an MMU. This means we might be able to get Linux running on it. And with Linux running on it, it brings up a new whole of opportunities.

Steve Nordquist
Steve Nordquist
3 months ago

Hippie gadgetdom with LiPo banks in their parkas should up their game! Hopefully they’ll find the right AI to leverage. Personally maybe I’d want a swipetyping trainer for olds rather than a blisterboard or better to chord on? (With thin gloves.) Hm…that display coldproof or something compared to oled? Coz otherwise I’d want to grab a Mi30 or what’s old but takes new firmware and add LoRa and aerogel casing.

Maybe this is for second console support for one-hand-left craftspeople and disabled? Low power …writing papers offhand?

Steve
Steve
3 months ago

Maybe for recording environmental spectrometer and neonicotenoid readings, add sensors / make it awesome? 💯% Have a charge controller in there?

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