FunKey S
The FunKey S is a keychain emulator console created by the FunKey Team in 2019. Taking inspiration from the GBA SP, the system has a clamshell design that protects the device's screen and buttons when it is not in use. Envisioned as an evolution of the team's initial Keymu system, the FunKey S had a successful Kickstarter campaign in July 2020, with its €30,000 goal being met in only three hours. After several months of further improvements to the system and preparations for mass-production, the FunKey Team expects to ship the first FunKey S units in late November or early December 2020. As with the Keymu and FunKey Zero, the FunKey Team made the schematics for the FunKey S publicly available so that others could build their own versions of it if they wished to do so. The team also intends to make the source code of the device's operating system open-source soon before the first shipment of pre-ordered FunKey S units.
Development
After the positive reception to their initial Keymu showcase video in 2017, the FunKey Team grew to include three members as they sought to create a mass-producible version of the Keymu. To test the hardware that they planned to use in the Keymu successor, the team created the FunKey Zero in 2018. The FunKey S would use elements from both of the team's prior systems, having a clamshell form factor similar to, albeit slightly thinner than, the Keymu, in addition to technical specifications that were very similar to those of the FunKey Zero. Unveiling the FunKey S for the first time in April 2019, the FunKey Team continued to improve the system in the following months, initially expecting to launch a Kickstarter campaign for it in late 2019. Around this time, the fourth member of the FunKey Team, Killian, was brought on board to assist with marketing the device and building the community surrounding it in preparation for the Kickstarter campaign.
Due to continued improvements being made to the device the Kickstarter campaign was delayed to July 2020, with the initial funding goal set at €30,000. Since this goal was met in only three hours, several stretch goals were set and subsequently reached, with the campaign ending with €165,760 raised in total from 2,046 backers. After the campaign, the FunKey Team began preparing for the manufacturing of the devices at a factory in China, a process that included the making of a mold to manufacture the device's exterior plastic shell and the adjustment and improvement of several of the device's components.
Specifications
Similarly to the FunKey Zero before it, the FunKey S is powered by an ARM Cortex-A7 with 64 MB of integrated RAM and uses a microSD card for storage. It also uses a 1.54 inch (39.1 mm) LCD IPS display with a resolution of 240 by 240, but has an improved frame rate of 50 FPS. While it keeps the same ∅10 mm mono speaker used in the FunKey Zero, due to space constraints it does not include a headphone jack. Other improvements made to the FunKey S compared to its predecessors include the upgrade to a 410 mAh lithium-ion battery, an improved hinge mechanism, the use of magnets to keep the system securely shut and automatically save the game to be reloaded once the system is reopened, a Menu button that both turns the system on and off and allows access to the system's settings, and a protective glass screen in front of the display that is both fingerprint and scratch-resistant.
Comparison
Differences between the Keymu and the later FunKey branded systems include the use of the Intel Edison's built-in eMMC memory for data storage rather than a microSD card, the lack of a speaker in the original prototype (though its open sourced specifications allowed for the inclusion of one), a lower maximum resolution of 128 by 128 pixels, smaller buttons, and a lower-capacity 220 mAh battery. Features only implemented in the later FunKey S and not in the Keymu or FunKey Zero include a magnetic "sleep-mode" mechanism, a protective glass layer above the display, a Menu button, 50 rather than 20 FPS, no screen tearing, and an improved hinge.
Table
| Name | Keymu | FunKey Zero | FunKey S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
 |
 | |
| Dimensions | 1.65" x 1.81" x 0.67" 42 x 46 x 17 mm |
~3.45" x ~1.79" x ~0.32" ~87.6 x ~45.5 x ~8.1 mm |
1.67" x 1.75" x 0.54" 42.5 x 44.5 x 13.8 mm | |
| Mass | N/A | 1 oz 30 g | ||
| Display | 1.5" (38.1 mm) 128x128 OLED | 1.54" (39.1 mm) 240x240 LCD IPS | ||
| Processor | Atom 2-Core @ 500 MHz | ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1.2 GHz | ||
| RAM | 1 GB (LPDDR3) | 64 MB (DDR2) | ||
| Refresh rate | 20 FPS | 50 FPS | ||
| Maximum storage | 4 GB (eMMC) | 2 TB (microSD) | ||
| Audio | ∅11.7 mm mono at 700 mW (missing from the initial prototype) |
∅10 mm mono at 500 mW | ∅10 mm mono at 500 mW | |
| Headphone jack | ||||
| Battery | 220 mAh lithium-ion | None (prototype) | 410 mAh lithium-ion | |
