Winlink E850-96Board SBC is powered by Samsung Exynos 850 Octa-core Cortex-A55 SoC
The Winlink E850-96Board currently supports Android 10 (AOSP) with Linux 4.14 kernel and LittleKernel bootloader, but we are promised Android 13 support with Linux 5.4.kernel in the future, and Linux distributions are shown as TBD. The obvious reasons for Android support and the relatively outdated Linux kernel are that the mobile processor is used in various smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy A21s or Galaxy A04s, and it was first announced in 2020.
While the company claims “full compliance” with the Linaro 96Boards CE Extended standard, and the board is most likely compliant, it’s interesting to note they have not placed the Ethernet RJ45 port in one of the recommended locations, but instead in the free-for-all zone. Software and hardware documentation is currently limited, but you can still find instructions to get the Android image and build everything from source on the 96Boards website.
The price of the board will be disappointing to many, as the Winlink E850-96Board sells for $399 on PlusFour, a Korean company set up to make and distribute 96Boards SBCs and accessories. The SBC should probably be viewed as a development board suitable for companies planning to create IoT or Smart Home devices based on the Exynos 850 processor, as few people will select this board for integration into their personal project(s), and Android app developers can purchase a cheaper Exynos 850 phone.