Cortex-A53 Quad-Core Power
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) with 4x ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit cores @ 1.2 GHz, 512 MB – 1 GB LPDDR3 RAM, and 4 GB – 8 GB onboard high-speed eMMC storage.
Welcome to OpenStick.org
Turn mass-produced $5–$20 4G LTE modems into powerful, quad-core Linux single-board computers running Debian, postmarketOS, or OpenWrt.
Why OpenStick & MSM8916?
Section titled “Why OpenStick & MSM8916?”The $7 Pi Zero 2 W Alternative
When electronics shortages hit makers during the 2025–2026 AI boom, standard single-board computers were scalped or backordered. MSM8916 wingles became the premier accessible Linux SBC.
Integrated 4G LTE & Wi-Fi
Unlike bare SBCs that require expensive cellular HATs, OpenStick dongles feature an onboard 4G LTE Cat 4 baseband modem, 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.0.
Mainline Linux & OpenWrt
Run full Debian GNU/Linux, postmarketOS (mainline kernel), or lightweight OpenWrt to create pocket travel routers, VPN endpoints, SMS gateways, and local servers.
Self-Contained Thumb Drive
No fragile microSD cards, no bare circuit boards, and no extra cables required. Plug straight into any 5V USB-A power supply or computer port.
100% Community Driven
Every single article on this website has an “Edit this page” button. Add your own hardware teardowns, test points, or custom builds directly via GitHub!
Explore the Community Hub
Section titled “Explore the Community Hub”- The Origin Story & AI Boom Shortage: How OpenStick evolved and why it saved makers during the AI chip crunch.
- MSM8916 vs Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W: Side-by-side technical specs, power consumption, and price-to-performance breakdown.
- Device Identification: How to distinguish UFI001B, UFI003, Uz801, and Zhihe boards, plus eMMC vs NAND flash.
- Emergency Backup Checklist: Protect your device’s unique IMEI and modem calibration partitions before you flash.
- Community Projects Showcase: Real-world setups including Telegram SMS gateways, Pi-hole DNS filters, and portable Docker servers.
- Curated Video Library: Step-by-step soldering, teardown, and flashing video walkthroughs.