Available for pre-order
View Purchasing OptionsProject update 2 of 5
One question we often receive from new backers is: “How easy is Pixlpal to set up and start using?” In this update, we’d like to walk you through exactly what the Pixlpal setup process looks like, from power-on to your first app running on the display.
Pixlpal is designed to be simple to use from the very first power-on. Setup is quick and straightforward, with no mandatory accounts, no cloud dependency, and no complex configuration. The experience is intentionally seamless: connect Pixlpal, choose what you want to see, and it simply works.
Pixlpal is powered via its USB-C port, located on the lower-left side of the device. Once connected, the device boots up, showing the "PIXLPAL" animation. Pixlpal typically consumes about five watts (and a maximum of ~10 watts when all LED pixels are lit and bright). Pixlpal is intentionally designed for external power to enable consistent performance and support for its always-on RGB LED display, without worrying about charging or battery life. Pixlpal can be powered from multiple sources, including PC USB ports, portable power banks, and USB-C charger adapters.
Being an IoT device, Pixlpal requires a stable Wi-Fi connection to run most of its applications. Using the Pixlpal mobile app (Android and iOS), you can securely provide Wi-Fi credentials over Bluetooth.
The process is straightforward:
Once connected, Pixlpal shows a green Wi-Fi icon in its status bar and can begin fetching live data such as time, weather, calendar events, news, and more, depending on the apps you selected.
Pixlpal ships with a growing set of built-in applications designed to be immediately useful, including:
Apps are launched and managed directly from the mobile app via bluetooth or via the on-device rotary encoder knob. Each app runs locally on Pixlpal as its own task, ensuring stability and responsiveness while fetching data from the internet/network via Wi-Fi.
Pixlpal is designed to be highly customizable. You can:
All preferences are stored locally on the device.
For developers and enthusiasts, Pixlpal goes well beyond everyday usage: its firmware and hardware designs are open-source, apps are written in C/C++ using ESP-IDF and FreeRTOS, and new applications can be built, flashed, and iterated on freely without vendor lock-in. Also, the USB-OTG interface enables hardware expansion and hands-on experimentation, so whether you want to build a Home Assistant dashboard, a custom visualizer, or an entirely new interaction model, Pixlpal is designed to get out of your way.
Pixlpal works out of the box, but it doesn’t stop there. As the campaign progresses, we’ll be providing:
We’re excited to see what you build and we’re committed to making sure getting started is smooth, transparent, and enjoyable once you get a hold of your Pixlpal devices.
If you have ideas for new features, feedback on the current features, or simply want to ask a question, feel free to reach out to us. Thank you for your continued support and feedback. More updates coming soon.