In an era of glass slabs and glue disguised as smartphones, finding an open, easy-to-repair phone feels like a breath of fresh air… but the catch is that we must build it ourselves. That brings us to the Paxo, designed by developer Gabriel Rochet. This phone uses an ESP32 module combined with a SIM800C for basic GSM connectivity, and its open-source OS includes all the essential apps… Snake included.
Modern smartphones have many problems. One of the most important is that they behave like black boxes, blocking all kinds of advanced functions. Accessing root mode or unlocking the bootloader is a real nightmare on some models, and outright impossible on others, courtesy of companies focused on the "experience" of using a smartphone.
The most extreme way to escape all that is building our own phone. That means losing access to popular apps, but we gain a lot of freedom in return. And one of the most interesting examples comes from France. Developer Gabriel Rochet, only 16 years old, created a phone based on the ESP32. It is called Paxo, it has its own operating system, and the total cost of parts doesn't exceed 30 euros.
Paxo: A phone with ESP32 and basic apps
One of the most notable aspects of the project is that Gabriel decided to publish everything, from the PCB design to the source code of the operating system, PaxOS 8. The Paxo combines an ESP32 module (which includes WiFi and Bluetooth) with a SIM800C for embedded systems.
From a technical standpoint, the SIM800C limits connectivity to 2G and 2.5G. That means a phone like the Paxo won't work in regions that have already retired both technologies, but available information suggests France won't do the phase-out before December 2025.
As for the rest of the components, we find a classic CH340C to program the ESP32 and connect it to the computer, a slot compatible with microSD cards (used as SPI memory source because there isn't enough space on the ESP32), and a resistive touch screen of 320 x 480 pixels.
The operating system includes six basic apps (phone, messaging, contacts, calculator, clock, and GPS), and two games, 2048 and Snake. Finally, Gabriel warns us that the Paxo is a work in progress, and he doesn't really recommend building it at this time, but that doesn't prevent us from experimenting with the components separately…
Official site and downloads: Click here
Access the code: Click here
