Building Your Own Android Device with a Raspberry Pi

Ari Mahpour
|  Created: January 29, 2025  |  Updated: February 4, 2025
Building Your Own Android Device with a Raspberry Pi

Smartphones have become a default technology that most of us now rely upon on a day-to-day basis. Whether it’s for work, play, or both, we find ourselves using smart devices more and more frequently. Not only have our phones become “smart,” but even basic MP3 players have become smart. Since the release of the free Android operating system, manufacturers have moved away from custom operating systems to out-of-the-box Android solutions. From infotainment devices found in cars and airplanes to basic kiosks, Android has become so ubiquitous that it’s found its way into some of the simplest devices.

When I searched online for a basic MP3 for my son, I quickly discovered that there is a plethora of options running Android OS on smartphone-like devices. These devices don’t come with cellular radios (to make phone calls), but they are just as equipped as a run-of-the-mill tablet - only a bit smaller. My goal was to find something that could just play downloaded music or run a single app or two (e.g., Spotify or Audible). While most of the devices I found online had some sort of “parental control” app, I didn’t find it to be very comprehensive and still kept a lot of settings and even apps (such as Chrome) open. Moreover, the parent locking apps were simply that - apps. They weren’t baked into the operating system, which means that one could find ways to navigate around it. As I investigated further, I discovered that most of these devices were running quite old versions of Android OS. This meant that newer apps and features couldn’t run on the devices.

I very quickly discovered that if I truly wanted control over my Android device, I would either need to buy a full-fledged smartphone/tablet (from a major player in the industry), or I could build my own. Naturally, as an engineer, I opted to build my old and brought my son along the way to show him what it takes to put something like this together. This article captures my experience throughout that journey and how we built our own Android device.

Shortcuts When You Need Them

Building an Android handheld device (such as a tablet or smartphone) from the ground up is quite complex. The components, circuitry, and even PCB layout of the device can be extremely complex. As a result, the upfront cost to put something together, even based on evaluation boards from manufacturers such as Qualcomm, can be extremely expensive. 

Enter the Raspberry Pi. This single-board computer (SBC) has become extremely powerful at a very competitive price. At the time of writing, the Raspberry Pi 5 could run the latest version of Android (15) with a purchase price of $50 for the lowest model. This SBC comes with everything you need, including USB ports, a headphone jack, and video outputs to connect to a touchscreen or monitor. While it requires an external power source, one could shrink the footprint of the final package by adding a custom PCB to the compute module that contains rechargeable batteries and a charging circuit. The custom Android “handheld” device my son and I decided to build used an external touchscreen, a case, and a Raspberry Pi 4 (running Android 14).

Building the Device

Adding a touchscreen to your Raspberry Pi device has become quite easy today with lots of DIY companies providing out-of-the-box solutions. I chose the Waveshare 4.3 inch touchscreen that came with a case. You can find many different touchscreens, including the official one for the Raspberry Pi, but you need to make sure it comes with the ribbon cable that is attached to the Raspberry Pi - not one with an HDMI input. A lot of touchscreens out there act as monitors with touchscreen capability using a USB input (i.e., HDMI + USB vs. ribbon). While that works, the ribbon cable solution is much cleaner and more compact.

When you purchase a touchscreen (and case), there will be some mechanical hardware needed to be assembled. In my case, I had to install the standoffs on the touchscreen and fan into the case like so:

Components partially assembled with standoffs

Figure 1: Components partially assembled with standoffs

You will also need to take note of the power connector for the fan. The fan needs to be hooked up to a 5-volt power source (the red wire) and ground connection (black wire). As demonstrated in Figure 2 you can plug that into pins 4 and 6 on the Raspberry Pi GPIO header pins.

Figure 2: Pins 4 (+5V) and 6 (GND) hookup to power the fan

Figure 2: Pins 4 (+5V) and 6 (GND) hookup to power the fan<

Once the fan cable is hooked up, you also need to make sure the ribbon cable is connected to the touchscreen. This can be a little tricky to install, so pay extra attention to the locking mechanism and ensure that the ribbon cable is lined up and inserted perfectly.

Figure 3: Raspberry Pi assembled onto touchscreen and case fully assembled and hooked up

Figure 3: Raspberry Pi assembled onto touchscreen and case fully assembled and hooked up

At this point, you can place the Raspberry Pi/Touchscreen assembly in the case.

Figure 4: Fully assembled Android device

Figure 4: Fully assembled Android device

Flashing the Image

You can download the Raspberry Pi LineageOS 21 image from KonstaKANG’s website. Using either the Raspberry Pi Imager tool or Balena Etcher, flash the image onto a high-speed MicroSD card (e.g., SanDisk Ultra). After doing so, insert the MicroSD card into the Raspberry Pi (requiring you to remove it from the case) and power it on. The device takes a bit of time to load up (especially the first time). You’ll be greeted with a loading screen that looks like this:

Figure 5: Device Powered on and Loading

Figure 5: Device Powered on and Loading

Once it loads up, you’ll see the home screen. You can hit the buttons below to find your apps. In this image, I’ve already modified the orientation and re-sized the icons to be a bit bigger.

Figure 6: Device fully loaded and apps showing

Figure 6: Device fully loaded and apps showing

All these options can be found in the settings. It may take a while to find the layout that suits you, so take your time playing around with all of the settings.

One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the ability to use the Raspberry Pi GPIO pins. You can create a custom power on/off button or even write some custom apps to interface with peripherals via the GPIO headers.

It’s also important to note that there is no Google store where you can download apps. This means you need to install APKs directly or follow further instructions from KonstaKANG to install the Google Apps suite. You can also enable root access by clicking on the “About phone” option in the settings and then tapping on the build number a couple of times. This will give you the ability to further remove apps such as Chrome or make any root level changes to the operating system.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the process of building a custom Android handheld using a Raspberry Pi, a touchscreen assembly, and a bit of good old-fashioned DIY. While off-the-shelf solutions exist, creating a personalized device offers greater control, customization, and a valuable learning experience. This project not only provided a functional MP3 player but also a hands-on opportunity to understand hardware, software, and system integration. Whether for fun, education, or specific needs, building your own Android device is a rewarding project worth exploring.

About Author

About Author

Ari is an engineer with broad experience in designing, manufacturing, testing, and integrating electrical, mechanical, and software systems. He is passionate about bringing design, verification, and test engineers together to work as a cohesive unit.

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