Flipper One Is Here — Is the Flipper Zero Wi-Fi Devboard Still Worth Buying in 2026?

PINGEQUA Lab · Flipper Zero Wi-Fi · 6 min read · Updated 2026-08-01

Flipper Devices announced the Flipper One in May 2026, and a lot of Zero owners are now asking whether it's still worth adding a Wi-Fi board to their Zero. Short version: yes — and here's why Flipper One doesn't change that.

Quick answer Yes — the Flipper Zero Wi-Fi Devboard is still worth buying in 2026, and Flipper One does not change that. When Flipper Devices announced Flipper One on May 21, 2026 (an RK3576 Arm-Linux handheld with Wi-Fi 6E), it stated plainly that Flipper One does not replace the Flipper Zero — the Zero keeps full support, and Flipper One is a separate, higher-tier Linux tool with no ship date. So the Zero's biggest gap — no built-in Wi-Fi radio — is still filled the same way: an ESP32-S2 Wi-Fi Devboard running ESP32 Marauder for 2.4 GHz scanning, packet capture, Evil Portal, and deauth testing. With the official Devboard sold out on flipper.net ($35), a pre-flashed alternative like the PINGEQUA Wi-Fi Devboard (Black) does the same job for $29.99 with free shipping, shipping from a USA warehouse in ~3 days.

What Flipper One actually is (and isn't)

On May 21, 2026, Flipper Devices unveiled Flipper One — a pocket-sized Arm-Linux computer built on a Rockchip RK3576 SoC with 8 GB RAM, a 6 TOPS NPU, dual Gigabit Ethernet, 5 Gbps USB Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz). It targets higher-level networking that needs far more horsepower than the Zero.

Three things the announcement made clear:

  1. It does not replace the Flipper Zero. Flipper Devices repeated this across every launch material — Zero users get continued support.
  2. It's not on sale. For the first time, Flipper announced a project, not a product — working prototypes, incomplete mechanical parts, and architecture still open for community debate. There is no ship date.
  3. It's a different tier. Flipper One is for people who need a Linux box in their pocket. The Zero remains the everyday RF/hardware multitool.

Bottom line: if your plan was "wait for Flipper One instead of buying a Wi-Fi board," you'd be waiting on an unfinished project while your Zero sits without Wi-Fi.

Why the Zero still needs a Wi-Fi Devboard

The Flipper Zero has Sub-GHz, NFC, RFID, IR, and GPIO — but no built-in Wi-Fi radio. To do any 2.4 GHz work you attach an ESP32-S2 Wi-Fi Devboard to the GPIO header and drive it with the ESP32 Marauder companion app on the Flipper screen. With a Devboard flashed to Marauder you get:

  • Wi-Fi AP / client scanning
  • Packet sniffing and capture to .pcap
  • Beacon / probe / deauth testing
  • Evil Portal (open AP + captive-login capture)
Note on wardriving: the official Devboard and this ESP32-S2 board do not include a GPS module, so they aren't the tool for GPS-tagged wardriving on their own — that needs a board with onboard GPS (for example our Scout Lite ESP32-C5 wardriver with GPS). The plain Wi-Fi Devboard is built for scanning, packet capture, and Evil Portal.

Marauder itself is actively maintained — the latest release is v1.14.0 (July 22, 2026), so the firmware you flash is current.

"Should I wait for a 5 GHz board instead?" — probably not

2026 brought a wave of ESP32-C5 "5 GHz" boards for the Flipper (Apex 5 at $99, Rabbit-Labs multi-board, Double Barrel 5G). They're impressive on paper, but 5 GHz attack support is still immature — the Marauder and Bruce issue trackers document 5 GHz deauth crashing or having no effect through mid-2026.

The practical reality: the overwhelming majority of real Wi-Fi testing happens on 2.4 GHz — scanning, deauth, and Evil Portal all live there. A $99 C5 board mostly buys you a 5 GHz radio that isn't reliable yet. For learning and the bulk of field work, a 2.4 GHz ESP32-S2 Devboard is the mature, proven choice — and at $29.99 with free shipping it undercuts even the $35 official board. (If you genuinely need dual-band today, a BW16-based board is the more reliable route — see our 5 GHz on Flipper Zero guide.)

Official Devboard is sold out — what to buy instead

The official Wi-Fi Devboard is $35 and currently shows Sold out on flipper.net. Because it's just an ESP32-S2 on the Flipper's GPIO header, a pin-compatible board runs the exact same firmware — so a pre-flashed alternative gets you going now, for less.

  • Same chip, same pinout — ESP32-S2 on the official Devboard footprint; runs the same Marauder .bin and companion app, so every Marauder/Evil Portal guide applies unchanged.
  • Pre-flashed with Marauder — plug in and go, no esptool, no Python.
  • Independent LDO + storage capacitor — reduces brownout resets when Wi-Fi TX spikes current.
  • $29.99 with free shipping — under the official $35, and shipping isn't extra. Ships from a USA warehouse in ~3 days.

PINGEQUA Wi-Fi Devboard — Black (ESP32-S2)

Pre-flashed with Marauder, official Devboard pinout, independent LDO + cap. $29.99, free shipping, ~3 days from a USA warehouse — in stock while the official board is sold out.

Check price & availability → Re-flash at flash.pingequa.com →

FAQ

Does Flipper One replace the Flipper Zero Wi-Fi Devboard?
No. Flipper One is a separate Linux device announced as a community project on May 21, 2026 with no ship date, and Flipper Devices confirmed it does not replace the Zero. The Zero still has no built-in Wi-Fi and still needs an ESP32-S2 Devboard for 2.4 GHz work.
Will the Wi-Fi Devboard still work after Flipper One ships?
Yes. It's a Zero accessory driven by the Marauder app on the Zero. Flipper One is unrelated hardware; it doesn't affect Zero-plus-Devboard support.
Is a non-official (black) ESP32-S2 Devboard compatible with Marauder?
Yes. Any ESP32-S2 board with the official Devboard's pinout runs the same Marauder .bin and the same companion app. Pre-flashed boards work out of the box.
Can this board do GPS wardriving?
No. The ESP32-S2 Devboard (official or this one) has no GPS, and wardriving needs GPS to tag networks to locations. It's built for scanning, packet capture, and Evil Portal. For GPS wardriving, use a board with an onboard GPS module, such as the PINGEQUA Scout Lite (ESP32-C5 + L86 GPS).
How do I update the firmware later?
Open flash.pingequa.com in desktop Chrome or Edge, plug in the board over USB-C, let it auto-detect, pick Marauder, and flash. No esptool, no Python.

Sources & further reading: Flipper One announcement — TechCrunch, Hackster.io; ESP32 Marauder v1.14.0 — GitHub releases; ESP32-C5 5 GHz status — CNX Software, Bruce issue #2204. Verified August 2026.

For authorized security testing and education only. Use Wi-Fi testing tools only on networks and devices you own or are explicitly permitted to test; laws vary by jurisdiction. "Flipper Zero" and "Flipper One" are referenced for compatibility; PINGEQUA is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Flipper Devices.

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