Not sure if this counts as necro-bumping, seeing as though this thread's only been inactive for a good few months, but I'd like to continue the conversation.

(tl;dr- see last paragraph)

I'm pretty stoked about the Pyra, considering its features (built-in gamepad, optional 3G modem for voice+data, stacks and stacks of software) and its history (being the PC-in-a-pocket successor of a device originally intended as an emulation handheld). I always like seeing projects carving out their own niche. Since it aims to be backwards compatible with the OpenPandora and take advantage of Debian's cache of software and have the effort of a sizable+active community behind it, software's not gonna be an issue. I have no use for an OpenPandora at this day and age, but the Pyra is a different beast altogether. A handheld that could replace my laptop...and my phone...

Ah, there's the rub, innit? Imagine having both the Pyra and Neo900. The former's already advertised as a portable, and that perception's only buttressed by a big *** battery+3G modem. So leaving it at home to replace your computer is an option, but really doesn't make that much sense.

With that said, would having both a Pyra and Neo900 be redundant? Not so fast.

That 3G modem is merely an option, and you don't need to have it if you don't want it. Without the modem, the Pyra's essentially a decent mini-ARM-PC with a battery life that would make a Macbook user blush and Galaxy Note user jealous.

Even with the Pyra having a 3G modem, the Neo900's a VERY different device. It's a phone, first and foremost. Handling it on a day-to-day basis would be very different from the Pyra. As the Pyra is not meant to be a companion device in the same sense as a phone, there are a few caveats to consider:
-on-person portability in a large variety of cases;
-form factor;
-ease of use;
-and, to one extent or another, appearance.

In all of those cases, the Neo900 gets extra ticks in its box due to the nature of its design, which is that of a phone. Do you carry your phone in a bag (if you carry bags, that is)? Is your phone massive (or, at least, bigger than phablets) for what it's supposed to be? Does your phone lack a good touch-based UI? Do you feel comfortable pulling out something resembling a 3DS to do office work on-the-move or even to text friends?

There's also a major caveat to using the Pyra as a companion device that's rather unique to the Pyra- its features and how many of them are useful on-the-move. While having heaps of features is usually a good thing, a significant chunk of those features won't enhance your portable computing, thus making the user the primary bottleneck as to what features are used on-the-move. Idk about you, but I haven't seen many people carrying around hard drives with their eSATA cables in tow just to piss off iPhone users. While it's not uncommon to carry a USB stick with you, I don't know of anyone who carries two of them. Also, having speakers on a handheld that don't totally s_it the bed isn't bad, but why not carry some headphones for a bit of privacy (and courtesy)? Don't want to carry headphones or a headset? Then how do you expect to make use of the 3G modem for a quick chat with your friend?

None of those issues exist on the Neo900.

With all of that said, I really can't say the Pyra can easily replace one's phone. Do you know what it can replace though? SPARE phones!!! Think about it. What's the whole point of a spare phone? To not be cut off from your peers in case your daily driver meets a tragic end, right? How about an extra device that has that functionality in case that happens? I think it could work as a decent stand-in until your daily driver's back. Something like a real-life RAID array; redundancy for an emergerncy.

Unfortunately, PowerVR graphics is something that must be dealt with on both devices. For the Pyra, there's already talk about the 1st hardware upgrade in the distant future to an AMD-based SoC, which means MUCH better open-source graphics support than PowerVR. However, that's far from materializing right now. Perhaps you can include just the possibility as a plus if you hate PowerVR that much, but I won't.

The Pyra is truly a unique device that requires one to evaluate what uses it would have for them and how well it can integrate into their everyday use (whether at home or on-the-move). In that sense, it really can't be compared to anything. The Neo900 is a phone, and can easily be compared to other phones. Therefore, I can't see either device as competitors to each other.