LILYGO T-Beam-1W development board is aimed at the long-range IoT and LoRa network makers. Designed to work with the ESP32 microcontroller with a high-power LoRa radio, it has the ability to use a battery, GNSS, and flexible antenna setup. Remote sensor nodes are made possible through the board, and are used in tracking applications and other projects that need low-power wide-area connectivity.
In practical terms the T-Beam-1W gives you a ready-to-use platform with built-in power management (AXP2101), Li-Po battery support, and a 1 W output LoRa radio (via the SX1278 transceiver) for ranges beyond typical modules. That means fewer headaches integrating an external radio and power system. It’s aimed at embedded-systems engineers, makers, and students who need more range or battery autonomy in their LoRa deployments.
Previously, we covered several other LilyGO products such as the T-Echo Plus, T-Display Bar, T-Circle, and T-Circle-S3. Feel free to check those out if you’re interested in similar boards.
LilyGo T-Beam-1W Specifications:
LilyGo T-Beam-1W is based on ESP32 dual-core processor that has WiFI and Bluetooth capabilities. It employs SX1278 LoRa transceiver up to +20 dBm output power, which has strong long-range communication. One of the GNSS module options provided by the board has the NEO-M8N that is used to track their location and record the data according to time.
LilyGo pairs the ESP32 with an AXP2101 power-management IC. This IC handles Li-ion battery charging, multiple voltage rails and efficient sleep-mode control for low-power operation. The board supports an external 18650 battery, a USB-C programming port through the CH9102 interface, and antenna connectors for LoRa and GPS modules. It also includes on-board LEDs, reset buttons and expansion pins for sensors or actuators.
The T-Beam-1W is available with 4 MB flash (Optional PSRAM versions too), 3.3-V GPIO with optional LoRa frequency variants of 433 MHz, 868 MHz and 915 MHz. Its PCB design facilitates high power LoRa transmission, stable battery and clean operation of GNSS signal. It can be mounted in outdoor enclosures or in mobile tracking units or low-power IoT devices that require a high level of wireless coverage by the makers.
You can program the T-Beam-1W through Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, or ESP-IDF, since it uses the standard ESP32 software ecosystem. The board works smoothly with sample codes that handle LoRa communication, GNSS data, battery monitoring, and power-management functions. Developers use it for LoRaWAN nodes, custom long-range LoRa links, and off-grid messaging platforms similar to Meshtastic. With proper tuning of sleep modes and radio settings, the board maintains long battery life while delivering stable 1 W LoRa performance for extended-distance communication in remote environments. More information available on the GitHub page.
The LilyGo T-Beam-1W is available for purchase from the official LILYGO store for $47.32, and the product page provides additional details about specifications, variants, and supported accessories.
Niladri Chowdhury