T114 and T3-S3: New Hardware for 2025-2026

T114 and T3-S3: New Hardware for 2025-2026

LILYGO'sThe 2024-2025 product refresh introduced two boards that are quickly becoming community favourites: the Heltec Mesh Node T114 and the LILYGO T3-S3. (Note: the T114 is a Heltec board, not a LILYGO board.) Both pair an SX1262 LoRa radio with a modern microcontroller, but they target distinctly different use cases and operator needs.

T114 -- Compact Infrastructure Node

The Heltec Mesh Node T114 combines Nordic Semiconductor's nRF52840 with the SX1262 in a compact, screen-freecompact form factor.factor with a small 1.14″ TFT. It is clearlywell designedsuited forto infrastructure deployments ratheras thanwell as light handheld use:

• MCU: nRF52840 (ARM Cortex-M4F at 64 MHz)
• Radio: SX1262 -- MeshCore and Meshtastic compatiblecompatible; ~21±1 dBm TX (bare SX1262, no external PA)
• Display: None1.14″ (no screen)TFT
• Connectivity: USB-C for power and programming; BLE for phone pairing
• Power: Leverages the nRF52840's exceptional sleep current (sub-25 µA) -- suitable for solar deployments on very small panelspanels; includes a solar charge connector
• Form factor: Smaller than a T-Beam; easy to fit in weatherproof enclosures

The T114's lack of displayT114 is a feature,strong not an omission,choice for infrastructure roles.roles Removingthanks theto screenits eliminateslow asleep significant power drawcurrent and asmall mechanical failure point.footprint. For a repeater node on a rooftop or inside a pelican case, therethe iscompact nothingboard tofits see anyway.easily. Community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive: operators report clean BLE pairing, reliable SX1262 performance, and excellent battery life. Firmware is entered via a DFU double-tap reset. The one common complaint is that the small PCB can be finicky to solder antenna connectors to, so purchasing the version with a pre-soldered U.FL connector is recommended.

Firmware support: Meshtastic ships official T114 firmware. MeshCore also supports the T114 with its nRF52840 build.

T3-S3 -- The WiFi-Capable LoRa Node

The LILYGO T3-S3 pairs Espressif's ESP32-S3 with an SX1262 and is positioned as a direct competitor to the T-Beam Supreme in the WiFi-capable segment:

• MCU: ESP32-S3 (ESP32-S3FH4R2) dual-core at 240 MHz, 164 MB flash, 82 MB PSRAM
• Radio: SX1262
• GPS: OptionalNo onboard GPS; optional external GPS module via header (u-blox-compatibleMeshtastic footprint,docs samelist the T3-S3 as T-Beam)"No GPS")
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n via ESP32-S3 -- enables MQTT bridging and web config
• USB-C: Yes, with native USB on ESP32-S3 (faster flashing, serial CDC without external chip)
• Form factor: Slightly more compact than T-Beam Supreme; no integrated keyboard

The T3-S3 is particularlya compelling as auseful WiFi MQTT gateway replacementoption for existing T-Beam deployments. Where the original T-Beam uses an older ESP32 with less RAM,ESP32, the T3-S3's ESP32-S3 offers native USB and handles concurrent WiFi and LoRa tasks more reliablyreliably. With 4 MB flash and 2 MB PSRAM it has enough headroom for Meshtastic's fulltypical WiFi/MQTT workload, though it is not a large-memory board (2 MB PSRAM, not the 8 MB found on the T-Deck), so running every feature set -- including MQTT and web server simultaneously --should withoutnot thebe memory pressure that can cause instability on older ESP32 boards.assumed.

Availability and Pricing (earlyas 2026)of 2026-06-08)

• BothThe boardsT3-S3 areis available directly from lilygo.cc,; the T114 from Heltec and resellers, typically with 2-3 week shipping from Shenzhen
• Amazon listings exist for both boards (US warehouse stock, faster shipping, approximately 15-20% price premium)
• AliExpress offers the lowest prices but longest lead times
• T114: approximately $18-2234 USD withoutdepending on variant/GPS module;option $25-30(as withof GPS2026-06-08) add-on-- prices are volatile; see the Mid-Range Devices page for the same board
• T3-S3: approximately $25-32 USD without GPS module (as of 2026-06-08) -- verify against the lilygo.cc listing

Community Verdict

Both boards have earned strong reputations in the mesh community since their wider availability in mid-2024. The T114 is now thea defaultpopular recommendation for solar repeater builds in the RAK4631's price range, particularly where MeshCore compatibility is required. The T3-S3 is thea recommended ESP32 platform for new WiFi gateway deployments, preferred over the ageing T-Beam for its updated silicon, improved RAM headroom,silicon and USB-C convenience. Operators upgrading from T-Beam v1.1 hardware should strongly consider the T3-S3 as the directa modern replacement.