I remember the PSION Series 5. It was a perfect device. I had a printer that hooked up to it. A mini inkjet printer. I could type as fast as people could talk by velcro-ing it to clipboard or something like that. It was Way ahead of it's time. What ever happened to that? It had everything you needed. The main problem was with the ribbon cable on the hinge. I miss that thing soo bad. I never forgot anything when I had it. It would dial a phone before we had cell phones, It would have multiple lists so you could make a list for every store you go to, or anything you need, and never forget stuff. It's the little things that make life easier. It fit in your pocket and just worked.. I miss that thing.

Why most reviews are not discussing the main edge of this device which is it's dual boot with debian which can be useful for techie users on the go

The appeal of this device is that it can run linux.

The good thing is you can dual boot Linux and that gives it more features.

Glad that someone has made an effort to revive the Psion. 20 odd years later nothing comes close to the Psion hardware (fold out keyboard to support the screen, best keyboard for its size, fluid multitasking) and software (the system-wide object embedding was bullet proof and genuinely useful, and the apps were exceptional). Pity this thing comes with the inconsistent all-over-the-place Android experience - it will never match a unified Linux effort or something from Apple. I just hope they're working on a version 2 and don't give up on this thing.

It reminds me a bit of one of my favorites from 20+ years ago, the Gateway Handbook. It was about the size of a hardback book, but the main typing area of the keyboard was only 1/2” narrower than a standard keyboard. It had a lot of drawbacks like the monochrome display and horrible battery life, but it was very useful.

How come you didn't mention or give Linux a try? surely that's a big selling point with this device too.

when you boot in. the linux mode, can you still using the phone ? I mean call or send message

People saying that a smartphone or tablet is better are completely missing the point...

I am exactly the target audience for this product and I love it. This will always be a niche product, but I like that there are people, who try to cater to niche audiences and I hope, they find enough customers to keep their business going. As for the keyboard - I found it great and I am able to touchtype. The only problem is that non-English languages are not so well supported and some non-standard characters may be difficult to type.

If Planet put a little external display on this (re: Nokia Communicator) then I will buy one

Why didn't you make this video before I ordered one? I really hope the keyboard on the production units doesn't suck as bad as you say.

is it a smartphone or not? I can use it like a pc, Right? And when can i select the os for my gemini?

Where you buy it

OMGGGGGG I WANT ONE... IMAGINE IF IT HAD A FRONT FACING SCREEN AS WELL AS THE CLAMSHELL AND KEYBOARDDD

this needs to be tested from a developers perspective using unix shell and vim - thank you for the review - its better than the other ones i have come across so far - apologies mr mobile

There was an awesome phone that combined both, touch screen and physichal buttons really well, the Motorola Milestone. It would be awesome a comeback with today's battery, memory and speed.

as a phone i see one major flaw and that is having to awkwardly hold it open to use the dial pad if you have to call any kind of automated system with menus you have to navigate

What do you call a smaller laptops?

I don't see the problem. Attach a normal keyboard when you write a lot or buy something else and attach a keyboard because you wanted a keyboard. The point is to have a small keyboard fixed to the thing and ready as such when you are out. If done differently, it's pretty much another thing or 2 parts available elsewhere. To chose that is okay because the Gemini was designed for those who wanted that keyboard and its size. The power/goodie is that the specific keyboard comes with a high spec "phone" or pocket device.

There is an inherent conflict between pocket size and keyboard size. The maximum size device I ever had which fit in a pocket was the 2013 Google LG Nexus 7 which I measured as 4.5" x 8" and using modern screen technology you could put a 8" diagonal screen, and a 8" wide keyboard. This 1st product from Planet Computers is a 6.75" width is where the keyboard just got keys narrower than fingers so you lost the multiple fingers typing capability. At this size a phone without keyboard is viable. For a clamshell they'd have to make it bigger. The last Psion 5MX was similar width but note it did die and at this size it competing with larger phones. I suggest make a 7"-8" size.

Hopeful about Cosmo Communicator, I just wish it had a removable battery

I used a Jornada 680 back in the day and the tiny keys worked out okayish. These days though, Bluetooth keyboards come in various shapes and sizes and are more useful.

Wow, like a Psion. Best case for Taxidriver etc., as a compact Surf and Downloadmachine.

I just want a keyboard case like this for my current 5-6 inch phone

Man I so missed those

The last time I saw keyboards on a smart phone done right was the HTC Touch Pro 2 which was a Windows device. The way Android API's are worked out a developer has to explicitly code for touch, keyboards, mice, stylus, etc when putting anything other than a text field on the screen. Windows is different where clicks, touches, the enter key all fire the same events on certain elements. That said I didn't think Android would work with hardware keyboards very well today because it has been YEARS since there was a prominent phone with a hardware keyboard and I'm sure app developers have simply deprioritized support for it.

If you want a good android smartphone with a physical keyboard, get the Blackberry Keynote. Not the same style but you get the feel of pushing something down instead of hitting glass.

If you really want to write while you on the go, you should tried logitech K480 and pair it to your phone or tablet so you got your almost standard keyboard but you can still bring out it every where, even though you will find it kinda heavy after amount of times like I do.

So a guy who dresses like 70's tennisplayer wants a throwback gadget? Color me surprised!

I think it's awesome, pretty 90's design and specs but I think if the company had put a bit more thought into the phones' design it would have been a competitor for some of the best flagships out there, they should have gone with a design like the Samsung double time flip phone, it was one of Samsung's best creation, with a touch screen at the front and a second touch screen inside when you open it, including a qwerty keyboard

I’d love to use this as a mobile terminal for my home server

intresting design

seems like in insta-buy for me. getting this. I already see the circlejerks who use their phone pretty much only for facebook and the same people saying tables are better that would go to a laptop video only to say a desktop is better, completely obvious to the entire point of a product like this.

All I can wish is that its keyboard stayed traditional. I'll wait for the gen 2 ;)

As much as I want a device like this, whenever they're released, they puzzle me, because they don't serve their one kind of customer well. The only people who want a standard Android phone with a physical keyboard are people who REALLY like physical keyboards. The kind of people who like physical keyboards are exactly the kind of people who'll be extremely picky about how they feel to use. This is true of things like the Samsung Chromebook Plus and Pro, too, which are ostensibly keyboard focused tablets. If I'm to justify the expense and bulk of a device like the Gemini, then from my first gentle stroke of a key, for the duration of the travel, down to the satisfying click of actuation, I have to hear a choir of angels break into song in my soul. The keyboard needs to be THAT GOOD to impress me. People who want a device like this are likely already resigned to a bit of extra bulk. Would making it bigger have killed them? It's already a niche device. People who want niche devices are accustomed to compromise in other departments to get that one glorious feature they want. The Gemini is a device for people who really like typing, but it doesn't sell itself well on the quality of the typing experience, therefore, it is a failure at what it seeks to be.

I love psion years i had psion series 5...but this gemini is very expensive, for maximum 250$ would be a great choice.

Oh god that battery life is why I like pda's

How phone India price

Very thorough and honest review, thank you.

Hopefully they get it right on Gen 2.

I dig it

settle flex with the Fred Perry polo

video is nice.

You completely missed the point 5 years ago its fully customizable especially with Kali Nethunter & dual booting

Now all I need is a Windows 10 on ARM variant that runs x86 and x64 programs, with 2G calls and SMS support. Also, I don't mind it being a tad bigger at 7 ~ 10", cuz I generally carry a satchel, Bluetooth wireless Headset for music and calls. Then this would be a dream come true where I can finally merge my EDC Windows Ultrabook and my smartphone that does nothing more than calls and SMS together.

I like this

I like the keyboard , i like this i wish i had this

this should have had a foldable yoga like phone experience as well - that wasn't scrutinized

Sadly most of the keyboard and typing lag you refer to came down to the Android OS, but you can't bite the hand that feeds you...

There is no trackpoint??? Still relying on the touchscreen isn't nice

There are so many solutions out there to fix that clamshell design from the ancient times when tablet laptop hybrids were being crammed down our throats. They should do what Sony did with there clamshell that opens up and slides down over the keyboard or at least what the old xps laptops did.

just get a GPD pocket

Remember the Sony Vaio P? The difference is the touchscreen and mouse.

Keyboard is no different to the Psion 5's. Business productivity is possible with many apps like the Planet Notes app and agendacalendar+. I use a Smart Watch so don't to worry about calls notification and BT headset for calls.

Custom Debian OS would sell this like hotcakes.

looks quite cheapbut the phone part look good... but chromebooks or yogabooks look better or evan a tablet and a bluetooth keyboard

why couldn't one have been able to flip the screen around like a laptop convertable

There are quite a few bluetooth keyboards that are pretty small. Team one up with your smartphone. But some of the comments I might be missing the point of this device.

Design and powerfull weasome

Ill still be looking to apple for a light weight, compact and portable computer.

Index finger typers FTW!

Pc gaming phone of the future?

Can you write just as well on an on-screen keyboard? Sure, but then you got an onscreen keyboard covering at least half your screen =)

Good review anyway.

Dosbox with this...

they should have thought more about those keys, they should have used even thinner, completely flat keys, that do not touch rim to rim but instead have some space inbetween so that they are easier to distinguish from one another, they need to be back lit and operate with a light but distinct click. the space bar should be longer. it is not only the size that makes a keyboard great, take the excellent experience the latest Blackberry gives its users, they manege that on half the size this thing takes. i even start thinking that if you are making something that has a small keyboard, it might just as well be (nearly) tiny, if only it is implemented well, as the user will have to adapt to it anyway. and, if it is (intended as) a phone, if course it must have some type of screen on the outside! also they easily could have gone for very good speakers, it is not as if they don't exist. i personally have switched from Samsung with its ever occurring crashes to using French / Chinese Alcatel smartphone models (mainly types that already were launched 2 years ago) because besides them being just as good an experience (minus just a few tiny software quirks they can't get right, but nobody's perfect) the types of them i use have that rare front facing stereo speakers that all great producers have omitted to give us, and they simply are the best sounding and loudest you can imagine.. beside, they are ab-so-lu-te-ly tiny. so, there is no excuse for planet not building some better speakers that do not sound tinny into their device, Alcatel which sold and sells their top models for a third or maybe even a quarter of the price a Samsung would cost, and still these are excellent, quality devices. Alcatel could not spend nearly as much cash on their designs ~ and yet, they could do it!

do they not learn from the destiny of blackberry?

Strange, as the Blackberry keyboards prove that it can be good even in a small form factor

Idgaf I love this and want to support products like this

It should have a trackpoint.

Can you touch the screen???

Rupess kitna he

But can it play Doom ?

this thing is my moist dream

I'd adore this thing if the Keyone Didn't exist. But the keyone does, and it does the phone with a keyboard much better.

GPD Pocket way more practical

No..... I have wished for a full QWERTY phone for so long (I miss my Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro!), but this keyboard is totally wrong! The size is too big for being a hand held qwerty, but it is so small that you can't use it comfortably as a laptop-substitute. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro had the perfect size to performance ratio; I could touch-type (yes, touch type) on that device with very fast speeds, considering you use only two thumbs. Both LG and Motorola had some good contenders in this area too.

An impractical keyboard i think i will stick with my android tablet even though it is bigger .

This need more improvement to become the next gen of nokia e 90

My heart is broken...i really want it to work ... But i dont get it ...why are companies coming up with new devices just to add a keyboard? Even blackberry... Isnt it rather better to add a detachable multipurpose vertical or horizontal keyboard that you can connect to your existing phone. And when i say multipurpose i mean this keyboard can add extra space, shortcuts etc almost like different modules ...problem solved.

All google thought like that before iphone. So much for long speeches about intellect.

As it comes with a build-in keyboard, I expect this to become a RDP terminal horse...

Use it with a talking bluetooth earpeice.

unless it runs windows

Remove the keyboard and turn it into a screen. Then maybe you can use it as an optional keyboard.

Look at this guy who doesn't pause KZfaq with the 'K' key! LOOK AT HIM AND LAUGH! I bet he doesn't even jump forward and back 10 seconds with 'J' and 'L'!!

Robin Williams would have loved this on his trip with the family

How could you possibly touch type on a keyboard so small? You can't it's impossible. I'd say it's more than a challenge ;-)

The junk keyboard is the deal breaker. Might as well just bring along a full size keyed bluetooth keyboard and use that with whatever device you already have.

Use K Key On The Keyboard Instead Of Space Bar To Pause KZfaq Videos.

They look like old texting phones

Needs a bigger keyboard.

M Y E Y E S

Look like an old blueberry or whatever those berry phones were.

my current phone can do what it does and it smaller sleeker lighter

why are products like this even made in times like this

Lol. You can't blame apps like KZfaq not being optimized on the device! It's just stupid that the market has shifted towards these impractical touchscreen keyboards.

it's called a Palmtop

I don't get making an entire device just to get this sort of functionality... See, if you want a really tight integration between portable keyboard and a smartphone, a better idea would be to just build a keyboard that fits perfectly with a given popular model of smartphone. Something less horrible than the generic chinese folder style keyboard cases that uses some elastic bands and plastic clips for the corner. I'm sure someone could come up with something better with proper design.