Planet Gemini Review: A Tiny Computer With Big Ideas
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- Опубліковано 22 бер 2018
- Normally when I review a product, the question I’m trying to answer is whether it’s worth the asking price. But the Planet Gemini PDA was crowdfunded, willed into existence by almost 6,000 people pooling over $2 million on Indiegogo so that Planet Computers could build a modern version of the classic Psion PDA.
Not ringing a bell? That's okay; the Psion only achieved wide popularity in Europe, and that was a long time ago. Still, the Psion captured many hearts by virtue of its legendary QWERTY keyboard - a keyboard faithfully reproduced by the folks at Planet and mated with a smartphone/tablet to become the Planet Gemini PDA.
Is it a smartphone? A tiny computer? A revived personal organizer? Bits of all three, really ... and I'd be doubtful for its prospects out in the "real world" but for the little detail of its fully-funded status. So now that Planet Gemini devices are rolling off the assembly line and into eager buyers' hands, let's take a look at how it performs out in the real world! Join me for the Planet Gemini review on MrMobile!
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[ABOUT MRMOBILE'S PLANET GEMINI REVIEW]
MrMobile's Planet Gemini Review was produced following two weeks with a Planet Gemini review device. The unit was tested in Barcelona, Spain and Boston, MA, USA on T-Mobile US.
[LINKS]
Planet Gemini PDA [Indiegogo]:
mrmobile.tech/4hy
Planet Gemini PDA forums at OESF:
mrmobile.tech/4ms
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“Escapade” by Vincent Tone, available at Premium Beat:
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“Tidal Lines” by Ryan Carlson, available at Premium Beat:
www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-f...
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[DISCLOSURE]
This post may contain affiliate links. See Mobile Nations' disclosure policy for more details: www.mobilenations.com/external... - Наука та технологія
I don't need this but I really want this.
Damn you tiny electronics!
Tell me about it. I bought ASUS VivoMini VC66
True!
I was thinking the same thing Kevin!!😂😂
coding in the airplane without having to worry about reaching my backpack... here we go!
Did you get one? They’re 40% off now
The cool thing is that the people who want this were able to get it. I don't think it's for me, but it's nice that it exists at all.
These used to be called palmtops back in the early 90s
Isn't PDA's back in the were used mainly for internet?i remember watching LGR review about his PDA.. Can't remember what model tho..
Fantastic review as always, such an interesting and quirky little device. I love how it keeps the style and form of the old Psion/Jornada devices instead of trying to reinvent what wasn't really broken.
Very much looking forward to your re-review of this little thing.
Great review! Hopefully more unusual devices like these will come to market. Smartphones has gotten stale in general.
Hoping to have version 2.0 of that device.
I'm so glad this is actually selling well!!! So tired of the same ol square brick. Wanted this years ago!
Side note, the audio of your videos is amazing. The depth is spot on
I ordered one of these this week. Looking forward to it! It’s already a future classic. I’ve owned many Nokia Communicators and have been waiting years for a modern replacement. This is it!
Roddzy Yes communicators, my all time favourite device after Ngage
Roddzy garbage
Capperboy 600 your portrait picture on you dp looks nice.
Kshitij Jhalak glad you like it
@@sy-en damn, I still have an N900 laying around.
I had the PSION Organizer II back in 1987, with a bunch of EPROMs. The times sure have changed.
Reminds me of the Communicator 9500. Boy do I love the phone. Great Review buddy!
your videos are always great, keep up all the good work man :)
I love your optimistic outlook on the tech world. Many tech/review channels these days would either not even notice these more unique devices or bash them for being unnecessary and “less than the best”. You seem to give everything an honest go and recognize that not everyone wants a perfectly trimmed latest-and-greatest samsung or such. thanks for being such a fair and thorough reviewer.
Man, your videos are so nice.Your voice coupled with informative reviews make is simply awesome! Love from India.
Great review! Love your content!
Your videos are always on point. Love the unique tech you cover. I’m always looking for my dailydealinMobileDevice.
Solid review. Good coverage. A well-earned thumbs-up!
Hands down always delivers the best reviews!
Reminds me of the Vaio P series. (I'm merely talking about how it looks, and how it's a small "laptop" that I can carry around with one hand. I owned a P series, that's why.)
reminds me of a crappy Android with a keyboard tacked on... because that's ALL it is,
unlokia whoa chill dude.
unlokia
Not exactly though. Maybe try watching the whole video.
not talking about the features. Just the way it looks. It's a small, sleek device with a full qwerty keyboard. And I had a P series vaio. I could also have said nokia 9500 or 9300 but I didn't have those. Soooo there.😂
Nripan Nath yeah it's a pretty neat gadget. I doubt it'll be available where I am though. But I'd consider getting one for sure.😄
Thanks for the official subtiles. I really appreciated. Nice product, I want one now.
i was just replaying doom 3 bfg edition and missed how you use a pda to collect information across the game and wondered when pdas will ever make a comeback then i see this video pop up!😂😂😂
I will now install doom on mine...
Interesting product, great idea! Had a chance to check it out at MWC.
It is videos on new, old products that makes you the best techtuber. Keep up the gr8... stuff!
How dare you for making such great videos and not only is your cinematography amazing but you voice is so great how could you.
When You bought a crowdfunded product.. well, let's hope for the best
Dave Elzacky actually there are many good crowdfunded products, but you mostly
hear about fraudulent ones.
The prudent approach would be to expect the worst, and you'd rarely be disappointed.
Triple like for showing "Executive Decision" I loved that movie.😆
Hmd should consider a rebirth for the Nokia E90 Communicator with something like that.
AK16 Ahmed I miss symbian. I had an N95 was such a great device.
My thoughts exactly! A rebirth of a Nokia E90 would be greatly welcomed that in my opinion was the ultimate productivity machine.....and it's keyboard lit up!
Reminds me of the N900, especially since that one could run linux too.
@@mdo agree, I had a a 9500 communicator and also the n900. Great devices.
Great video! Thanks taking a look at these odd products!
I was eager to hear from you on the Gemini!
A very interesting, and well-made review! I’m one of the admins of the OESF forum, so thanks also for mentioning us and my post, much appreciated :)
Michael, I really like this and did see this when they showed it off and I definitely wanted to see the Review on it.To me its different and I like that but I'm also with you want to see them get the Kinks out before I decide to make the Move.Here's wishing them the best because they have my interest.Thanks for sharing Deb.👌✌
Wow! As an anesthesiology resident I can seriously see this being handy for documenting cases while being small enough to fit inside the pocket.
I like how you give gadgets like this a look, instead of only focussing on the big players :)
Nice review. Glad to see umpc devices are coming back. I recently purchased a GPD Pocket(Win10) which I'm very happy with and I've been using my Moto Z Play phone(3510 mah battery) with several mods. Great combo all around.
I remember the Nokia Communicator ❤️
Love your videos man!
I have been waiting for this review, thanks MrMobile
Dude, in the middle of this review I feel like I've heard you voice before (spoiler: I haven't). I thought for a second, and then it dawned on me that your voice brought back memories of listening to the 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris narated by Ray Porter.
Great Review btw. I almost doubled back at the start because something about listeninng to someone without seeing them was weird, but then the cinematography pulled me back.
Keep it up!
Oh hell yeah ive been waiting for this since you first showed it
Great music as always, good video.
This device has great potential. Thanks for your review
Subbed for the “some one set us up the bomb” reference alone
I can't wait for the rearview. If the quality control is tightened up I would be very interested in one of these.
No offense to mkbhd, but I think you’re reviews are a lot better than his. The touch of humor you add make a huge difference!
2003JrF4i MKBHD only cares about specs and nothing ELSE. While MM cares about EXPERIENCE with the device.
2003JrF4i t true.
also 60fps add a lot
MrMobile has the best prewritten and narrated video reviews.
MKBHD reviews are done more off the cuff and are naturally spoken.
Not saying one is better than the other though: just that they have different styles.
i ilke them both
Awesome background music choice! ❤
Great review!!
Awesome work
God damn, I want this kind of product to take off. I just want to be able to switch from Android to linux (or even run both side-by-side if they rely on the same kernel) so I can actually get work done on my phone if I "dock" it with my monitor/keyboard station. I see no reason we shouldn't be able to carry computers in our pockets. It's technically feasible--has been for a while. Why the market has not generated this sort of device, with immense proliferation, blows my mind. My Atrix 4G was a small taste of this idea. That was in 2011. Why the hell is it 2018 and we /still/ don't have a consumer-ready computer like this?
I want the Gemini to do extremely well. I really hope the best for it, and I hope their future revisions encapsulate this idea better.
Thanks for the review, Mobile Fisher. Your content's always top-notch, and you always get your hands on the most interesting stuff.
Just want to say that I thought this content was a bit tacky to begin with, but I found that your approach and the quality improved throughout the video. Specifically, to the point I've left this comment and have now subscribed. I'm not sure why it had a 'tacky' feel to it in the beginning, but you certainly brought it home.
excellent video as always
I liked the "Captain 2 phones" plug you used to do at the end of your old videos on that "other" channel.
Had a Psion - would love to get one of these with colour display. Psion had a stylus - would be very nice if this one has one as well.
I was wondering what phone this was when i saw it on ig.
I was hoping more of this review 😌
I used to have a Psion 5, i loved it.. it was my everyday Carry, until my PC didn't have an RS 232 Port anymore, and telephones lacked an IR port..
Back in 2002, I used it in the workshop for machining calculations for setting up CNC machines, when doing maintenance (valve adjustment), the spreadsheet was a great tool to calculate the correct size of the adjuster shims, i just measured valve play, entered that in the spreadsheet, along with the current shim size, the correct shim sizes were then calculated, i hooked it up to my PC, to print the "Shopping list"
When on the road, i used it for e-mailing, when stuck in a traffic jam, did some webbrowsing and things, wrote texts and other things like that..
Back then.. that was still very special.. being able to connect to the internet and browse websites wherever you were..
Now off course, that is all possible with our smartphones and tablets.. they lack one important thing however.. a KEYBOARD.. that is why i got to have one of these.. this is basically the Psion 5 on Android.. Connect to your PC over Wifi, USB or Bluetooth, browse websites, do text editing, Spreadsheets.
Coupled with Cloudbased files, you can work wherever you want, just as functional as a laptop, but it starts up way faster, and it fits in your pocket.. i mean.. what is not to like about these devices?..
Love your videos been with you since you started Mr mobile you are great
Good video Michael! My opinion would be to get rid of those massive bezels, install a keyboard backlight and put it together in the UK [currently "Made in UK, assembled in China"]. Then I would definitely pick one up!
To be completely honest, I wouldn't mind if the unit was a little bigger too. I also like the thought of a Linux variant!
P.S
I don't know if this is of any concern, but the barcodes at 01:13 aren't pixelated out.
I think it's assembled in UK and parts are made in China, just like 99% of electronics.
Yeah! I was thinking of getting one, but decided I should wait for a second generation model first.
The Gemini is actually assembled in China as well. They placed a large post about it on their Indiegogo page, showing pictures of them in China at the assembly line. I like the idea of the device, but might wait till the 2nd generation.
Hu. Having used a similarily sized Psion s5 as my main laptop+pda for years, I can tell you guys anything bigger would hinder its ultra portability. Means, its extraordinary availability. Back then it took me a month to fully adapt my typing to the device.
Excellent review tho !
A nostalgic unit that I'd love to have :)
Been using this phone for more than 2 months now and I'm probably one of the few who has it in the Philippines. It's not for all and it will not be popular here. Honestly, it's not an ideal daily driver but it is a reliable secondary phone. For someone who uses the phone more on texting, chatting and answering emails, this is a great phone. I am absolutely loving it
This looks pretty cool!
Love your videos
I've ha a Gemini for a few weeks now and I love it
MediaTek? Well, that's a downfall
You seem to have missed the HUGE detractor which is Android, also...
unlokia Go and troll somewhere else....
RoseWolfz Prime cpu good? only the p60 is good, the rest is absolute dogshit
not inherently
Whoops, hit a nerve have I? So, if someone's views don't align with yours, they're a *"troll"* ? gosh, the internet is *SO BINARY* - you know, there's a HUGE array of subtleties of human nature in psychology, but I suppose the lazy person will ALWAYS opt for "troll" because that takes NO thinking.
Awesome cute laptop. Michael great review
I don't need full keyboard but I would love to have that upgradeable camera module slot on my next smartphone
I just gasped when I saw the phones in your mug. Is one of them a...a...can I say it? Palm Webos?!
This product is something that I would never go out of my way to buy. But really appreciate its existence. It shows the beauty of this industry...
Great review, as always! What’s the watch you’re in the video??
The Gemini is certainly a compelling product, but when options from GPD like the Win 2 or the Pocket are the same price but with better specs, it's a hard sell. Countless times, a pocketable linux device would have saved me tons of hassle, but the price of the Gemini is not good enough to sway me from a proper Intel CPU, twice the ram, and a display whose aspect ratio is better suited to coding. The only draw the Gemini offers over a proper palmtop is the integrated smartphone feature set. But when factoring in the cost of the suggest smartwatch, headset, and recognizing the fact that using these features will require Android instead of a proper operating system, it still falls behind as the price of the complete experience pulls ahead.
This seems like the kind of product linux users like me would have wanted five years ago. Nothing else existed on the market. But we now have options, and they all seem more compelling.
It is unlocked and you can install another os if you spend time on it
But, ugh... It's too small...
Honestly, the integrated 4G connection was the kicker for me. I absolutely want a device that has a consistent connection, and don't think it can be fully useful without it. I actually already have all the other accoutrements, and I am okay with using Android on this thing, at least for the time being.
And yes, I bought one and am waiting for it to be built and shipped.
I heard somewhere MacBook pro has LTE, and Thinkpad also
But the investment is high
aldo s Yeah, I have a Thinkpad Helix 2 that has a 4g modem in it. I've tried it out and it works fine, but I generally have a need for smaller things and an 11 inch tablet convertible is right around the top end for something portable for me. This Gemini is likely to be the perfect size for me.
Don't get me wrong, the Gemini will turn my head basically forever until I get one. A few tweaks and in two years the latest model might even replace my V30. Maybe by then I'll have replaced my Pebble Time with a new smartwatch as well (unlikely). But since I already own a V30 and since any palmtop I would use needs to run a proper OS, the pricing requires me to dismiss this as GPD's offerings are more capable. And integrated 4G radios aren't compelling since I already carry my phone around with me always anyway.
I love it ....❤️
Thank you
How did I miss this! I'm all about the weird phones. Though it's missing too much for me to consider, it is cool.
As a eternal widow of the Motorola Milestone 1 (that beast of hardware) I always will wish that some company brings back that phisical keyboard design to 2018.
Hello Michael great honest review and this is greatly appreciated, lets hope PC will focus on the QC and improvement after watching a real unbiased review, what I think would be nice for the next generation is eink on the front cover, a better CPU over Mediatek for better linux support, a dedicated speaker and mic that are not side firing kinda e90 way minus front numerical keyboard ...
Loved the vid, thinking of getting one of these and duel booting it with Kali Linux, may I ask what Smart watch you used to pair with it and the ring on your right hand, is that a NFC smart ring?
This is exactly the kind of device my brother has always wanted.
I had a Psion 3, Psion 3C and Psion Revo way back in the day. They were great little PDAs, and served my purpose perfectly, as pocket-sized PCs. I never had a Psion 5, but always wanted one. The Gemini is an obvious successor to the Psion models, but unfortunately is similarly overpriced as were the Psions. Nevertheless, I'm delighted to see this form factor return, and will be keeping my eye on it with a view to making a purchase in the not too distant future, since that pocket PC niche still isn't quite filled by smartphones or tablets.
Such a warm, lovely review.. see MrMobile, this is what sets your reviews apart-- you try n relate to the core principle behind a product rather than just go for a bland spec-by-spec review..
Nice Information. Thank You.
Ooooh i am liking the unlocked bootloader. Wish more devices would do that, especially tablets.
If they work on it and fix the problems, I might consider buying one. What I think is that having a back camera is essential. Not for social media, but for work. There are moments which you cannot take note of something but take pictures of it. Using front camera for that won't be always suitable.
I don't know about having it as extension but it doesn't sound easy to work with.
And the other thing is the volume buttons. I can't think of some reasons for not including them but none of them has the impact of having them removed totally.
Other tiny problems will be handled in the 2nd gen, I'm sure, if there'll be any. But the ones I mentioned above are necessities.
Hopefully the revision will be amazing.
It looks like Planet Computers took a lot of that to heart. They came out with the Cosmo which added the camera and small external screen, and now seem to be in development of the Astroslide which, as its name implies, has a slide-out keyboard with backlight and a hinge to allow laptop-like orientation, and that seems to have added external volume buttons (it doesn't say but the photos show something that looks like it.) The pricing for all models is on the higher side now. Cosmo is $590 after 30% discount (some versions are higher) while the 40% off the the Gemini brings it to $420 in the 4G version ($350 for WiFi only.)
Great video.
Please do an episode of "When Phones Were Fun" of the Nokia 9000 Communicator series!!!
That was epic groundbreaking tech for the day.
Gen 2 should have a Kindle like outer display, with the keyboard upgraded
Then I will buy one
X-Techi completely agree. Hopefully an e-ink one
Yes, they should use Nokia Communicator design with additional display and some simple phone keys on the front face of the phone. I would definitely buy such device.
Wojciech Patalas I miss my 9300i, hoping another phone with same dimension (but non-bezel display for bigger screen)
They could probably do that with the current version via the slot that is currently used for the outward camera.
Would love a small screen on the front to show notifications or have the keyboard go all the way round.
Your ring is dope
Psion were very popular in USA (Psionusa) as well as Japan. If Planet Computers can get a good foot hold again in these two markets and with Dr David Potter (Godfather and inventor of the PDA and smartphone) the Honorary Chairman. The future looks bright for Planet Computers. Bought into last November, very excited.
It's sad I reached this video late, because the smartphone I loved the most was the glorious N900 with all the features it has like 10 years ago, including the keyboard (BTW backlighted) 32GB + microSD and much more!
Excellent video dude. If it had Windows C Shell operating Windows 10 I would be prone to purchase it. But the design definitely needs some more work .. hopefully Microsoft can do a foldable display device that looks sharp and feels just as it looks
Backlight keyboard is a MUST.
Way cool... I don't need, but great to see something new.
The 2nd and 3rd iteration will be amazing
I thought, FINALLY something to replace my RadioShack TRS-80 Model 100, but no. The Model 100 from 1984 STILL has the best keyboard ever.
Oh what ring is that you were wearing
i was trying to figure it out also. Maybe a NFC ring?
Three years later I'm waiting with excitement for the Transfomer, their 3rd offering.
OMG, the nostalgia!
I remember my Psion 5 MX with fondness. Used it during my training and carried it everywhere. Brilliant device, but I wonder at its utility today. What’s the use case?
I really like the idea of this phone. The next gen needs to have a swivel screen so it can be used as a regular phone, but other than that if they can build a more premium chassis and tweak it to be more useful for everyday use, it think it could be a popular phone.
Always the best!
I would shell out for this just to have an unlocked bootloader! And the other features are nice also!
I'll keep an eye on this one.