Planet Computers hopes to release its second laptop/smartphone in June, and the company is showing off some prototypes at the Consumer Electronics Show.
The Cosmo Communicator is basically an updated version of the Gemini PDA, which was released last year. Like its predecessor, it's a clamshell device that you can open to reveal a 6-inch touchscreen and a physical keyboard. Closed, you can use it as a phone. Opened, you can use it as an incredibly small laptop, which in addition to Android, can also run Linux software.
But the new model has a faster processor, more RAM, a backlit keyboard, and a second screen that lets you do more without opening the device.
The company is working on techniques to improve its device to offer users a better experience.
On the front of the Cosmo is a 2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, which you can use to view the time, date and weather, notifications, text messages, incoming phone calls or other information. You can also use this screen to control media playback without opening the device.
Above the screen is a 24MP camera that acts as a selfie camera when the Cosmo is closed or a regular camera when the flip is open. Below this small screen is a fingerprint sensor that also acts as a button to answer a phone call.
Currently, Planet Computers is showing prototypes with displays. However, touch input is not yet working, so for now it's a matter of a set of different types of information that could theoretically be displayed on the small screen.
The company hopes to have everything ready in time to start rolling out the phone/computer this summer, to users who backed its crowdfunding campaign that started last year.
If you missed the campaign, you can still order it on Indiegogo for $569 and up. You probably won't get anything until June, but that's still a significant discount from the $799 price tag. And while there are never any guarantees when it comes to a crowdfunding project, the fact that Planet Computers has already released a laptop before suggests it could do it again.
The Cosmo Communicator is powered by an Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P70 processor and features 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 4,220 mAh battery, and a 6-inch, 2160 x 1080 pixel primary display.
It will support Android 9 and Linux, has a headphone jack and stereo speakers, a microSD card slot, two USB Type-C ports, a 5MP camera, and the system will support Android 9 and Linux.
Planet Computers says it also recently received Google Mobile Services certification for Android 8.1 on its Gemini PDA, so you can expect a software update for this device soon.
