Gemini Cosmo - On Indiegogo


I have it - packaging was top notch and very cool. Didn't have time to do any pics because I had to grab it off my own porch and run back to work.

I have been fiddling with it a bit desk side.

I've transferred the SIM from my Google Fi LGV35ThinQ phone. Voice, data working fine. The Google Fi application itself where I get to see my family's data usage - that one app doesn't work so much yet. It refuses to properly register. I'll have to fiddle with that more later - maybe on the Google Fi website.

Typing is at least as good as it was on my Gemini. Maybe even a bit better.

Battery life - I've gone through 40% of the battery inside of 4 hours - but then I've been abusing it quite a bit and haven't charged it fully yet. Just using it on the charge it had when it came out of the box 4 hours ago.

I was able to get Blackberry UEM running on it fine - which means this device will be able to be used for corporate work.

All in all? Top notch device. It is HEAVY compared to my old LG phone - but I have a Gemini too so I knew what that would be about.

When closed it -looks- like the worlds biggest bezzel smart phone. That small screen on the back looks like it has GIANT bezels.

Opening and closing the device has a bit more resistance to it and 'snaps' a bit harder than the Gemini did.

Fingerprint reader works! Having this is a big thing for many of us.

There is a lot to this phone. One of the first things I had to do is to lower the volume and screen brightness to tolerable levels AND turn off keyboard key sounds AND keyboard keys vibration. I'm not sure who would want those on - the keys themselves give plenty of tactile and audible feedback.
 
Going along pretty well so far. Another setting to take care of right quick is in the display settings to bring the icon size down so that the screen becomes 6 apps wide by 5 tall. It defaults to 5x4 - which is OK if you like playing with crayons.

I also have encountered my, 'first frustration'.
On the Gemini, my phone, most modern Android devices, you can long press an app then drag it onto another to create a folder to group apps in. That isn't working for me. Not sure if there is a hidden setting somewhere I have to change.
Post automatically merged:

Wow - just figured my way out of the whole creating groups/folders of apps.

I can do this - but only within the confines of the "Navigation Bar" - which can only hold 5 icons to begin with.

So, to create folders of apps, first remove a few icons for things you want in the notification bar on the right - then drag one of the ones you want to group into the notification bar - then drag another one for that grouping on top of that IN the notification bar. It works there - just not on the main desktop - which is a bit weird.
 
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Sounds good!
Still waiting for mine (2XX Range) but Germany is a bit later than the US.
Is the space bar better than the Gemini?
Really looking forward to the backlit keyboard and the camera!
 
For those of you following along - Google Fi - seems to work fine so long as you never try to install the Google Fi application. Installing it scraps being able to send SMS messaging. It took me four hard factory resets to figure out exactly what app was causing the issue. At least for now, if you're using Google Fi as a carrier with a Planet Cosmo, the Google Fi application that lets you track your data usage is a road to misery.

I'm in the process of re-installing everything and figuring out all the settings to adjust - again. At least I can receive and send SMS again now.
 
Grench said:
I also have encountered my, 'first frustration'.
On the Gemini, my phone, most modern Android devices, you can long press an app then drag it onto another to create a folder to group apps in. That isn't working for me. Not sure if there is a hidden setting somewhere I have to change.
Click to expand...

You may like to change default home app. With wonderful keyboard available, KISS launcher or T-UI will be delight to use.

Congratulations on getting COSMO :)
 
Google search bar taking up a 5 icon wide chunk of real estate IS annoying. I am considering getting an alternate launcher. Does anyone have a favorite that works well on a default landscape device?

Oh, and I am touch typing this, in the dark, on my Cosmo.
 
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Grench said:
Google search bar taking up a 5 icon wide chunk of real estate IS annoying. I am considering getting an alternate launcher. Does anyone have a favorite that works well on a default landscape device?
Click to expand...

Nova Launcher is great. Have to pay for some features but it's mostly free.
 
I still use ADW.Launcher on FDroid... though I don't think it's been updated for a long time.

Though lo-and-behold. I did a search for it and V2 came up here (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.adw.launcher&hl=en_US)
Funnily enough, the description says:
You may think the original and best launcher of all time has not been updated, because people assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it’s more like we released this update 3 years ago and you didn’t realize. Don’t worry, we understand not everyone has…1.21 gigawatts!! to spend
Click to expand...
lol
 
Since everything is a keyboard thread, and this of course has a keyboard...

Something some of you might find interesting. The Cosmo has a series of hidden keyboard shortcuts on the Shift+Fn layer.

Shift+Fn+R = Rotaate
Shift+Fn+N = Keyboard Backlight up
Shift+Fn+B = Keyboard Backlight down

Which is very similar to how we laid out the keyboard brightness adjustment on the Pyra, but we did it all on one key.

Having keyboard shortcuts on the Fn+Shift layer works pretty well. There are probably several others that I haven't found yet.
 
The Cosmo is pretty fantastic. The second screen utilizes the lockscreen notification api so most apps have some ability to be controlled or show info on the second screen. The few that don't you just need a few quick hacks to add some functionality (did it to my torrent client and weather to have limited control/info on the front screen)

The keyboard is great.

I get 1+ day of battery even with decent and heavy usage and with the front screen on.

The front screen is a bit laggy and has a couple very minor bugs (marking a text as "read" it tells you to open the device, cant view mms pictures on the front screen, etc) but nothing substantial.

Linux and rooted android just came out. Linux needs some work still but man I am thoroughly enjoying this thing.

Still waiting to get my hdmi adapter, it got caught up in the corona virus but my expectations have been exceeded and as long as that works I will be satisfied.
 
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Good question. I've downloaded the install zip and unpacked the geminus image. Listing the files inside that, I can't find anything in /usr/lib/firmware or usr/share/licenses which is where Arch-linux puts binary blobs, so I don't know where it stored its binary blobs, but nothing has struck me so far as being a binary blob.
 
levi said:
Good question. I've downloaded the install zip and unpacked the geminus image. Listing the files inside that, I can't find anything in /usr/lib/firmware or usr/share/licenses which is where Arch-linux puts binary blobs, so I don't know where it stored its binary blobs, but nothing has struck me so far as being a binary blob.
Click to expand...

It uses libhybris, basically a wrapper for the existing android drivers/blobs in the android partition. Even a "full" linux install will retain those android drivers/blobs.

Hybris - postmarketOS Wiki

wiki.postmarketos.org wiki.postmarketos.org
 
levi said:
Ah, so you can't actually blat the android partition and just run linux then? Disappointing.
Click to expand...

The "full" linux install almost does. It just leaves a minimal android filesystem for the blobs which the linux partition references.

The good news is full hardware support because of the android drivers, the bad news is still android drivers.

Based on the minimal development for the gemini I don't expect that to change either.

At some point i may build a new android kernel since Google's drops some of the stuff i use like iptables.
 
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