New keyboard phones coming

[ObjectivelyIncorrect 0]

I'm looking to buy a new phone with a physical keyboard, and was wondering how this compares to the Cosmo communicator, as I'm currently deciding whether to get the pro1 or wait for the upcoming Planet Computers Astroslide, which looks similar to the Cosmo. I've heard people on the forum say that the pro1 is much better than the cosmo, but I was wondering why. Is it mainly down to the typing experience and thumb typing vs typing with multiple fingers?

 

[EskeRahn 5,427]

3 hours ago, ObjectivelyIncorrect said:

I'm looking to buy a new phone with a physical keyboard, and was wondering how this compares to the Cosmo communicator, as I'm currently deciding whether to get the pro1 or wait for the upcoming Planet Computers Astroslide, which looks similar to the Cosmo. I've heard people on the forum say that the pro1 is much better than the cosmo, but I was wondering why. Is it mainly down to the typing experience and thumb typing vs typing with multiple fingers?

 

Pros and cons, a lot has to do to usage pattern. If you primarilly are going to use the keyboard on a table and not handheld. Planet's models might be interesting. Search for Cosmo or Astro or Astroslide in this forum. I have listed a few alternatives here (yet to be updated on the Astroslide)

[netman 1,424]

I've only played with Cosmo for a while but own Pro1, my observations from that:

Pro1: faster nicer SoC, smaller form factor, only really suitable for thumb typing but really nice feeling keyboard. Definitely my favorite of the two because I primarily want to use it where I don't have a table to sit it on and type with thumbs. Also the way it snaps open/closed just makes me feel happy. The curved screen is the biggest downside in my opinion, it's harder to protect and more prone to impacts due to covering two sides of the front with glass.

Cosmo: sadly mediatek SoC, very big phone, keyboard more suitable to 10 finger typing because of key size and type (much bigger travel when pressing) F and J keys are lacking identifying nub, keys are very prone to toppling over when not pressed straight down, thumb typing possible but not nice. Also I find the keyboard layout weird but you'd probably get used to that fast enough.

Build quality seems better on the Pro1 yet you can close Cosmo and have the screen not exposed which probably makes it less fragile than Pro1 in that mode. It's really up to preferences what is the best one for you though.

[Kzin 31]

I don't get this thumb typing thing... Have never used just my thumbs on the pro 1, or my old D4 for that matter, it would be so slow.

 

From reading about the Cosmo on other places seems the software has many bugs... sorry, many more bugs.

 

 

[Rob. S. 1,647]

1 hour ago, Kzin said:

I don't get this thumb typing thing... Have never used just my thumbs on the pro 1, or my old D4 for that matter, it would be so slow.

So you use your fingers – but then you always have to have some kind of support to put the device on? Me, I often need to type with the device in my hands, and I wouldn't know how to do it other than with my thumbs, or maybe with one hand holding it and the other typing, which is even less comfortable than by thumb...

[brunoais 334]

3 hours ago, Rob. S. said:

So you use your fingers – but then you always have to have some kind of support to put the device on? Me, I often need to type with the device in my hands, and I wouldn't know how to do it other than with my thumbs, or maybe with one hand holding it and the other typing, which is even less comfortable than by thumb...

I think the idea he mentions is to treat it as a micro laptop

[Muth 132]

I had the Gemini, not the cosmo. However my opinion is the Pro1 is far more useful to me.

TL;DR

My Gemini is fragile, the hinge is plastic, and will eventually break ( and I'm taking good care of my devices ). The metallic plates are locked in place by tiny asperities in the plastic body. This is ageing fast and I start to loose the metal plates just by opening the device. The only good thing is the screen is protected when closed, but, the keys leave marks on it, as the screen is in contact with the keyboard. So use a screen protector film... There is two usbC port, but only one can be used to charge the battery, so better remember which one, or check each time... 

It is a nightmare to use the phone. To answer a call, there is a button. Which works some time. To make a call, you have to open the device, dial, and then close it. When you close it, half of the time it closes the phone app, ending the call... 

There is no camera. I bought the add-on, it is really bad. So I never used it, and anyway after a month it start to fail in a way I have to remove it to let the phone boot. (hardware corruption?)

The keyboard is fine. It is quite tiny to use the 10 fingers, I needs to be on a table. However I had trouble to setup international behavior.

It has GPS and accelerometers , but it does not have a compass (due to iron shells and cover magnets ?) A bit annoying when you like to use astro map in point of view mode.

On the software part it is very light, even the notification leds app is not finished. Anyway Planet give up the Gemini once they start to work on the Cosmo. So I feel betrayed and abandoned with the bugs. As now they are working on the Astrothing, I hope they're not giving up the Cosmo...

To conclude, to my usage, the Pro1 is far more superior and useful. 

[andrepereira1768 7]

I have both devices, and if you can over look the flaws on both phones it boils down to how much you need to use your phone in portrait. Of the 5 main apps I use 3 are only portrait compatable, so the pro 1 is my daily device and my cosmo is used for my word documents, as I find it a better device to type on, it also has a Pound sign which the pro 1 doesn't unless you install keyboard apps, which for me kind of defeats the purpose of a keyboard phone. the keyboard should be fully functional and not have basic symbols missing, but thats my view. So you need to ask your self that question. How much will I use the phone in portrait. The astro slide will adress this issue and can be used in portrait with the phone closed, unlike the cosmo which is held like a book in portrait.

[EskeRahn 5,427]

1 hour ago, andrepereira1768 said:

it also has a Pound sign which the pro 1 doesn't unless you install keyboard apps, which for me kind of defeats the purpose of a keyboard phone

Strictly the FinQwerty is not an active app, it just present a stack of pre-designed layouts for the system to present the user to pick from,
If your system is rooted, you can alternatively copy in the relevant files, and will not need the app...

[Craig 1,435]

Exactly.  Finqwerty is just layouts.  Don't feel bad about using them, cuz the layouts included don't even let you type slash.

Fxtec is taking forever to fix this basic stuff.  It's all been reported by users since November.   And the lack of slash key was complained about years ago, by me for example.

All this stuff is resolved in Lineage the way stock should have done it.  Including easy ways to type £ - that "SYM" key for example that isn't used with stock.  Nobody knows why stock is taking so long to fix software issues that were reported in November/December, even those with solution provided - like the keyboard fix that was incorporated in March, that was resolved in December by users.  We know how to enable sticky shift or fix the audio crackle or use international layouts, each only one simple line of text somewhere - I think Eske was posting about what was needed to enable sticky shift long time ago, and tdm figured out the magic line to fix sound, and to use the included layouts effectively we just need a key assigned to right-alt.  We also know how to enable global shortcuts with bookmarks, just make a meta key.  Half the problems arent even complicated, just not yet resolved in stock, cuz the people who made stock for us had no clue how a keyboard phone is supposed to work or how to use all the built in Android features that have been here forever.   Doing wierd things like sending keyboard codes for opening the slider or hardcoding pressing the camera button, all things that have predefined stuff in Android they just needed to utilize.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Craig

[EskeRahn 5,427]

3 hours ago, Craig said:

Exactly.  Finqwerty is just layouts.  Don't feel bad about using them, cuz the layouts included don't even let you type slash.

Fxtec is taking forever to fix this basic stuff.  It's all been reported by users since November.   And the lack of slash key was complained about years ago, by me for example.

All this stuff is resolved in Lineage the way stock should have done it.  Including easy ways to type £ - that "SYM" key for example that isn't used with stock.  Nobody knows why stock is taking so long to fix software issues that were reported in November/December, even those with solution provided - like the keyboard fix that was incorporated in March, that was resolved in December by users.  We know how to enable sticky shift or fix the audio crackle or use international layouts, each only one simple line of text somewhere - I think Eske was posting about what was needed to enable sticky shift long time ago, and tdm figured out the magic line to fix sound, and to use the included layouts effectively we just need a key assigned to right-alt.  We also know how to enable global shortcuts with bookmarks, just make a meta key.  Half the problems arent even complicated, just not yet resolved in stock, cuz the people who made stock for us had no clue how a keyboard phone is supposed to work or how to use all the built in Android features that have been here forever.   Doing wierd things like sending keyboard codes for opening the slider or hardcoding pressing the camera button, all things that have predefined stuff in Android they just needed to utilize.

I too find it a bit odd that the keyboard being the number one selling point for the Pro1, I would have expected the software for it had be giving a lot more care before it hit the streets.
On the first for other readers, you are talking the wish for a DEDICATED slash key, it is not that we can not get a slash (Fn+P for qwertY and Fn+7 for qwertZ )

[SchattengestaIt 559]

On 4/13/2020 at 9:34 AM, Kzin said:

I don't get this thumb typing thing... Have never used just my thumbs on the pro 1, or my old D4 for that matter, it would be so slow.

I had up to 320 keystrokes on the Droid 4 and Photon Q while having around 400-450 at the laptop. I don't know really know how, but you can type pretty fast with your thumbs only. I personally couldn't imagine getting more than 150 keystrokes with such a small keyboard on a table. So again it's all about preference.

And I'm curious: how many fingers can you actually use on a Droid 4 or Pro1? 

I'd also say that you have a much better feeling where your keys are. I regularly typed below a table or a jacket without getting many typos (and when I did I knew). I don't know how much different that would be with a pocket PC.

 

 

[Kzin 31]

On 4/16/2020 at 4:39 AM, SchattengestaIt said:

I had up to 320 keystrokes on the Droid 4 and Photon Q while having around 400-450 at the laptop. I don't know really know how, but you can type pretty fast with your thumbs only. I personally couldn't imagine getting more than 150 keystrokes with such a small keyboard on a table. So again it's all about preference.

And I'm curious: how many fingers can you actually use on a Droid 4 or Pro1? 

I'd also say that you have a much better feeling where your keys are. I regularly typed below a table or a jacket without getting many typos (and when I did I knew). I don't know how much different that would be with a pocket PC.

 

 

Sorry let me re phrase that, "thumbs would be slow for me".

I am not fast on any keyboard, never learned to touch type, I use a dvorak on my PC at home.

I have never owned a screen only phone, so never used thumbs on the screen, so never got into that habit. Also on the screen I make to many errors.

when on the move I have the phone in one hand & type with the other.

on A bench I use both hands but probably only use 3 or four fingers most of the time, the same as I do on a full size key board.

[hka 131]

Thought this might interest people here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200819005202/en/OnwardMobility-Announces-Agreements-BlackBerry-Foxconn-Subsidiary-FIH

[Tsunero 209]

Ehh...I am pretty sceptic considering how BB's last deal went with TCL (from lack of updates to extremely bad build quality everything went wrong, I wonder who remembers the fall out screens on the Key1...), also the "magic security" is bollocks and only shortens the phone's lifespan by a huge amount because you can't even unlock the bootloader.

[michael.bosscha 142]

Meh. I don't think we should be bothered by it. It'll probably be the same form factor as we've come to get used from BB. It being a slider phone is a chance of 1 in a million...

[OliverTypes 152]

Good news for the BB lovers, I guess.

[EskeRahn 5,427]

Let us hope for those preferring the keyboard in the wrong direction that this will be something less humongous that the Titan.

The larger the variation the larger a target audience that can get what suits their needs.

[FlyingAntero 869]

If it is something like this concept below, I might be interested. Otherwise I am looking for Pro2.

[stavers 9]

I am definitely looking forward to that with baited breath.

I'm loving my Key2 (although I do miss the display of the Priv) so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.  I would certainly buy a 5G capable Priv2 in a heartbeat.

[_DW_ 628]

5 hours ago, stavers said:

I am definitely looking forward to that with baited breath.

I'm loving my Key2 (although I do miss the display of the Priv) so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.  I would certainly buy a 5G capable Priv2 in a heartbeat.

If they do a Priv 2 I may be tempted by it.  I only got a key1 because priv specs are poor.  do like the key1 keyboard.

[v6ak 4]

I really liked the KeyOne/KeyTwo form. It is small enough to control with a single hand. Yes, it is a trade-off, like everything else.

On security – there is nothing specific revealed. It might be a marketing bs or a real thing, we don't know (yet). At minimum, I expect protection against known threats, i.e., monthly security updates. This is not unique (for example Pixel and Nokia phones have monthly security updates for three years), but I consider it as a minimum. Without this, I am not going to take seriously any security claim. We'll see. We also have yet to see the support period.

Verified boot might be another useful security feature (and even this isn't unique). Having a verified boot implies locked bootloader, but it doesn't imply non-unlockable bootloader.

I am curious about other security features. Maybe it can wipe after 10 failed PIN attempts, as the Android-based BlackBerries do.

[npatel1050 132]

Really hoping this is true. More options is always a good thing, whether you like the form factor or not

[internationaltraitor 84]

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/astro-slide-5g-transformer#/

[CornholioGSM 309]

...yess...information about this new planet smartphone is approx 3 months old.

For me it looks on pics really good BUT i have two or maybe three problems with it.

1...size...it will be larger than FX...and fx is for me large

2...mediatek...as on all planet phones

3...all planet phones looks cheap...it is like really (really) good madded keyboard glued together with cheap phone like from lenovo 😞

...soo all good on planet is keyboard....psion keyboard :)...but maybe this new phone will be better i dont know

EDIT....this new sliding mechanism will be really good...you can use large 5row buttons on approx "small" phone.

Question is about wackling rattling etc

Edited August 30, 2020 by CornholioGSM