Tiny Android, Linux laptop--dual-screen phone

In 2017, Planet Computers had a crack at reviving the Psion-like personal digital assistants (PDAs) of the 1990s and, with the help of UK designer Martin Riddiford, developed the Gemini PDA, six-inch display with a QWERTY keyboard.

Now Planet Computers has announced the Cosmo Communicator, which draws on the PDAs like the Psion Series 5, Nokia Communicator, and Sharp Netwalker.

Like the Gemini, the Cosmo was designed by Riddiford's consultancy, Therefore, and it appears to address some of the shortcomings of the Gemini in calling and taking photos, which meant it complete failure as a mobile phone replacement.

The Gemini only had one five-megapixel camera, and needed to be open when making a call.

To solve the practical problem of using the device to make calls, Cosmo Communicator is equipped with a second 2-inch touch screen on the front so that users can make calls without opening the device.

It retains the original 6-inch screen for work tasks while the keyboard has backlighting.

While keeping the 5-megapixel camera inside, the Cosmo is also equipped with a 240-megapixel external camera on top of the 2-inch screen and a new fingerprint reader located below it.

The Cosmo runs on an octa-core Mediatek P70 processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage.

It has 4G and Wi-Fi support, two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 4,220mAh battery. It comes with Android 9.0, but it can also run Linux.

Since its launch on Monday, Planet Computers has raised more than twice its $200,000 target for Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns. The Gemini movement eventually attracted $2.5 million from Indiegogo's supporters.

Despite the extra features, the Cosmo Communicator may not be more expensive than the Gemini 4G plus Wi-Fi model, which costs £599 ($783), but early backers only cost $349.

According to Planet Computers' crowdfunding page, Cosmo's retail price is expected to be $799, but supporters can start at $549.