OESF Portables Forum
Model Specific Forums => Gemini PDA => Gemini PDA - General Discussion => Topic started by: Hitherwood on May 16, 2018, 04:12:38 pm
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I am a UK backer 43xx
Just got my unit today.
No issues with keyboard. Perfect.
Screen is outstanding - tried a 4K clip and it is bright,crisp and very detailed.
Connected a USB 3 stick - recognised (FAT32) and plays video and HD audio.
Speaker volume is excellent
Build quality is outstanding.
Addendum:
Went out and bought Three SIM card today (10Gb for the price of 2Gb) and so 4G is now working very well
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I am a UK backer 43xx
Just got my unit today.
No issues with keyboard. Perfect.
Screen is outstanding - tried a 4K clip and it is bright,crisp and very detailed.
Connected a USB 3 stick - recognised (FAT32) and plays video and HD audio.
Speaker volume is excellent
Build quality is outstaqndig
UK again here, 13xx. Got it yesterday. Certainly won't argue with any of your comments.
Felt like a quality device right away - really nice packaging, and it's a substantial and solid-feeling beast. Backed up the apps and data from my old phone (which took AGES), but generally got everything working fine.
Bit of a steep learning curve, really - the keyboard and layout makes this RADICALLY different from any Android device I've used before, and I suspect it'll be a while before I get used to it.
But...I'm really glad I took the plunge and backed this device. It's truly lovely and turned a few heads when I showed it to people in the office.
PP
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I've received mine today and it has definitely exceeded expectations, a really nice item especially at the early backer price. I'm very pleased with it.
The only negative is that it insulted the SD card I put in - told me that it's slow.
A very postive, I've taken it outside in the sunshine and the screen is very usable.
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Got mine this morning. (UK, order #24xx.) Mixed feelings so far.
There's a lot to be very excited about — but having watched and read everything I could about it for the last several months, most of those are no longer a surprise!
The screen's excellent. The keyboard's pretty similar to my 5mx, though not quite up to that standard (the action's little lighter and clickier, and the keys a little wobblier, though still very usable and probably much improved from the first batch). The fit and finish is great, the overall design seems well thought out, and it fits well in the pocket. It seems to work well enough as a phone. (I don't make too many mobile calls.)
My mixed feelings are mainly because it'll be a long time before it really becomes my device, and able to replace the Psion 5mx I still use every day.
I don't want to sign away every single detail of my life to Google, and that seems to severely restrict what the Gemini can do as delivered. Without entering a Google ID, I can't use most of the limited selection of supplied apps. (They merely direct me to an install screen that needs me to sign in. And the built-in Browser app won't even start unless I grant it more permissions than I'm willing to!) And from what I've read, I expect I'd find Android too limiting in the long run, anyway.
OTOH, it seems as if no Linux distributions are yet properly suited to either a phone or a small-form-factor PC — not with the integration and simplicity I'm used to. The most promising option sounds like Sailfish OS — but I haven't been able to get hold of an early version, and it probably won't be released until the end of the year.
So I'm in limbo, really. I don't want to spend serious amounts of time and effort finding and setting up replacements for all the Psion apps I use, converting and transferring documents, learning all the OS details, rewriting custom apps, &c &c for Android, only to have to do the same again when Sailfish is released (and if it's worth switching to). But I will at least need to do the minimum to copy my contacts over to it (though I'm not sure how, as even the supplied SSH client needs a Google ID!).
What's clear is that I won't be able to do without my 5mx for a long time yet. Which does rather dull my excitement.
(Also, having some stability issues, as described here (https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=34989).)
In a couple of weeks, and I'll probably have got more familiar with it, worked out some ways around the initial issues, and be using it to do some interesting stuff. And by next year I'm sure it'll be my main device and much loved. But right now that's mostly just potential; compared with that, first impressions are unfamiliar, awkward, limited, and bring more questions than answers. Sorry if that seems negative — I guess my expectations were just too high!
Ask me again in a month or two…
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I don't want to sign away every single detail of my life to Google, and that seems to severely restrict what the Gemini can do as delivered.
Not exactly I don't sign in to google, and use either fdroid (open source apps) or yalp (access google play store without a google account). Without google play services (ie. logging in) a few apps are somewhat hobbled, but most things just work. To install fdroid, enable all sources (Settings->Security->Unknown sources), then go to:
https://f-droid.org (https://f-droid.org)
And install the fdroid store. Open fdroid and install yalp and you have play store (without a google account). I installed Firefox-Klar (great privacy browser) and TextMaker (instead of MS word) and a host of games/apps etc. I am waiting for sailfish 3 (or X) for the gemini with keyboard support et. al - however it is not available yet. Still, android is almost usable now, and google doesn't get a shoe in. Search in your browser with DuckDuckGo.
My app bar now has:
Firefox, File manager, VLC, Mupen64plus, TextMaker, Fdroid, Yalp and Termux
Good luck.
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I agree about the Android, though it was always going to be the OS with the full support for the hardware - so I can tolerate it until something better is available.
High hopes for Sailfish 3.
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First impressions: UGH I NEED TO GET RID OF THIS GOOGLE JUNK
I'll come back when I've rooted and cleaned it up. Sticking with Android for now until Linux has matured a bit.
Hardware is very nice.
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Something that's dawned on me since I started using it is that this device could *really* do with is a stylus, which of course the Psion 5 had built-in. My just-retired Galaxy Note 3 did too.
Even though you're touching the screen a lot less than you would with a slab-style smartphone, after a while the fingermarks were really offending me! I've just gone out and bought a pen with a rubber "fake fingertip" on the end so I don't have to use my fingers. I'll just need to make sure I don't lose it on a regular basis.
PP
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So far it's pretty decent with a few niggles I've yet to resolve. Hopefully others on this forum have workarounds for these issues.
Won't connect via 4G, only 3G on Virgin in the UK, using a 4G SIM. (It also perpetually says "NO SERVICE", even when I'm in a call and clearly have service)
Need to stick my thumb holding the clamshell open in order for people to hear me on the phone, presumably due to the mic being on the inside.
Cannot turn off haptic feedback at all even after disabling all vibrations for key presses, something which if I cannot finally kill it off will be a deal-breaker, since vibrations on every single key press very quickly cause my fingers to get twitches and prevent me from typing well. This is always the first thing I turn off on any android device but it's not seeming to apply to the gemini's physical keyboard.
Any time I attempt to connect it to my PC, I get the old "Device driver software was not successfully installed" message. Meaning one of my primary uses for the device, taking my work with me on the go, is out of the question until a solution turns up. On my old Note, I'd just switch it to USB Mass Storage mode and there'd never be an issue, but that's not an option on newer Android devices due to the continual degradation of functionality in every Android version. About to see if this also prevents me from installing Linux. I'll edit this post with my results.
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So far it's pretty decent with a few niggles I've yet to resolve. Hopefully others on this forum have workarounds for these issues.
Won't connect via 4G, only 3G on Virgin in the UK, using a 4G SIM. (It also perpetually says "NO SERVICE", even when I'm in a call and clearly have service)
Need to stick my thumb holding the clamshell open in order for people to hear me on the phone, presumably due to the mic being on the inside.
Cannot turn off haptic feedback at all even after disabling all vibrations for key presses, something which if I cannot finally kill it off will be a deal-breaker, since vibrations on every single key press very quickly cause my fingers to get twitches and prevent me from typing well. This is always the first thing I turn off on any android device but it's not seeming to apply to the gemini's physical keyboard.
Any time I attempt to connect it to my PC, I get the old "Device driver software was not successfully installed" message. Meaning one of my primary uses for the device, taking my work with me on the go, is out of the question until a solution turns up. On my old Note, I'd just switch it to USB Mass Storage mode and there'd never be an issue, but that's not an option on newer Android devices due to the continual degradation of functionality in every Android version. About to see if this also prevents me from installing Linux. I'll edit this post with my results.
Took me a while to twig that the NO SERVICE message refers to the second SIM slot. Mine reads "3 - NO SERVICE", reflecting the fact that one SIM slot is occupied and the other is empty.
It's not a dealbreaker for me, but I'd seriously appreciate being able to turn haptic feedback off on the physical keyboard. I use the device in permanent Do Not Disturb mode as I get all the required vibration notifications from my watch.
PP
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Update on my MTP woes - apparently it recognises it fine in the device manager and lets me access my files so long as I connect my Gemini to a USB 2 port. Usb 3 is a no-no.
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It's not a dealbreaker for me, but I'd seriously appreciate being able to turn haptic feedback off on the physical keyboard. I use the device in permanent Do Not Disturb mode as I get all the required vibration notifications from my watch.
Scrolling down a menu in Android feels like I'm using a Dremel, not a PDA...
*edit* fixed it by disabling the virtual keyboard options entirely. No more vibration.
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It's not a dealbreaker for me, but I'd seriously appreciate being able to turn haptic feedback off on the physical keyboard. I use the device in permanent Do Not Disturb mode as I get all the required vibration notifications from my watch.
Scrolling down a menu in Android feels like I'm using a Dremel, not a PDA...
*edit* fixed it by disabling the virtual keyboard options entirely. No more vibration.
Can you tell me how to do that?
PP
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Settings -> Languages and Input -> Virtual Keyboard
Disabled everything, just left the Gemini physical keyboard enabled.
This was after trying disabling vibration for all the other ones in there, but that did nothing.
Meanwhile I'm still trying to find out what happened to the old apps menu Android used to have which allowed you to drag apps from it to the home screen for ease of launching. Having to edit the planet bar to add and remove apps as and when I need them is getting.....finicky... *Found it, seems it got moved to the barely noticeable arrow that's hidden under the planet icon most of the time* Further question to this - whatever happened to having multiple home screens and how do I make the gigantic waste of space search bar nobody has ever used in the history of the world ever go away? Deleting all the google apps seems to have done nothing to that one annoyance.
Also, is the photo app ALWAYS going to demand I update it (Not happening since I deleted play store) every time I try and look at an image?
Also does anyone know a way of scaling your wallpaper so that it doesn't just zoom in on one tiny fraction of it in the centre? I've tried everything I can think of but no matter the resolution I scale the overall canvas size to, it always focuses on the same zoomed in piece of the image at the same zoom level.
I swear, Google have shifted gears with this version of Android from "User-Unfriendly" into the territory of "Actively User-Hostile"
I legitimately cannot wait for LineageOS to be properly usable, and am seriously considering just going back to my Note until then.
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Settings -> Languages and Input -> Virtual Keyboard
Disabled everything, just left the Gemini physical keyboard enabled.
This was after trying disabling vibration for all the other ones in there, but that did nothing.
Meanwhile I'm still trying to find out what happened to the old apps menu Android used to have which allowed you to drag apps from it to the home screen for ease of launching. Having to edit the planet bar to add and remove apps as and when I need them is getting.....finicky... *Found it, seems it got moved to the barely noticeable arrow that's hidden under the planet icon most of the time* Further question to this - whatever happened to having multiple home screens and how do I make the gigantic waste of space search bar nobody has ever used in the history of the world ever go away? Deleting all the google apps seems to have done nothing to that one annoyance.
Also, is the photo app ALWAYS going to demand I update it (Not happening since I deleted play store) every time I try and look at an image?
Also does anyone know a way of scaling your wallpaper so that it doesn't just zoom in on one tiny fraction of it in the centre? I've tried everything I can think of but no matter the resolution I scale the overall canvas size to, it always focuses on the same zoomed in piece of the image at the same zoom level.
I swear, Google have shifted gears with this version of Android from "User-Unfriendly" into the territory of "Actively User-Hostile"
I legitimately cannot wait for LineageOS to be properly usable, and am seriously considering just going back to my Note until then.
Multiple home screens are a bit borked. Go to your apps, long hold one and instead of dropping it on your current home screen, move to the edge and a new one will be created. Drop the app in the new homescreen. To delete a homescreen remove all shortcuts from it.
Simply create extra homepages and leave the google search on one you don't go to.
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Multiple home screens are a bit borked. Go to your apps, long hold one and instead of dropping it on your current home screen, move to the edge and a new one will be created. Drop the app in the new homescreen. To delete a homescreen remove all shortcuts from it.
Simply create extra homepages and leave the google search on one you don't go to.
Tried that, it literally only drops them as far as the edge of the current home screen, it won't let me drag them to new ones.
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First impressions: UGH I NEED TO GET RID OF THIS GOOGLE JUNK
I'll come back when I've rooted and cleaned it up. Sticking with Android for now until Linux has matured a bit.
Or not. Rooting and removing all the Google junk = no more Android booting.
Exceptionally irritating there's no AOSP build from Planet. But since I'm not using it as a phone, I'll see how I get on with Debian instead.
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Tried that, it literally only drops them as far as the edge of the current home screen, it won't let me drag them to new ones.
Ok, drag it just off the end of the last homescreen. A new one will pop up. I will see if I can get a screen cast showing how to do it.
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You cant upload movies unfortunately. Just hold an app in your app drawer, then slowly drag it towards the gap between homescreens and a new one will be created. I have several.
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Tried that, it literally only drops them as far as the edge of the current home screen, it won't let me drag them to new ones.
Ok, drag it just off the end of the last homescreen. A new one will pop up. I will see if I can get a screen cast showing how to do it.
Nope. It's as if the homescreen is locked somehow. I can drag it right to the edge of the screen so far that half the icon is off the side, but it does nothing, just snaps back the moment I get past the edge.
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Has anyone yet figured out what causes the speakers to randomly stop playing audio during calls and switch to some kind of distorted dialup internet connection-esque sound for like 30+ seconds at a time halfway through calls sometimes? Only fix I have found so far is to toggle speaker in the call options and then open/close the clamshell, which works about half the time (and other times drops the call).
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Multiple home screens are a bit borked. Go to your apps, long hold one and instead of dropping it on your current home screen, move to the edge and a new one will be created. Drop the app in the new homescreen. To delete a homescreen remove all shortcuts from it.
Simply create extra homepages and leave the google search on one you don't go to.
Tried that, it literally only drops them as far as the edge of the current home screen, it won't let me drag them to new ones.
It sounds like you need to just replace the stock Gemini launcher. I, too, don't like the giant, useless Google search advertisement. Just download Nova Launcher or Lawnchair, both are excellent and can be highly, highly customized. The former is a commercial product but has a free version that is very capable.
With each launcher, you can hide icons of apps you don't like by tapping the pencil icon that appears on the press-and-hold popup menu. You can disable most apps you don't want running by choosing the "i" icon on the popup menu.
Both let you customize the size of the icons. Nova makes you pay for this feature, however. They also let you remove the text labels for icons as well, if you want a really clean look.
Nova's paid version has more features but Lawnchair is open-source.
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Batch 2 has better keyboard feel than batch 1. Also batch 1 is missing the esim. I'll report on more later.
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Batch 2 has better keyboard feel than batch 1. Also batch 1 is missing the esim. I'll report on more later.
I have one of the original (early March) geminis. The keyboard started off a little stiff and I had to get used to it, however after 3 months of use it has bedded in particularly well. I am wondering if the newer keyboards had more tolerance, but wont bed in (ie they will remain consistent). Mine is particularly good now, and I am happily sitting on my deck in glorious Brisbane winter weather touch typing this. One thing to try to see how your keyboard is going.
Run the back of your fingernail across the keyboard in a text document (doesn't matter which). Does every key respond? Are you missing keys?
eg. very quickly running my nail produced (I stopped before backspace, enter etc)
1234567890qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm
Once you get used to it, you can get a real head of steam up when typing. I am only marginally slower than my full mechanical PC keyboard at work now.
The esim is slightly annoying, however by the time the functionality makes it here, I will be ready for gemini II.
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Batch 2 has better keyboard feel than batch 1. Also batch 1 is missing the esim. I'll report on more later.
I have one of the original (early March) geminis. The keyboard started off a little stiff and I had to get used to it, however after 3 months of use it has bedded in particularly well. I am wondering if the newer keyboards had more tolerance, but wont bed in (ie they will remain consistent). Mine is particularly good now, and I am happily sitting on my deck in glorious Brisbane winter weather touch typing this. One thing to try to see how your keyboard is going.
Run the back of your fingernail across the keyboard in a text document (doesn't matter which). Does every key respond? Are you missing keys?
eg. very quickly running my nail produced (I stopped before backspace, enter etc)
1234567890qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnm
Once you get used to it, you can get a real head of steam up when typing. I am only marginally slower than my full mechanical PC keyboard at work now.
The esim is slightly annoying, however by the time the functionality makes it here, I will be ready for gemini II.
Glad your Batch #1 device works well. My Batch #2 keyboard feels more accurate and I doesn't have a sticky space bar. I think quality is probably better in the later batch.
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Or not. Rooting and removing all the Google junk = no more Android booting.
Exceptionally irritating there's no AOSP build from Planet. But since I'm not using it as a phone, I'll see how I get on with Debian instead.
What are you talking about? Deleting system apps with Titanium Backup is no big deal, my Gemini boots fine.
Furthermore, I've heard like 5 people now wanting AOSP or Lineage. Why? You do realize PC did absolutely nothing to the ROM except add a few apps and the necessary functioality for data connection. It is stock Android.
I have root and Xposed and this is no different than Lineage.
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Furthermore, I've heard like 5 people now wanting AOSP or Lineage. Why? You do realize PC did absolutely nothing to the ROM except add a few apps and the necessary functioality for data connection. It is stock Android.
I have root and Xposed and this is no different than Lineage.
Because google probably.
As soon as there is an alternative available I will be getting rid of the toy-town Android OS on my Gemini completely. So far it's the only downer on a great device.
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Because google probably.
As soon as there is an alternative available I will be getting rid of the toy-town Android OS on my Gemini completely. So far it's the only downer on a great device.
Sailfish. When sailfish 3 is available for gemini (3rd quarter according to the site) I will be there. I think it is the ultimate OS for the gemini. A true linux distro, with a phone gui/functionality. You can even run android apps if you so desire. Best of all worlds. No spyware, logging etc - you control your device. If debian was able to be used as a phone I would already be using it. This is my only device at the moment, so it needs to be a phone - android will do for now, but I am counting the days
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Because google probably.
As soon as there is an alternative available I will be getting rid of the toy-town Android OS on my Gemini completely. So far it's the only downer on a great device.
Sailfish. When sailfish 3 is available for gemini (3rd quarter according to the site) I will be there. I think it is the ultimate OS for the gemini. A true linux distro, with a phone gui/functionality. You can even run android apps if you so desire. Best of all worlds. No spyware, logging etc - you control your device. If debian was able to be used as a phone I would already be using it. This is my only device at the moment, so it needs to be a phone - android will do for now, but I am counting the days
If the Sailfish 3 is completely native with all hardware drivers and GPU acceleration it would be truly awesome.
Unfortunately I think it will be using libHybris which I think would mean that Android would still need to be installed.
The ideal situation would be to be completely rid of the dreaded Fisher-Price OS Android.
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The ideal situation would be to be completely rid of the dreaded Fisher-Price OS Android.
I would love if Chromium could be ported to this device. Nonetheless, with the right modifications Android can be a pretty powerful OS. Sure, it's not a desktop OS, but for most people it's just fine. For me, it works perfectly for daily computing needs. I can always remote into my Windows PC if I needed to.
That was the issue with the GPD Pocket: Windows was too much for that little machine, and it struggled doing simple shit for me.
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Gemini and add-on received (day late because of US Customs). No problem with that.
Surprised to see the device display GERMAN text instead of English.
What now?
Configuration made difficult by having to translate every thing....
Why am I not surprised by this cock-up.
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Tried that, it literally only drops them as far as the edge of the current home screen, it won't let me drag them to new ones.
Ok, drag it just off the end of the last homescreen. A new one will pop up. I will see if I can get a screen cast showing how to do it.
Nope. It's as if the homescreen is locked somehow. I can drag it right to the edge of the screen so far that half the icon is off the side, but it does nothing, just snaps back the moment I get past the edge.
I struggled for ages with this too until I hit upon it by accident. The secret is not to drag the icon to the edge of the screen. Instead, drag it to between the first screen and the permanent vertical bar that shows the telephone icon - in the vertical area which I've marked with a yellow X in the attached screenshot. Then it moved the icon to the second screen, for me. Does that work for you?
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Gemini and add-on received (day late because of US Customs). No problem with that.
Surprised to see the device display GERMAN text instead of English.
What now?
Configuration made difficult by having to translate every thing....
Why am I not surprised by this cock-up.
I got that too. Just tap on the language and select English instead.
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Done. Got English (Austria).
That's ok for slogging through setup.
BTW, Shift @ generates " (quotation mark).
Pecking around looking for the @ symbol.
Found. Done.
Applying various culled and noted to-do's, don'ts, recommended tweaks.
Cheers.
P.S. Gemini is AMAZING. Soon this little bugger will replace my un-luggable, aged laptop for 90% of daily use.
Gemini and add-on received (day late because of US Customs). No problem with that.
Surprised to see the device display GERMAN text instead of English.
What now?
Configuration made difficult by having to translate every thing....
Why am I not surprised by this cock-up.
I got that too. Just tap on the language and select English instead.
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Tried that, it literally only drops them as far as the edge of the current home screen, it won't let me drag them to new ones.
Ok, drag it just off the end of the last homescreen. A new one will pop up. I will see if I can get a screen cast showing how to do it.
Nope. It's as if the homescreen is locked somehow. I can drag it right to the edge of the screen so far that half the icon is off the side, but it does nothing, just snaps back the moment I get past the edge.
I struggled for ages with this too until I hit upon it by accident. The secret is not to drag the icon to the edge of the screen. Instead, drag it to between the first screen and the permanent vertical bar that shows the telephone icon - in the vertical area which I've marked with a yellow X in the attached screenshot. Then it moved the icon to the second screen, for me. Does that work for you?
Thanks, was having the same problem...
(I actually "solved" it by force rotating with the Planet icon in the app bar, so I believe it's an issue with the phone being landscape-oriented... But that could be tiresome to do all the time.)