Post by: Zarhan on February 17, 2020, 12:40:20 pm
I'll start with the bad, since those points are rather small overall:
- Planet Computer's communication and delays - not exactly the most responsive manufacturer.
- Device is a bit too big and heavy. Trying to use this for prolonger periods of time results in pain on the wrist due to the static strain (holding that 320 g on one hand while touching or typing with the other). On weekend, I spent a two-hour car (as a passenger) passing time and by the end my left hand was sore. For quick checks or with a table to place the device - no problems whatsoever. I would have preferred a bit more compact keyboard, but it's not like there's much options in this space...
- Certain stuff needs a bit more finish: Cover display likes to keep the CPU awake, costing power, the LEDs don't seem to really be customizable, documentation is missing...these will probably be fixed down the line. Right now I can get my battery to last for two full days, so it's okay-ish.
- I haven't yet figured what exactly would be the best way to open the phone. The device is heavy but there doesn't seem to be any obvious indentations for "grab here to open". So I'll just lift the cover however appears best at the time...
- Community at OESF Forums: Wonderful. Thanks for all the hints, everyone (esp. regarding rooting and Devuan installation).
- I was one of the lucky ones in the sense that my device's construction doesn't seem to have any flaws (no camera glass falling off etc). Hope it sticks.
- Landscape mode Android is not supported on nearly all apps. So far I've just uninstalled if the app shows as ugly. There are plenty of alternatives in play store.
- Related: Many "mobile sites" are apparently built for portrait as well. Workaround is to always request "desktop" view. At least with Firefox, you can use addon or just set your user-agent to spoof a desktop browser.
- My apps so far that I've "settled on" (not counting e.g. games - those are bound to come and go):
- Magisk for rooting. MagiskHide seems to work just fine for my banking app at least.
- SMS Backup & Restore: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?...store&hl=en (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&hl=en) - I wrote a couple of Python scripts to extract my MMS & SMS messages from my N900 and convert them to the XML format of this application. The XML is reasonably readable, so I might keep this even for future backups even if it displays ads.
- Nova launcher. The builtin launcher has the Google search bar, and also does not really seem to work in landscape mode. Also, lots of widgets are not really so good looking with the default launcher.
- Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Teams). So far I've mostly used Outlook & Teams. Outlook's default calendar view doesn't really work properly except in portrait mode, but the widget works. Luckily, supposed "3-day view" that actually shows the entire week works great. Other Office apps work just fine. I've also participated in MS Teams conferences.
- Opencamera for camera works OK although I'm also struggling with what should the settings be (see https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=35912 (https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=35912) )
- Notificon: This nice app allows you to customize sounds of notifications and also put them on a weekly/daily schedule. I use this to block MS Office's (work-related) notifications on weekends and outside of business hours. You can also set notification sounds per app if the app doesn't allow you to customize them directly.
- Google Maps seems to be fine for navigation, including in car. Compass seems to work ok-ish even without calibration. I don't have a car mount, but there's a small cubby in my car where I can just put it on the rest.
- Termux for Devuan installation (see thread on the forums) and generic command line hacking around. Unfortunately, Termux doesn't seem to have locale support. I occasionally need to connect to machines that use e.g. ISO-8859-1 (Latin 1) charset instead of UTF-8, and end result is ugly if there are any non-ASCII chracters. Due to this, I've also installed ConnectBot SSH client.
- Firefox for browsing, with Saka key & UBlock addons at this point.
- Flym as RSS reader. This one seems to be one of those that support landscape a bit better, although still not quite optimally in my view. Still, works for now.
- Other points
- I have created separate desktops for Work (Contains shortcuts to MS Office, Outlook's Calendar widget etc), Generic (has weather widget from Foreca, file manager, calculator, clock, maps etc), and Fun (essentially games). This approach seems to work for me. The Dock has phone, messaging, contacts, Firefox and Play store (I'll probably remove Play store from there after I have a stable set of apps).
- Creating a throwaway account for Google services and turning off all tracking options is probably the best of all-worlds where I can be part of Android ecosystem while still giving Google as little as possible. Yes, I get it's still a bit silly considering I'm ok with Google maps (even though I turned wifi-based location off), but can't have everything.
- The display text sizes seemed too big despite setting the font sizes to smallest in the settings. Using Fn+Shift+C/Fn+Shift-V you can adjust the text to be small enough.
- As a method to stave off the RSI, I installed Saka key addon to Firefox. This allows (almost) full keyboard-based browsing. This allows me to hold the device with two hands, without having to have the other hand touching the screen. E.g. hitting "ff" will enumerate all clickable elements on a website, each with a letter, that I can just press to follow a link.
=> I haven't been able to find a key combination to move focus to the URL/Location bar! Using CTRL+N (new tab), qq (move to previous tab), CTRL+W as a workaround. - The display is in some cases a bit TOO wide. I also cannot get "reader" view to work on most websites. End result is that sometimes layout is wrong. As a workaround, I use splitscreen to limit the application width. The sad part is that many websites are fixed-width.
- All basic call functions work ok, including conferences etc. Controlling call via CoDi seems to work as well, although I noticed that occasionally my face accidentally hits one of the call control buttons. I've learned to just keep the phone half a cm apart so I don't accidentally hit any of the controls. Would be better if the display would just turn off if by face is touching it. Purpose for the ambient light sensor?
Post by: maki.jouni on February 17, 2020, 02:44:58 pm
First Nova launcher and enabled developers settings on android and set smallest width to 600, quite many apps and web pages are lot usable now. and FinQwerty for swapping Ä and Ö letter.
And exclude Magisk and Termux and swap GoogleMaps for Waze and Firefox to Brave (In Brave you can enable desktop mode for default)
Have to search a bit that Notificon -app, that sounds quite handy. Now I have done that for OnDutyMail with outlooks scheduled do not disturb setting (small bell icon)
Edit: "Device is a bit too big and heavy" - For me this is more like Pros than Cons. It's better that it have little bit weight than it's thin, light and fragile.
Post by: spook on February 17, 2020, 08:57:57 pm
Good pointer about the Firefox plugins. I have to try them!
Post by: TomJ on February 18, 2020, 06:49:21 am
Post by: jakfish on February 18, 2020, 11:45:15 am
Jake
Post by: KMM on February 26, 2020, 11:30:53 pm
And a question; is there a way to switch to mobile data from wifi automatically? (on a non-rooted device). Both mobile data and wifi need to be switched on all the time to switch between the two.
I searched on Google, but it looks like Android 9+ won't allow mobile data to be switched on by itself (for instance when I reboot my phone, or when turning on flight mode and then off).
Post by: Zarhan on February 27, 2020, 04:43:09 pm
Quote from: KMM
And a question; is there a way to switch to mobile data from wifi automatically? (on a non-rooted device). Both mobile data and wifi need to be switched on all the time to switch between the two.
I searched on Google, but it looks like Android 9+ won't allow mobile data to be switched on by itself (for instance when I reboot my phone, or when turning on flight mode and then off).
I don't understand why not. Just click off the wifi symbol and mobile data stays on?
Thanks for the tip for Handy news reader - seems better than Flym!
Post by: aard on February 28, 2020, 07:28:22 am
Initially I liked the Cosmo keyboard less than the Geminis, but after using it a while I quite like it.
Annoyances compared to the Gemini are:
- worse battery life
- worse touchscreen response. Got better after increasing pointer sensitivity, but still registers zero events when placed on a surface and not touching the frame while touching the screen
- app switcher doesn't have app screenshots, only blank or transparent frames
- automatic rotation is not working, even with additional software
- no SIM card in the rooted boot image (unless going the unlock bootloader + patch boot image route). Not a big issue currently as I initially needed root to restore, and currently can use the non-rooted image, but for daily use I'd like it rooted. Also losing some settings (like backlight) when switching between the images.
- orientation matters when in call - speaker/microphone don't adjust with orientation changes
- worse notifications. In theory cover display should be able to get better notifications, but it doesn't really. I generally care about having the type of notification displayed, configuring the 5 LEDs on the Gemini with different colours was perfect for this.
Better:
- more memory, both flash and RAM. Especially RAM was an issue on Gemini
- screen is usable with polarized sunglasses, in both orientations. On the Gemini display was only readable in portrait
- backlit keyboard
- significantly stronger hinges
Post by: KMM on February 28, 2020, 01:23:35 pm
Quote from: KMM
I'm using Notificon, but it doesn't seem to be stable, sometimes it works, but most of the time it doesn't.
It works well after all. Except for the voice notifications, unfortunately those don't work on my Cosmo.
Post by: mmbika on March 01, 2020, 05:25:15 am
Quote from: Zarhan
I've now been using Cosmo as a daily driver for a week now. I wanted to write a short summary on my experiences and things that I've picked up especially since I came from Nokia N900 (Maemo). .... I've been more or less waiting for a device like this ever since E90 just became too troublesome (Symbian....) to use, and I can now finally retire my N900 (or rather, keep it as a backup device).
Anyone coming from Motorola LapDock/WebTop experience, which was very similar in concept to Cosmo, i.e. Android on top of Linux or vice versa ... it did fail though, yet it was a pioneering effort of that time ... some comparisons might be interesting
Post by: Kamikaze Comet on March 15, 2020, 04:27:09 pm
Everything works better if I turn the CoDi off, but I'll miss notifications.
Post by: Zarhan on March 15, 2020, 04:31:43 pm
Quote from: Kamikaze Comet
I've also been using Cosmo Communicator as my daily driver. The CoDi display drives me nuts. It is suppose to be THE feature that makes this thing a functional phone. But no, it is the most annoying thing I've ever seen on a smart phone. It drains battery like crazy. It turns on things by itself. The animation is wacky and laggy.
It's been mentioned in several other threads that the battery drain issue due to CoDi is most likely fixable with firmware update - the one promised for later this month probably does something about it. Essentially, the CoDi display process for some reason holds a wakelock that prevents the CPU from ever going to sleep.
For me, the battery lasts for day and a half with CoDi on, so it's quite all right. Anyway, I expect that the next FW update will improve this bit significantly. Hopefully it also fixes the few other problems with CoDi.
Post by: Jeffers on March 16, 2020, 01:09:53 am
Post by: SwordfishII on March 16, 2020, 02:20:08 am
Quote from: Zarhan
For me, the battery lasts for day and a half with CoDi on, so it's quite all right. Anyway, I expect that the next FW update will improve this bit significantly. Hopefully it also fixes the few other problems with CoDi.
I get the same and OP gets 2 days. Most plug in at night so it's pretty much a non issue for most.
I would like to be able to see mms pictures on codi. Also slight annoyance but marking a text as read instructs me to open the cosmo. I can back out via right rocker button and it performed the action so not a huge deal.
Post by: Kamikaze Comet on March 19, 2020, 04:47:02 pm
Quote from: Zarhan
Quote from: Kamikaze CometI've also been using Cosmo Communicator as my daily driver. The CoDi display drives me nuts. It is suppose to be THE feature that makes this thing a functional phone. But no, it is the most annoying thing I've ever seen on a smart phone. It drains battery like crazy. It turns on things by itself. The animation is wacky and laggy.
It's been mentioned in several other threads that the battery drain issue due to CoDi is most likely fixable with firmware update - the one promised for later this month probably does something about it. Essentially, the CoDi display process for some reason holds a wakelock that prevents the CPU from ever going to sleep.
For me, the battery lasts for day and a half with CoDi on, so it's quite all right. Anyway, I expect that the next FW update will improve this bit significantly. Hopefully it also fixes the few other problems with CoDi.
That is good news to hear. I like the idea of having a CoDi. I really hope I can use it normally.
Post by: Dickon Hood on March 21, 2020, 09:31:39 am
Post by: Wolfgang on March 23, 2020, 11:09:46 am
Post by: Pikku-iikka on April 08, 2020, 09:04:12 am
Only downside when typing with Cosmo is the little "noise" that comes from the keyboard. Actually I like it... it is only annoying when I want to write while in bed beside my wife. Which happens often, best ideas come many times when you let your mind wander at nights. Then again, typing under the blanket is a joy with a backlighted Cosmo.
My Cosmo has V20 system, I did the upgrade as soon as it was available, and have not had the troubles that are mentioned everywhere. Maybe this has something to do the fact that I had disabled all but one Google service, namely the Play Store. And been using Nova Launcher from the beginning. I have no reason to 'downgrade back' to V21, I'll wait for next official upgrade.
There are some issues even with me, of course. After upgrade was the fingerprint one, they work now. The life of the LED's is another, quite confusing sometimes. Once I even played something with the cover closed and LED's not blinking. Can't re-produce that.
Biggest issue is trying to make a call from the cover display, if two SIM's are in and device set to choose every time which SIM to use. Nothing happens when I hit the desired name. I have to make the call from the main screen, then close the cover again. Luckily the call does not end there... Even this is not a big issue for me. I make very few calls from the other SIM, so I can set the Cosmo to use the desired card every time, and change the setting as needed.
No other issues, so it really works nicely as a daily driver for me. The design is clever and build quality gets 8 out of 10 from me. Little squeeks from the hinges and a poorly attached lens cover. Bulky for some, but the size/weight factor is only a plus for me and my big hands. Actually, I added little bit to the bulkiness by hand-making a leather case that stays on when opening the Cosmo. Easier to handle and to safer to leave in pocket or on a table.
I suspect the device is quite fragile to mishandling, dust, water or other liquids. So, handling with extra care is a must.
Post by: Daniel W on April 09, 2020, 05:35:47 am
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
My Cosmo has V20 system, I did the upgrade as soon as it was available, and have not had the troubles that are mentioned everywhere. Maybe this has something to do the fact that I had disabled all but one Google serviceI've had mine for eleven weeks today (it came on Thursday, January 23). As the V15 and V16 firmwares weren't really usable for me, I waited to V19, on Wednesday, February 5, before I made it my daily driver.
I'm also on V20 without any real issues. I had to re-scan my fingerprints and reboot once, and maybe my Cosmo get a bit warmer when fast-charging now, but unless in a hurry I like to slow-charge anyway. The Cosmo still reboots once in a while, and the hardware driver for the camera still produces enlarged 6MP images, still without offering a real 6MP mode. I'm getting spurious notifications from Planet Voice Assistant (which I could disable, but I like to keep things stock for now) when opening the device, but they vanish after a few seconds, so I don't really notice them any more. Even on V20, my CoDi (on FW 13) keeps crashing daily.
For reference, I'm on completely stock Cosmo Android, with nothing disabled. Weirdly enough, my Cosmo is still certified and would gladly agree to installing Netflix (no, I didn't actually install it, but it was available, had I desired to) and I doubt my Swedish e-id would work, lest the device was certified (that broke on my Gemini, when upgrading to Android 8). My theory, as to why I didn't get persistent issues with V20, was that I have not really messed with anything, but according to your post, that might not be it either, so maybe there's just an element of luck, a bit like with when the CoDi updates decides to work?
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
I did type with my former "daily driver's" too, the Note 8 with S-Pen and Swift keyboard was a step forwardI also had a Note 8. I used to depend on the 1C Big Keyboard, but if you ask me, typing on a pane of glass is a pain in the...
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
BTW, thank you for someone somewhere here hinting about the JotterPad appMy text editor of choice, both on the Note and now on the Cosmo is Jota+ from Aquamarine Networks. It's perhaps geared a bit more towards programmers (as it can support things like syntax highlighting for some languages) rather than writers. I like it, mostly because I can set it to auto-save my file whenever it loses focus, and thus it won't lose any text when Android decides to terminated it. It's also configurable in ways that suits me.
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
The life of the LED's is another, quite confusing sometimes. Once I even played something with the cover closed and LED's not blinking. Can't re-produce that.Yeah, for a couple of days, I had a most pleasurable bug, causing the rocker switch LED's to stay off all the time. It even survived restarting the CoDi several times, but when the Cosmo decided to reboot, they began working again.
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
I suspect the device is quite fragileYep, I'm a tad bummed that, is spite of treating my Cosmo really carefully, the plastic on the middle hinge has cracked right through. In all honesty, I can't see anything I could have done to cause that, so yeah, some parts of the design seems not only fragile, but even prone to spontaneous failure. I have reported it to Planet, though, in the midst of a pandemic, we agreed on not trying to fix it any time soon. Also, aesthetics aside, it doesn't seem to cause me any noticeable issues. My hinges doesn't squeak even a little, and my Gemini never had more than two hinges, so I'm not too worried.
Post by: Pikku-iikka on April 10, 2020, 06:19:26 am
Quote from: Daniel W
maybe my Cosmo get a bit warmer when fast-charging now, but unless in a hurry I like to slow-charge anyway. The Cosmo still reboots once in a while, and the hardware driver for the camera still produces enlarged 6MP images, still without offering a real 6MP mode. I'm getting spurious notifications from Planet Voice Assistant (which I could disable, but I like to keep things stock for now) when opening the device, but they vanish after a few seconds, so I don't really notice them any more. Even on V20, my CoDi (on FW 13) keeps crashing daily.Hmmm, I've charged only from the left USB port, which I remember being the fast charge capable. Is the Planet's stock charger a fast charger or an usual one? Should one avoid charging constantly from the left port when using the stock charger? Or, in general, is fast charging more harmful than standard in some way? If so, I have to dig a hole for the right side USB port too to my self made case.
There was a unique situation once, when Cosmo started to make a quiet whizzling-buzzing noise while charging, luckily I was sitting very near and heard it right away. Noise went away only after a reboot.
My Cosmo has not rebooted itself or crashed in any situation. Even the CoDi hasn't crashed totally, but has freezed in some rare situations - then, pressing the right-side button of the fingerprint adapter has gotten it back to life. One such situation was, when I tried to activate flash when taking a selfie. Display freezed but the camera made a shot with flash - once. Could not shoot another photo. Picture was terrible and totally over exposed.
Otherwise, the main camera takes reasonably OK photos (not to compare with the Note 8, huh). If I want to do some real photography, I do it with my Olympus OM-D E-M10, which does not even loose much to Cosmo in portability...
Quote from: Daniel W
For reference, I'm on completely stock Cosmo Android, with nothing disabled. Weirdly enough, my Cosmo is still certified and would gladly agree to installing Netflix (no, I didn't actually install it, but it was available, had I desired to) and I doubt my Swedish e-id would work, lest the device was certified (that broke on my Gemini, when upgrading to Android 8). My theory, as to why I didn't get persistent issues with V20, was that I have not really messed with anything, but according to your post, that might not be it either, so maybe there's just an element of luck, a bit like with when the CoDi updates decides to work?Seems to be like that... Although, after opening the Cosmo for the first time and playing around a few minutes, I installed the Nova Launcher (paid version). Been using it in all Android phones I've used in last years. Can't know if that has anything to do with the stability. Netflix is working fine, and my device is certified too.
Quote from: Daniel W
the plastic on the middle hinge has cracked right through. In all honesty, I can't see anything I could have done to cause that, so yeah, some parts of the design seems not only fragile, but even prone to spontaneous failure. I have reported it to Planet, though, in the midst of a pandemic, we agreed on not trying to fix it any time soon. Also, aesthetics aside, it doesn't seem to cause me any noticeable issues. My hinges doesn't squeak even a little, and my Gemini never had more than two hinges, so I'm not too worried.When listening very carefully, the 'squeek' sound comes somewhere near the middle hinge. Actually, that sound was not present with very first openings and closures, but came in after a little use. We'll see what will happen in the future.
Post by: Daniel W on April 12, 2020, 07:36:34 pm
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
Hmmm, I've charged only from the left USB port, which I remember being the fast charge capable. Is the Planet's stock charger a fast charger or an usual one?The Planet stock charger supports (the oldest, crudest and, thus, cheapest version of) a MediaTek specific fast charging protocol called Pump Express. If you look at the charger itself, it says it can output 5, 7, 9 or 12V, though I've only seen my Gemini and Cosmo use 5 or 9. As any USB charger, it always starts at 5V and only raises the voltage if being explicitly told so by the device. If the charger and the device doesn't speak the same fast-charging protocol, the charger just won't understand the device, and stay at 5V. This is why I can safely plug, say, my 130W (up to) 20V USB-C Dell laptop charger into the Cosmo. It even works.
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
Should one avoid charging constantly from the left port when using the stock charger? Or, in general, is fast charging more harmful than standard in some way?It is my understanding (which may be wrong) that higher-current charging does put a bit more wear on Li-ion cells, though well-tuned and sophisticated charge controllers, combined with modern fast charging protocols, that can regulating the voltage in very fine (like 0.02V) steps already in the charger, should keep the extra wear to a reasonable minimum.
But PumpExpress+ "1.0" just pushes 9V into the Cosmo. Planet Computers themselves may not be experts in optimized charging and "the factory" may not care all that much about device longevity, so in this particular case, I would suggest "slow-charging" your Cosmo when not in a hurry. I cannot prove that would prolong your the battery life, but it's kind of harder to screw up slower charging. Since only the left USB port on the Cosmo supports PumpExpress, using the Cosmo charger in the right port is one way to slow-charge. Another is to use (in either port) a USB charger that doesn't speak PumpExpress, such as your Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 Note8 charger, or any garden variety ~2A@5V charger.
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
There was a unique situation once, when Cosmo started to make a quiet whizzling-buzzing noise while charging, luckily I was sitting very near and heard it right away. Noise went away only after a reboot.Don't worry. I've had that happen twice. While it may have sounded a bit like a frying battery, I clearly noticed, the second time, that the sound actually came from the speakers. They should, of course, be off when not in use, but if some bug turns them on when no audio is fed to the amplifier, it could pick up any random electrical noise such as digital clock signals or noise from a battery voltage regulator.
Quote from: Pikku-iikka
Even the CoDi hasn't crashed totally...While mine HAS "crashed completely" a few times (just staying off, or getting stuck showing half a menu), it tends to lock up and just keep showing the Planet logo, when it should show the clock. I usually just turn it off and on again with the soft button in the Android notification shade, but maybe I should try playing around more with the physical buttons next time.
Edit:Nope, when my CoDi gets stuck on the Planet logo, no amount of button pressing seems to help, only turning the CoDi off and back on again (after which it forgets its brightness setting...) from the Android notification shade.
Edit2:Since my Cosmo apparently happens to work quite well on V20 with stock everything, I decided to try disabling the Planet Voice Assistant (that kept generating unobtrusive, yet slightly annoying notifications). It could, of course, be a coincidence, but I just put my Cosmo on the charger, 44 hours after the last charge, still with 20% left. I do keep it in flight mode at night and I haven't been using heavily (about 135 min screen-on time since last charge) but still, if this wasn't a fluke, with bit of tweaking, such as disabling stuff I won't use anyway, and a few more firmware versions, with further optimizations, two days per full charge, or staying between, say, 30 and 80% with daily charging, as with my Gemini, might be feasible.
Edit3:I suppose it's commonly known that (slow) charging from the right side USB port doesn't work if the CoDi is disabled. If it is enabled, but turned off, I've noticed it can take half a minute or so, after plugging the cable in, before it starts charging. If it's enabled and on at the moment, it seems to just take a few seconds (or maybe I've just been lucky). Anyway, do know, that quite a bit of delay before charging kicks in, can be normal when using the right side port, at least on current firmwares.
Post by: aard on May 30, 2020, 06:00:38 am
Quote from: Daniel W
Yep, I'm a tad bummed that, is spite of treating my Cosmo really carefully, the plastic on the middle hinge has cracked right through. In all honesty, I can't see anything I could have done to cause that, so yeah, some parts of the design seems not only fragile, but even prone to spontaneous failure. I have reported it to Planet, though, in the midst of a pandemic, we agreed on not trying to fix it any time soon. Also, aesthetics aside, it doesn't seem to cause me any noticeable issues. My hinges doesn't squeak even a little, and my Gemini never had more than two hinges, so I'm not too worried.
I did a full teardown of a cosmo yesterday after swapping out a keyboard - after I had it half open anyway I thought can't hurt to get into the display part to see how much is (at least theoretically) servicable there. Do you have pictures of the breakage? The way the hinges are designed I don't see much mechanical stress on there. The holes for mounting the middle hinge to the bottom section are slightly larger than they need to be for the screws, but while it may be enough to cause creaking I don't think it should have impact on mechanical stress.
The hinge is two parts (three if you count the rod), one part metal, screwing into the base, and one part plastic, laminated to the display assembly, so not realistically swappable without the display. So unfortunately the one part which can break there is a bitch to replace - I assume in service they'd just swap out the top half, meaning you get essentially a new unit. If they don't consider it a warranty repair that'd also have a $500 price attached.
Post by: Daniel W on May 31, 2020, 04:03:57 pm
Quote from: aard
Do you have pictures of the breakage?This is the picture I sent Planet when reporting the issue. I can take and post more, perhaps from other angles, should that be of any value.
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If I prod the crack carefully, with something like a toothpick, I can easily move the plastic on one side of the crack a tad without the other coming along, which, to me suggests the material has split right through. To the best of my knowledge, it was just suddenly there on Friday, March 27, before which I had not noticed any sign of strain in the material. I am not aware of the device being dropped, knocked or squeezed in any way prior to that date (it has fallen off of my bedside table at a later date, seemingly with no ill effects). When out and about, I keep the Cosmo in a Gemini slipcase, in my shirt chest pocket (to the point where shirts with too small chest pockets for the purpose, has been donated to a charity), so it has certainly never been sat on. As far as I can tell, the crack hasn't changed noticeably in the two months after I discovered it.
Apart from referring to the Covid complications Planet, said they'd be happy to repair it as soon as physically possible, but they could of course not estimate when that might be. I suggested back to them that, as long as the cracked hinge doesn't get significantly worse, we don't even try to schedule any repair. I just felt I had to report the issue s soon as I discovered it, in case I'd need to refer back to it, at some later date.
Beyond being a slight aesthetic blemish, it doesn't seem to affect my Cosmo in any real way, but as it seemingly just mysteriously appeared, I'd be interested in any clue that might shed a light on how it might have happened.
Post by: PNuT on May 31, 2020, 09:42:28 pm
Post by: ianisthewalrus on June 01, 2020, 01:25:29 pm
Post by: Daniel W on June 16, 2020, 10:00:36 am
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Over that past few weeks, I've seen a faint line appear in the plastic (much like the thin white-ish lines in the image above), and one day, a fragment had come loose. As of today, it fell out. While I was hard pressed to come up with any reasonable explanation as to why the hinge cracked in the first place, once the crack had happened, the load on the plastic should reasonably be absolutely zero, so why further cracking happened, leading to that piece falling out, leaves me next to completely clueless. It's as if the plastic is slowly decomposing by itself. As long as it doesn't affect the functionality of the device, I won't bother much. The resale value might suffer, but I don't plan on selling the Cosmo anyway.
Post by: Zarhan on June 16, 2020, 10:15:39 am
Quote from: Daniel W
It's as if the plastic is slowly decomposing by itself.
Eco-friendly plastic
Have you been keeping the Cosmo primarily in opened configuration, possibly exposed to sunlight? Ultraviolet-induced brittleness might really be the only thing that comes to mind for me...although I Have to say it should start showing in the order of *years*, not months.
Post by: Daniel W on June 16, 2020, 01:34:21 pm
Quote from: Zarhan
Yeah, maybe Planet-friendly plastic even...Quote from: Daniel WIt's as if the plastic is slowly decomposing by itself.
Eco-friendly plastic
Have you been keeping the Cosmo primarily in opened configuration, possibly exposed to sunlight? Ultraviolet-induced brittleness might really be the only thing that comes to mind for me...although I Have to say it should start showing in the order of *years*, not months.
Well, I do keep it open, on my nightstand, as I use it as a manual sleep tracker (I have a macro to record the time when I wake up during the night), but while the days are getting longer here in Sweden, I have no sunlight in my bedroom during the night, and during the day, my Cosmo is usually closed, either sitting on my work desk or in my shirt pocket. As plain window glass isn't all that transparent to UV, and neither my desk nor shirt pocket receives much sunlight anyway, I doubt it has much effect here. I've had a plastic pipe, exposed to a sunny window for decades, grow brittle and break, but even if Planet PlasticTM would somehow be super-sensitive to UV, then why specifically the middle hinge? From what I've gathered, it should be made of the same plastic as other parts of the case, and I sure hope that won't just spontaneously start falling apart...
Post by: vldmr on June 16, 2020, 09:05:51 pm
Quote from: Daniel W
Well, I do keep it open, on my nightstand, as I use it as a manual sleep tracker
Well, your story led me to examining my hinge very closely, and I did not find any hint for cracking. In a (pseudo)scientific approach with n=1 we have to conclude that it is not good to keep the Cosmo opened for prolonged periods - like during nights for something like 8 hours. Although I do keep mine opened during work hours which add up to the same 8 hours. So we have to dismiss scientific (pseudo)thinking with the score of n=1:1. Maybe other user will care to add to this statistics to shed more light on the subject.
Post by: gymbo on June 16, 2020, 10:09:03 pm
Quote from: Daniel W
It's the AI capabilities of the Cosmo shining through again: It ACTIVELY seeks out UV rays and sends them directly to the middle hinge! (Why I don't know...)Quote from: ZarhanYeah, maybe Planet-friendly plastic even...Quote from: Daniel WIt's as if the plastic is slowly decomposing by itself.
Eco-friendly plastic
Have you been keeping the Cosmo primarily in opened configuration, possibly exposed to sunlight? Ultraviolet-induced brittleness might really be the only thing that comes to mind for me...although I Have to say it should start showing in the order of *years*, not months.
Well, I do keep it open, on my nightstand, as I use it as a manual sleep tracker (I have a macro to record the time when I wake up during the night), but while the days are getting longer here in Sweden, I have no sunlight in my bedroom during the night, and during the day, my Cosmo is usually closed, either sitting on my work desk or in my shirt pocket. As plain window glass isn't all that transparent to UV, and neither my desk nor shirt pocket receives much sunlight anyway, I doubt it has much effect here. I've had a plastic pipe, exposed to a sunny window for decades, grow brittle and break, but even if Planet PlasticTM would somehow be super-sensitive to UV, then why specifically the middle hinge? From what I've gathered, it should be made of the same plastic as other parts of the case, and I sure hope that won't just spontaneously start falling apart...
I have said it before, the CODI is MUCH more advanced than advertised, and has achieved full AI capabilities, which again appears as a lot of "bugs" and other troubles...
But to be a little serious: Could the "spring-effect" of the hinge cover put a strain on the hinge? So that it actually IS NOT advised to keep it in open mode for prolonged time? Would be surprised if it was exerting enough force that it really should be an issue, but maybe if the whole phone is a little curved as well, it might be enough to BE an issue...? If the phone somehow has been bent in some situation, that alone might have caused a crack in the hinge, but then it should have cracked vertically... Seems kind of strange anyhow, and this was more or less "wild guesses", and was just as much an exercise in trying to explain it to myself as anything else, and can't really say I succeeded in even that... But I am a bit concerned by the build quality of the Planet devices; my Gemini now has a hinge cover that is only "attached" when the phone is closed, and I have a crack in a hinge and the "cover" for the keyboard LED has broken off. But I am waiting for the next firmware before I will go trough the hassle of moving things over to the Cosmo to use that in stead. (And the Cosmo will "live" in the leather pouch, I don't know how many times my Gemini has crashed to the ground, so it might actually be OK build quality, but a few to many "drops"...)
Post by: mjiba on June 17, 2020, 05:52:04 pm
Quote from: ianisthewalrus
i am begining to really develop a distaste for how unsturdy the device is. my codi lcd just broke from being in my pocket on a walk.... the glass is fine, somehow the panel underneath is just toast.... anyone has a good experience getting this kind of thing fixed? so far i have only heard negative things about planets support.
I had the same experience recently. Had Cosmo in my front pocket as usual and took it out to check the time...codi did not display anything. Normally I would not be surprised, but after a reboot, still no codi. When I examined it more closely, I could see two cracks on on the display panel under the glass. No more codi even if the new firmware is more stable. I emailed Planet last week but only received an automated response. Shame
If you hear anything, please let the community know. I'm sure there will be other people experiencing this down the road.
I also noticed a crack on the right hand side hinge...that was some time ago though.
Couldn't agree more that the build quality is disappointing.
Post by: vldmr on June 17, 2020, 10:52:07 pm
As everyone else here I hope the problem will be resolved with the next firmware update, and as everyone else here I am pretty certain it won't. I am at version 19 still by the way
Post by: Zarhan on June 18, 2020, 06:00:53 am
Quote from: vldmr
So recently my daily driver started to greet me with a message "Too many attempts. Enter password" By too many attempts it means attempts to recognise fingerprint.
For me, the fingerprint sensor hasn't worked reliably ever since I upgraded to V20. It works reliably for a few attempts after boot, but then fails.
Typing in PIN is not that bad if I set the auto-lock only to occur with more easygoing pace (only lock after 20 minutes or so).
Post by: Daniel W on June 18, 2020, 10:28:05 am
Quote from: gymbo
But to be a little serious: Could the "spring-effect" of the hinge cover put a strain on the hinge? So that it actually IS NOT advised to keep it in open mode for prolonged time? Would be surprised if it was exerting enough force that it really should be an issue, but maybe if the whole phone is a little curved as well, it might be enough to BE an issue...? If the phone somehow has been bent in some situation,If referring to my particular Cosmo, it has never been bent in any situation, nor dropped, knocked, sat on, or even kept in a tight pocket (when carrying it, I keep it in my shirt pocket, inside the Gemini slipcase - as my Cosmo slipcase still hasn't arrived). It once got brushed off of a low bedside table, and landed on a curtain (it's a bit long, so it spills out on the floor), but that was weeks after the hinge cracked, and the event left no visible marks on any part of the device.
For reference, my Gemini got hit by a falling loudspeaker, that sent the hinge cover flying and left the Gemini completely flat, with the screen forced open 180 degrees. That incident required some massage of the metal part to get it back into shape, but I noticed no relevant difference in the hinges afterwards, during the several months I kept using it daily, until moving over to the Cosmo. It might be worth noticing that the spring tension in a Gemini hinge cover is significantly less, even when the device is new, and on mine, it had grown less yet with use.
If the act of leaving a Cosmo open on a sturdy surface, could somehow affect the integrity of the materials it's made from, then, I'd say, something is quite wrong with the design. Made to look and work much like a small clam-shell laptop, I would consider the open position to be its normal state, when not in transport. That said, to keep dust and debris out of the keyboard, I tend to keep mine on my desk, folded and inside the Gemini case, during my workdays (and at night, for the same purpose, I cover it, opened, with a thin microfiber cloth). Also, lest I fumble, which is rare, I never slam my Cosmo shut, like the Planet people tends to do in their videos. I close mine slowly, with both hands, to where the screen rests on the keyboard, then giving it the final nudge, to make the magnets take over and close it completely. So, I'd consider myself fairly careful.
Post by: gymbo on June 19, 2020, 05:56:35 pm
Quote from: Daniel W
I do believe you have stated before that you are very careful with your device, so the "the phone somehow has been bent in some situation", I meant it could have happened during production or shipping as well. But it would really not be any better if it is produced in such a manner that it is "bent" when finished...Quote from: gymboBut to be a little serious: Could the "spring-effect" of the hinge cover put a strain on the hinge? So that it actually IS NOT advised to keep it in open mode for prolonged time? Would be surprised if it was exerting enough force that it really should be an issue, but maybe if the whole phone is a little curved as well, it might be enough to BE an issue...? If the phone somehow has been bent in some situation,If referring to my particular Cosmo, it has never been bent in any situation, nor dropped, knocked, sat on, or even kept in a tight pocket (when carrying it, I keep it in my shirt pocket, inside the Gemini slipcase - as my Cosmo slipcase still hasn't arrived). It once got brushed off of a low bedside table, and landed on a curtain (it's a bit long, so it spills out on the floor), but that was weeks after the hinge cracked, and the event left no visible marks on any part of the device.
Quote from: Daniel W
If the act of leaving a Cosmo open on a sturdy surface, could somehow affect the integrity of the materials it's made from, then, I'd say, something is quite wrong with the design. Made to look and work much like a small clam-shell laptop, I would consider the open position to be its normal state, when not in transport. That said, to keep dust and debris out of the keyboard, I tend to keep mine on my desk, folded and inside the Gemini case, during my workdays (and at night, for the same purpose, I cover it, opened, with a thin microfiber cloth). Also, lest I fumble, which is rare, I never slam my Cosmo shut, like the Planet people tends to do in their videos. I close mine slowly, with both hands, to where the screen rests on the keyboard, then giving it the final nudge, to make the magnets take over and close it completely. So, I'd consider myself fairly careful.I totally agree that it should handle being open on a table/desk for a prolonged time, as I also agree that it is the way it is (should?) be used with the device "open". Like I said earlier, I am only trying to make sense of why it has happened... But it seems the most probable cause is some fault in the material in the hinge. Which points to a problem on Planets' side, with either materials in general, or with quality control. (It might of course be difficult to spot defaults in the material in a hinge during a quality control, but it certainly still points to some problem for Planet...)
Hope you will be able to get it fixed, or that it at least does not deteriorate further, and you can live with it as is!
Post by: da9l on July 12, 2020, 06:26:24 pm
But its just too inconvinient, having to open the device to get things done. Which is why i think their next device, the Astro is the best possible solution to this type of device. Its the best of both worlds.
I do think i will try to use it as a daily driver at one point though. But i think it feels more like having a small laptop rather than having a phone with a full keyboard, which is also why I'm hesitant to use it as my main phone
Post by: vldmr on July 12, 2020, 10:48:11 pm
Quote from: da9l
I've had my Cosmo for around a week now, and can, rather unfortunately, say that i won't be using it as my daily driver / phone. [...]
But its just too inconvinient, having to open the device to get things done. Which is why i think their next device, the Astro is the best possible solution to this type of device. Its the best of both worlds.
If CODI would live to its promise, then you would not even had this topic started. The promise was that you could handle all your urgent phone tasks such as answering phone call or message, playing your music, navigating and all such, from the external screen (CODI), without opening the device.
The reality turned out to be unresponsive slab with the life of its own in your pocket, making calls, switching various setting and abusing fingerprint scanner -- all on its own agenda (and sucking a lot of battery juice at that). Sure we can still hope that manufacturer will fix it. But I would say you can expect just the same from their next model - nice promises. There will be next "Black hole galaxy whatever" after astro, where the next promise will go, and the astro will be just another unfulfilled bastard of crowdfunding...
Sorry for bad mood, covid and all that flows with it, you know...
Post by: da9l on July 13, 2020, 02:41:23 am
Quote from: vldmr
Quote from: da9lI've had my Cosmo for around a week now, and can, rather unfortunately, say that i won't be using it as my daily driver / phone. [...]
But its just too inconvinient, having to open the device to get things done. Which is why i think their next device, the Astro is the best possible solution to this type of device. Its the best of both worlds.
If CODI would live to its promise, then you would not even had this topic started. The promise was that you could handle all your urgent phone tasks such as answering phone call or message, playing your music, navigating and all such, from the external screen (CODI), without opening the device.
The reality turned out to be unresponsive slab with the life of its own in your pocket, making calls, switching various setting and abusing fingerprint scanner -- all on its own agenda (and sucking a lot of battery juice at that). Sure we can still hope that manufacturer will fix it. But I would say you can expect just the same from their next model - nice promises. There will be next "Black hole galaxy whatever" after astro, where the next promise will go, and the astro will be just another unfulfilled bastard of crowdfunding...
Sorry for bad mood, covid and all that flows with it, you know...
You are not wrong though. The only reason i didn't back the Gemini back in the day, was becausee i could't imagine how it would be practical in everyday use. The Cosmo said to fix those worries, with Codi, but i have just ended up turning mine off. In practical terms that leaves me with a gemini with a backlit keyboard. A shame really.
But with Astro i do see a potential now that i know how Planet does things. They wont have to worry about software on some obscure proprietary screen because it would all be in the main screen . They also wont have to worry as much about Android having to be in landscape mode.
They do need to work on their software and promises though.
Post by: Mks1967 on July 16, 2020, 03:09:47 am
After months of being stored in his box, I got it out now to update to the latest V22 and for curiosity to see if something has changed, but from the comments I see, we are where we started. Don't get me wrong, I think the unit is great for someone who needs a pocket PC and enjoys tinkering with it, most likely someone working in IT, who spends his day in a controlled environment, commutes in public transport and has some meetings in coffee shops - this last one is a funny cliche used in all marketing stuff, but which I have never seen happen in real world.
As resume, the unit has a very niche market and Planet has not being honest marketing it; they could learn a lot from people like CAT with the S6 series, they clearly have a niche market and they market clearly to that niche market, clearly showing who can benefit from the units capabilities and usability limitations outside that niche application.
Hope this comments helps other potential business usage oriented clients avoiding Planet's marketing misguidance.
Rgds,
Markus
Post by: VAMM on July 21, 2020, 02:48:51 pm
If referring to my particular Cosmo, it has never been bent in any situation, nor dropped, knocked, sat on, or even kept in a tight pocket (when carrying it, I keep it in my shirt pocket, inside the Gemini slipcase - as my Cosmo slipcase still hasn't arrived).
IMO, you will be sorely disappointed by the quality and usefulness of the slipcase. In my case, relying on the slipcase caused more damage than it prevented. Once you've slid the phone in and out a few times, the case no longer grips the phone very well. In my case, I pulled the phone (in its case) out of my pocket. Case was upside down in my pocket for some reason. As the case came out of my pocket, the phone slid out and hit the driveway. Now the two back corners are damaged on either side of the hinge.
Personally, I think the case is worthless - a waste of money and yet another layer making the phone awkward to use while on the go.
As far as the phone itself goes, the two biggest issues with using it as a daily driver are the randomness of the front screen turning things on or off and making calls at random while in my pocket. Yes, you can screen lock it but that makes using the phone even more awkward as you are now unlocking it on the front screen (with its terrible responsiveness) AND the main screen if you have to use it. Why does unlocking the front screen not unlock the main screen?
The second usability issue has been that with each update since v19, the phone becomes more and more unstable. I now have regular multiple reboots per day, alarms don't go off and the phone sometimes doesn't ring when a call comes in. And with each reboot, I have to go into settings and turn the keyboard backlight on which now also sometimes doesn't turn on even after you set it to turn the backlight on (if you go back into the Cosmo settings the backlight magically comes on without touching the slider as if it suddenly remembers, "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to have the backlight on aren't I? Thanks for reminding me!"
The Cover Display and the main phone also seem to be very poorly integrated. It is obvious when you use the CODI that it is its own computer and that it doesn't really want to talk to the main phone. You essentially get two computers to deal with (and update) on one phone that don't really seem to like each other very much. That makes for great seemless usability.
And then there's Ledison. Why it is even installed on the Cosmo baffles me. It does nothing and yet there's even a setting in the Cosmo settings for it. Go ahead, turn it on and watch it do nothing.
After six months of using the Cosmo, I've also cooled toward the keyboard which was originally the big draw for me. Some keys seem to be unresponsive and others too responsive producing multiple presses. It's like there is one perfect tap at one perfect force that makes the key work correctly and if you fall outside of that parameter, who knows what you'll get. At this point, it's not much better than an on-screen keyboard for all the typos that need to be corrected.
Post by: Zarhan on July 21, 2020, 05:49:51 pm
Why does unlocking the front screen not unlock the main screen?
I'm not sure about all the other points, but it *does* work like this at least for me. Actually, one of the problems that I have is that occasionally Codi locks but the main screen does not. But anyway, unlocking CoDi *does* unlock the main display too.
Also, I have to say that if you skip the brown paperbag releases of V20/V21, I've gotten better behavior from V22/V23 than with V19.
Post by: VAMM on July 22, 2020, 02:42:57 pm
Why does unlocking the front screen not unlock the main screen?
I'm not sure about all the other points, but it *does* work like this at least for me. Actually, one of the problems that I have is that occasionally Codi locks but the main screen does not. But anyway, unlocking CoDi *does* unlock the main display too.
Also, I have to say that if you skip the brown paperbag releases of V20/V21, I've gotten better behavior from V22/V23 than with V19.
I use a swipe pattern. Unlocking the front screen does not unlock the main screen (or at least, I can't figure out how to enable that functionality). For me, V23 has made my phone worse. It was fairly stable until I installed v23. That's when the daily reboots started.
Post by: Zarhan on July 22, 2020, 03:07:52 pm
I use a swipe pattern. Unlocking the front screen does not unlock the main screen (or at least, I can't figure out how to enable that functionality). For me, V23 has made my phone worse. It was fairly stable until I installed v23. That's when the daily reboots started.
Ah, I use fingerprint + PIN.
Post by: Daniel W on August 09, 2020, 02:58:42 pm
If referring to my particular Cosmo, it has never been bent in any situation, nor dropped, knocked, sat on, or even kept in a tight pocket (when carrying it, I keep it in my shirt pocket, inside the Gemini slipcase - as my Cosmo slipcase still hasn't arrived).
IMO, you will be sorely disappointed by the quality and usefulness of the slipcase. In my case, relying on the slipcase caused more damage than it prevented. Once you've slid the phone in and out a few times, the case no longer grips the phone very well. In my case, I pulled the phone (in its case) out of my pocket. Case was upside down in my pocket for some reason. As the case came out of my pocket, the phone slid out and hit the driveway. Now the two back corners are damaged on either side of the hinge.
Personally, I think the case is worthless - a waste of money and yet another layer making the phone awkward to use while on the go.
Ouch, a case that drops the phone instead of holding it, certainly doesn't sound right, so yeah, I can see why you're less than impressed with it.
Anyway, three days ago, my Cosmo slipcase finally arrived, just one day short of four months, since it was supposedly sent from HK. Either covid-19 has that much of an impact on shipping times or, maybe, Planet should look for another logistics partner. Getting an email about an untracked letter being sent in early April and then nothing for next to four months, until I got a notice from Swedish customs requesting VAT, an import fee and VAT on the fee (because Sweden) for something from a company still within the EU, isn't such a great delivery experience. But, well, now it's here.
Since leather stretches a bit, making a slipcase with just the right friction fit, must be quite tricky, and might be a bit hit and miss. My Gemini slipcase was very tight at first, but with some use it loosened up to "about right" and stayed that way. I used it every day, first with my Gemini and then with my Cosmo, and it never got too loose. Since it is a tad short, it still failed to protect my Gemini, the one time I dropped it (inside its case), as the device, and not the case, hit the ground first. Luckily I got away with a minor cosmetic dent.
So far, I'm quite pleased with my Cosmo slipcase and I have no complaints about the quality. In my experience, "low quality", often tends to be "uneven quality", so maybe I just got lucky. I mean, I've owned a few Thermos brand vacuum flasks, which were ok, and then I have this really cheap knockoff, that somehow manages to be better. That just has to be luck.
The Cosmo case was also very tight at first, but now it, too, has loosened up some, and is about as snug as my Gemini case. Time will tell if it'll remain like that. I like that the Cosmo slipcase is a tad longer than the device, though whether that would actually protect the corners of the device, in case of a fall, would probably depend on exactly how it fell. Let's hope I don't need to find out.
I can understand that "yet another layer" can feel awkward. I used to keep my previous phone inside a calendar cover ($1 on a fleamarket) that just happened to be a the right size. It was a two-step process to get the phone out and as the cover was lined with slippery fabric, I had to be quite careful with my smooth-as-a-pebble all-glass phone. Compared to that, the slipcase is easier to use, but offers less protection.
Post by: Zarhan on August 10, 2020, 04:18:04 am
Post by: Hount on August 16, 2020, 12:12:57 pm
Hardware:
I'm constantly trying to type two-handed with thumb typing a'la Motorola Droid4. That's not going to work on Cosmo as the amount of buttons you're able to reach without changing the phone's position is not enough for efficient usage. But even though my fingers and hands are not that small I'm still able to type this with 10 fingers in a laptop type typing. Just not as convinient as thumb typing when on-the-go.
Two of the buttons stuck in midway. They seemed to work just fine when typing but when the "lid" was closed and all buttons were pressed to roughly middle of their travel two buttons (l and f) were stuck in the midway. I popped them out and carefully checked their double u shaped parts under magnifying glass and found out some anomalies. I was able to scrape them to almost identical shape as rest of the working buttons with an x-acto knife and now all buttons feel and look identical.
Screen is ok and speaker quality seems better than what I'm used with phones so far. Hinges do squeak but I dont mind that. I'm not yet confident with my knowledge of what accessories to plug in to which port. That may be something I'll take a look in the future.
Software (not codi. that's last section):
Most of the software that had Planet in the beginning of the name were completely useless for me. I don't want to become dependent of software that may not be available or could not work on another hardware, so I ended up disabling them apart from sync addon (Not clear if that may broke something) and Codi updater.
Some of the functonality of the buttons have changed. First the silver button acted like an power button, but now it's acting as a back button in Chrome Browser (also alt+esc seems to act as a back button... weird)
On some apps alt+tab lights up caps lock light on first attempt and initalizes task switch on second attempt. Telegram is one of those apps.
I ended up changing the keylayout with FinnQWERTY -app (swapping ä and ö) as the default layout was weird and anything but optimal for Finnish language, that app may have something to do with the weird behaviour of buttons?
Typing english (this text for example. written with Cosmo) relies lot of ':s and that's (again) not intuitive in finnish layout keyboard. Maybe with more training I'll be able to type better without looking at button prints.
Codi:
Had to be disabled as phone kept crashing/rebooting 5-10 times a day. Sometimes 3 times in a row within 10 minutes. Now codi disabled perfect uptime or 3 days and battery life seems to be almost doubled compared to the time with codi on.
Also phone kept locking itself in middle of typing etc. when codi was active. Now that codi is disabled - no more random lockscreen interruptions.
Summary:
This is the only phone with native finnish keylayout, so what are my options? :D I like it but I don't yet know how to use it efficiently. Without codi it' definitely not a phone as I can't even check the clock one handed. Not to think of doing anything else one handed. no more quick bus timetable check or anything unless you're prepared to stop and use both hands.
I hope codi would be fixed in an upcoming firmware release. And I hope Planet Computers would open their bugtracker to the public.
Post by: gymbo on August 16, 2020, 09:07:20 pm
Cosmo have been my daily driver for a week now. Here are my first impressions.I agree that there is not much else if you want something with native keyboard for "strange" languages, but there might be some options if you only need English, or maybe French or German (I've got a Norwegian one myself). But I tried to get by with a Blacberry Passport for a while, and I ended up only using it to have Profimail for my 20 something mail-accounts, and used an old Nokia E52 for a phone (my Nokia E7 had "broken down" and I didn't really have time to get my back-up E7 set up properly) although it was a pain to write SMS'es on it. So I doubt if I could really "get by" with anything but a phone with a physical keyboard, and I NEED my Norwegian layout too... Hence, Planet Computers is my only choice. (I've had the Gemini, uses the Cosmo, and have contributed for the Astro...)
Codi:
Had to be disabled as phone kept crashing/rebooting 5-10 times a day. Sometimes 3 times in a row within 10 minutes. Now codi disabled perfect uptime or 3 days and battery life seems to be almost doubled compared to the time with codi on.
Also phone kept locking itself in middle of typing etc. when codi was active. Now that codi is disabled - no more random lockscreen interruptions.
Summary:
This is the only phone with native finnish keylayout, so what are my options? :D I like it but I don't yet know how to use it efficiently. Without codi it' definitely not a phone as I can't even check the clock one handed. Not to think of doing anything else one handed. no more quick bus timetable check or anything unless you're prepared to stop and use both hands.
I hope codi would be fixed in an upcoming firmware release. And I hope Planet Computers would open their bugtracker to the public.
Regarding the codi, I think it is useful only for notifications and phone-calls (especially receiving), but I still need to open it for unknown numbers, if I need to know who/what it is. (My "caller-ID app" gives a notification too, but I can't access it on codi until after the call is "finished".)
But for me the Cosmo functions much more like a "phone" without opening it than the Gemini, but I DID get by with that too. (Not the last months, before beginning to use the Cosmo though, but that was mainly because ALL the cover-plates fell of when opening/closing it; the hinge-cover, and the front- and back-cover... I AM beginning to see some "slack" in the hinge cover on the Cosmo as well, hopefully it wont become as bad as the Gemini. This should probably not be a problem with the Astro, but hope the hinge will work reliably, and that there wont be any problem with the cables either (as the Psions had; they where kind of infamous for that).
Post by: bluetooth on September 08, 2020, 08:25:29 am
I've had my Cosmo since beginning of July. It's now time to share with you my experiences and thoughts of it.
Unfortunately I never owned a Psion (though I dreamt of I as a student). However, I was a very keen Nokia Communicator owner for years (until they were discontinued). Back in Symbian days, I hoped that the Communicator would evolve into a device that would have all the best features of a phone and a computer. The most invaluable apps to me were the web browser, calendar, messaging and office apps, though I have to admit that the quality of the latter was not that good. Unfortunately Nokia developed the Communicator in a wrong direction by adopting S60 middleware and UI.
Android seems to do a much better job at that. It is a feature-rich platform, there are thousands of third-party apps to choose from and the device HW is capable of performing the tasks (which was not always the case with Symbian FW and HW used in the 2000's). Sure, there are certain privacy concerns but I still think Android with Google stuff is the best fit for me. I was a bit concerned about how apps behave in landscape but it seems that for most apps it is not a real issue. Key shortcuts could be better supported but all in all it works well.
You can find virtually any app for any specific use case from Google Play. My recommendations are Business Calendar (though it is not optimized for keyboard use), HiperCalcPro, OfficeSuite & File Commander (Mobisystems). I store my files in OneDrive and I do have occasional issues in syncing edited office files back to cloud from OfficeSuite. For web and email I currently use Kiwi browser and Email - Lightning fast and secure mail from Edison but I am not completely satisfied with their UI. For launcher, Nova Launcher was an easy choice based on several recommendations in this forum. I especially like the possibility to add file shortcuts to the home screen and to modify the app/file icons and captions. WhatsApp use is cumbersome as the actual app is configured in my primary phone and I need to use a third party app to mirror messages. Planet apps? A brief glance at them was enough to tell me that I'd better install more professionally crafted 3rd party apps instead.
As for customization, I set the dpi to 600 and then set the font a bit larger in settings and also in some apps. I removed the command buttons for more real estate. I use the split screen feature a lot. It is pretty easy to use. I have not found any third party app switcher to replace the horrible factory one - is there any available?
Keyboard is by far the best mobile keyboard I have ever used. The Commies did not come even close. I swapped scandic letters Ä and Ö of my Fin/Swe keyboard with FinQwerty. The keyboard background light should be integrated with the screen brightness and ambient sensor. Now it is tedious to switch it on/off. If I only could create an easier key shortcut for it. Actually the easiest way could be to couple it with the of Esc / Fn-Esc (screen on/off) in dark conditions (user configurable setting). The keyboard light brightness should actually be adjusted less bright when it gets darker but maybe it is too much to require for that sophisticated a feature. As regards the inner screen, it is a bit hard to read outdoors.
I have noticed I tend to do many more things now with Cosmo for the pure fun, though I would have a Windows laptop available, too (and often it would be easier to do a task with the laptop). I acquired the Connectivity Kit and I tested that all the outputs work, including LAN. I have used HDMI output a lot with an external display or TV. I can't stop thinking if it would be possible to genuinely replace one's PC with a device like Cosmo? At the office you would simply connect it with the display and peripherals. The HDMI output quality could be a bit better, though. Bluetooth mouse works seamlessly. I have also remote-controlled my Galaxy from Cosmo over Bluetooth to write messages. Printing via USB is possible, you just need a driver for the printer (I recommend PrinterShare).
I charge the battery approximately once a day; battery time could be 1,5-2 days with a bit more moderate use. I do not have a SIM card on Cosmo; neither do I use CODI as it is not really needed in PDA use. However, I watch (too much) youtube or TV programs which obviously are big drainers.
Cosmo has worked for me reliably. I think I only had one reboot since July (of course I have rebooted it myself a few times). In my use, the performance is sufficient (better than in my work PC). Codi update was a PITA but as with so many of you, it then finally succeeded easily. You just first needed to bang your head over a dozen times and return to the task the following day.
My biggest worries concern the long-term maintenance. Does Cosmo HW stay intact (I also hope not to drop or wet it). Another, bigger worry is the future FW updates: how many years can I use Cosmo before it gets a real security risk or the 3rd party apps won't get supported anymore. As a product itself it could be a long relationship as it is rather unique. It is pretty unlikely that any major OEM would introduce such a form factor now that the dual or fold displays are in fashion.
To sum it up, Cosmo has in many aspects fulfilled or even exceeded my expectations. In the current use as an ultra portable computer it has not let me down.
Post by: Zarhan on September 08, 2020, 09:44:42 am
Another, bigger worry is the future FW updates: how many years can I use Cosmo before it gets a real security risk or the 3rd party apps won't get supported anymore.
The current security level of the Android is still relatively recent and as far as I know, there hasn't really been critical vulnerabilities since the big Bluetooth hole in February. But I have to say that this is my biggest worry too. It's been complete silence from Planet since V23. It really cannot be that hard to just streamline new updates from Google into the image, even if you don't do any Planet-specific addtions and changes.
Post by: hyrjana on November 19, 2020, 02:51:29 pm
Some of the functonality of the buttons have changed. First the silver button acted like an power button, but now it's acting as a back button in Chrome Browser (also alt+esc seems to act as a back button... weird)
On some apps alt+tab lights up caps lock light on first attempt and initalizes task switch on second attempt. Telegram is one of those apps.
I ended up changing the keylayout with FinnQWERTY -app (swapping ä and ö) as the default layout was weird and anything but optimal for Finnish language, that app may have something to do with the weird behaviour of buttons?
Typing english (this text for example. written with Cosmo) relies lot of ':s and that's (again) not intuitive in finnish layout keyboard. Maybe with more training I'll be able to type better without looking at button prints.
I noticed also that FinQwerty breaks some of keyboard shortcuts. For me screenshot shortcut is important so I have two layouts selected in the settings - FinQwerty and original. When I need to take a screenshot or some keyboard shortcut is not working right, I press Ctrl + Space and Cosmo changes layout back to original. Second stroke of Ctrl + Space retrieves layout to FinQwerty. Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, is there way to make keyboard shortcut for sending messages e.g. in whatsapp?
Post by: bluetooth on November 20, 2020, 05:01:22 pm
I noticed also that FinQwerty breaks some of keyboard shortcuts. For me screenshot shortcut is important so I have two layouts selected in the settings - FinQwerty and original. When I need to take a screenshot or some keyboard shortcut is not working right, I press Ctrl + Space and Cosmo changes layout back to original. Second stroke of Ctrl + Space retrieves layout to FinQwerty. Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, is there way to make keyboard shortcut for sending messages e.g. in whatsapp?
With FinQwerty layout Fn+R makes screenshots!
Post by: vldmr on November 24, 2020, 12:45:11 pm
After this one full year I would certainly advice anyone against acquiring this sad device. And am I glad I had enough sense to pull back my impulse contribution to the next "Planet Computers" campaign on idiegogo.
Post by: LinuxGuy on November 24, 2020, 03:49:03 pm
Since I managed to get rid of reboots, I am using the cosmo as my main phone now.
POS:
- love the keyboard, makes editing documents "on the go" (for work) so much easier.
- different linux options
- I use my laptop way less now
NEG:
- its hard to get the battery through the day for me >:(
- some keys need "special attention" ( dont grasp every touch): Space, 0 !!! :(
- "quickly looking up" somethings doesnt work - you have to open the device ???
OVERVALL:
I love the device and hope for long-term security support!
Post by: oida on November 24, 2020, 03:53:22 pm
After this one full year I would certainly advice anyone against acquiring this sad device. And am I glad I had enough sense to pull back my impulse contribution to the next "Planet Computers" campaign on idiegogo.
I guess you are not the only one being disappointed. In fact I cannot imagine anyone enjoying this device. Sadly not even androis is updated at all. There in not even the possibility for creating an AOSP port. CoDi is closed. Blobs with libhybris do not work properly. There is not even a download - and flashable Android (original) rom. How could we - "the community" as Planet Computers calls it, develope anything for it?
Post by: Pikku-iikka on February 24, 2021, 08:31:34 am
It is nearly all about the keyboard for me. So far it has been working very well. I am enjoying the reasonably large view, when a virtual keyboard is not blocking it. Somehow this is essential to me, my brain gets stuck if I can't see a good portion of what I'm producing. Also, I do quite a lot web publishing, too. Same pros here with the keyboard and large view. These facts have been enough for me to leave my work laptop home when visiting my relatives in 500 km away now and then. Great, since travelling by bus or train is always nicer with a light backpack.
As I wrote in the 'Squeeky hinges' -thread (https://www.oesf.org/forum/index.php?topic=36082.msg297339#msg297339), my Cosmo was in repair trip for several months after initial 6 months usage. Now I'm enjoying it even more than nearly year ago when I first got it. That's because I know what to expect and how to solve things.
The little oddies of the Cosmo - like LED's and 'ghost notifications' - can sometimes be also quite funny and make the device live in a way ::) Of course real hardware problems are not that funny...
The middle hinge breaking suddenly btw, as discussed earlier in this thread, really could be the bad plastic syndrome. When opening/closing the Cosmo, I think the tension towards fragile parts is greatest when the angle of the lid is just under 90 deg. Not when it is fully opened or sitting opened at a desk. So, from now on, I try to support the device by squeezing gently from the back when opening. Hopefully the hinges last better this time.