When I wrote about Sony’s wonderful, terrible VAIO P a while back, I wondered if modern mobile technology might enable a more successful take on the tiny laptop. UK startup Planet Computers' Gemini isn’t quite a 2018 VAIO P, but if something closer to a 2018 Psion Series 5 will do, you’ll want to read on.

The Gemini is a clamshell Android device with an 18:9 ultrawide 1080p screen and a compact but more-or-less full physical keyboard. It runs on a 10-core MediaTek Helio X27 processor and has 4GB of RAM, a 4,220mAh battery, and two USB-C ports. It’s 15.1mm thick when closed and weighs 308g. There are both Wi-Fi-only and LTE-capable models. The software is pretty much stock Android with a useful customized dock that can be brought up anywhere, and you can also dual-boot into Linux for more customization.

Clearly, the whole point of the Gemini is having an ultra-portable keyboard with actual keys, and any keyboard this size is going to take some getting used to. I can’t say in my brief time with the device that I was typing all that faster than I do on my phone. But I do love the idea of the Gemini as a simple computer that can be taken anywhere and used like, well, a notebook. 

The Gemini sells for $399 through Indiegogo and is said to be shipping soon — the models I tested were just off the production line. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to spend more time with it in the near future.