London-based computer firm Planet Computers first unveiled the Astro Slide 5G with a slider keyboard design in March 2020 under crowdfunding on Indiegogo. The crowdfunding exercise was a huge success with the company officially launching the device in January 2021. Despite the official launch, the device was still not ready to ship. Planet Computers has yet again unveiled the Astro Slide 5G during CES 2022.
The company equally hinted that the device will start shipping in March this year after the long wait. The device which is offered in a single blue color carries a retail price of £862. However, there is a 30% discount on Indiegogo for the device and it is still active, bringing down the price to around $650.
In an era where premium phones with physical keyboards are almost out of the market, the Astro Slide comes as a perfect fit for those who would like to own a device with a physical keyboard.
The device is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 800 chipset which brings 5G connectivity to the mix. The processor is backed by 8GB RAM while there is 128GB of internal storage onboard as well as option for storage expansion via a microSD card. It also features a backlit mechanical keyboard which can be hidden when not in use via the slider mechanism. The slider mechanism in use is said to be the recently patented RockUp slider hinge which converts the device to a palm top computer.
The device features a 6.39-inch AMOLED screen with an FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. The display is also protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The device also comes with a 4,000mAh battery with support for 30W fast wired charging and 10W Qi Wireless charging.
Other features onboard the slider phone includes a 48MP rear camera as well as a 13MP front camera. There is also stereo speakers, NFC support, a 3.5 mm audio jack, two USB-C ports with OTG and DP support. The device boots Android 11 out of the box. The device also supports multi-boot with various Linux distributions.
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