The GPD Pocket 3 is a mini-laptop computer with an 8 inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel touchscreen display, a convertible tablet-style design that allows you to use it as a laptop or tablet, and a modular port system that allows you to swap out one of the computer’s USB ports for one of several optional modules.
The Pocket 3 went up for pre-order last month for $650 and up during an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. That campaign ended this week, but GPD is continuing to accept pre-orders through Indiegogo InDemand. You’ll just have to pay about $50 more. The Pocket 3 should begin shipping to backers in January, 2022.
Prices now range from $700 for a GPD Pocket 3 with an Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD to $1049 for a version with an Intel Core i7-1195G7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a faster 1TB SSD.
You can also pay an extra $80 for a set of modules that let you replace a USB Type-A port with either an RS-232 Serial port or a KVM module with HDMI and USB-C input, allowing you to use the computer as a handheld terminal for direct connections to servers or other PCs.
The Pocket 3 measures 198 x 137 x 20mm (7.8″ x 5.4″ x 0.8″) and weighs 725 grams (about 1.6 pounds), making it pretty small for a laptop, but not quite small enough to slide into a pocket.
It’s designed as a portable machine for IT professionals looking for a solution a little more powerful and versatile than the 5.5 inch GPD microPC, and as I noted in my GPD Pocket 3 review the new model has a decent keyboard for touch-typing, a trackpad that’s awkwardly placed above the keyboard, but which makes input fairly simple, and support for a pressure-sensitive pen for folks who’d prefer to write notes or draw on the screen.
Battery life is nothing to write home about – a model with an Intel Core i7 processor died after about 5 hours of streaming video from YouTube over WiFi. But it comes with a 65W USB-C charger which should allow you to top up the battery reasonably quickly. The mini-laptop can also be charged from a USB power bank that supports 45W or higher charging.
One other thing to keep in mind before placing an order though, is that GPD has a track record of delivering innovating, but sometimes buggy hardware. And since GPD is a small company doing business from China with little international presence, it can be difficult to get customer support or technical support if you have any problems. So I typically recommend only ordering the company’s products if you’re willing to eat the costs if you run into trouble.
Here’s a run-down of key specs for the GPD Pocket 3:
| GPD Pocket 3 specs | ||
| Processor | Intel Pentium Silver N6000 4 cores / 4 threads 1.1 GHz base / 3.3 GHz turbo 1.5MB L2 cache 4MB L3 cache 6W / 10W TDP Tremont architecture | Intel Core i7-1195G7 4 cores / 8 threads 2.9 GHz base / 5 GHz turbo 5MB L2 cache 12MB L3 cache 12W – 25W TDP Tiger Lake UP3 architecture |
| Graphics | Intel UHD 630 32 execution units 350 MHz base / 850 MHz max 256 shaders 4K@60Â Hz DirectX 12 OpenGL 4.5 | Intel Iris Xe with 96eu 96 execution units 400 MHz base / 1.4 GHz max 768 shaders 8K@60Â Hz DirectX 12.1 OpenGL 4.6 |
| Display | 8 inches 1920 x 1200 pixels 248 ppi IPS LCD 500 nits 10-point multitouch 180 degree hinge | 8 inches 1920 x 1200 pixels 248 ppi IPS LCD 500 nits 10-point multitouch 180 degree hinge |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4x-2933 (LPDDR4x-4266, but the Pentium N6000 SoC limits speeds to 2933 MHz) | 16GB LPDDR4x-3733 Configurable up to 4266 MHz in BIOS |
| Storage | M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe 1.3 SSD 512GB | M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 or 4.0 x4 NVMe 1.3 or 1.4 SSD 1TB |
| Modular port | USB-A (included) RS-232 (sold separately) KVM / USB input (sold separately) | USB-A (included) RS-232 (sold separately) KVM / USB input (sold separately) |
| Other Ports | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 2 x 3.2 Gen 2 USB Type-A 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet 1 x 3.5mm mic/headphone combo | 1 x Thunderbolt 4 2 x 3.2 Gen 2 USB Type-A 1 x HDMI 2.0b 1 x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet 1 x 3.5mm mic/headphone combo |
| Wireless | Intel AX201 WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 | Intel AX210 WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Keyboard | QWERTY chiclet-style keys Backlit | QWERTY chiclet-style keys Backlit |
| Webcam | 2MP 77 degree field of view | 2MP 77 degree field of view |
| Battery & Charging | 38.5Wh 10,000 mAh battery 45W USB-C charger (20V/2.25A) | 38.5Wh 10,000 mAh battery 45W USB-C charger (20V/2.25A) |
| Audio | Stereo speakers 3.5mm audio jack | Stereo speakers 3.5mm audio jack |
| Security | Fingerprint reader TPM 2.0 | Fingerprint reader TPM 2.0 |
| Cooling | Active (fan) | Active (fan) |
| Stylus | Microsoft Pen Protocol 2.0 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity Sold separately | Microsoft Pen Protocol 2.0 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity Sold separately |
| Materials | Aluminum unibody chassis | Aluminum unibody chassis |
| Dimensions | 198 x 137 x 20mm | 198 x 137 x 20mm |
| Weight | 725 grams | 725 grams |
| Price (during crowdfunding) | $650 for Pocket 3 $730 for Pocket 3 + module | $999 for Pocket 3 $1079 for Pocket 3 + module |
| Price (Indiegogo InDemand) | $700 for Pocket 3 $780 for Pocket 3 + module | $1049 for Pocket 3 $1130 for Pocket 3 + module |
You can find more performance notes and other details in Liliputing’s GPD Pocket 3 Review.