from the you-mean-these-things-are-actually-computers? dept.
PC Watch has uncovered a new makeshift laptop design that turns any smartphone into a working laptop:
The HTL WitH features a 13.3-inch display and a 5000mAh battery. It is compatible with Android and iPhone smartphones featuring display output through their respectable charging ports.
The WitH features a 13.3-inch IPS LCD that supports a 1080P resolution; the clamshell measures 311x210x14.9mm and weighs 2.6lb. The device carries a very respectable 5000mAh battery that we believe powers both the device and charges the smartphone simultaneously. Either way, the laptop reportedly has a 6-hour operation time.
[...] Sadly, this laptop device is not available in the United States and only appears to be available from Amazon's Japanese web page, priced at 61,380 Yen or $449.
A viable alternative to Chromebooks?
Related: Laptop and Phone Convergence at CES
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New laptops are drawing upon features/attributes associated with smartphones, such as LTE connectivity, ARM processors, (relatively) high battery life, and walled gardens:
This year's crop of CES laptops -- which we'll define broadly to include Windows-based two-in-one hybrids and slates -- even show signs of a sudden evolutionary leap. The long-predicted PC-phone convergence is happening, but rather than phones becoming more like computers, computers are becoming more like phones.
The most obvious way this is happening is the new breed of laptops that ditch the traditional Intel (and sometimes AMD) processors for new Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm. So far, we've seen three of these Snapdragon systems announced: the HP Envy x2, the Asus NoveGo and the Lenovo Miix 630.
Laptops with lower-end processors have been tried before, with limited success. Why is now potentially the right time? Because these systems aren't being pitched as bargain basement throwaways -- and in fact, they'll cost $600 and up, the same as many mainstream laptops in the US. Instead, they promise some very high-end features, including always-on LTE connectivity (like a phone) and 20-plus hours of battery life with weeks of standby time, which also sounds more like a phone than a PC. The tradeoff is that these Snapdragon laptops run Windows 10 S, a limited version of Windows 10, which only allows apps from the official Microsoft app store. That's also similar to the walled garden of mobile OS apps many phones embrace.
[...] There's another take on phone-laptop convergence happening here at CES. Razer, the PC and accessory maker, always brings one or two inventive prototypes to CES, such as last year's triple-screen Project Valerie laptop. The concept piece for CES 2018 is Project Linda, a 13-inch laptop shell, with a large cutout where the touchpad would normally be. You drop a Razer Phone in that slot, press a button, and the two pieces connect, with the laptop body acting as a high-end dock for the phone. The phone acts as a touchpad and also a second screen, and it works with the growing number of Android apps that have been specially formatted for larger laptop screens or computer monitors.
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(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Thursday December 22 2022, @05:31PM (1 child)
Out of curiosity, I've done Geekbench tests on a number of phones in recent weeks. One Motorola, and one Samsung have respectable benchmarks. All the rest lying around the house are Telco feature phone offerings. They really don't have enough power to run multiple apps, let alone a docking station. I guess that's why the phones have been left lying around the house - their owners abandoned them.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Friday December 23 2022, @09:56PM
I believe the only difficult requirement is Display Port Alt Mode. That is the USB-c passing a DP signal. Apple has a similar feature if that is your style. However, alt mode is not universal; my Moto X4 and Pixel 4a 5G both use USB-c for charging but don't support alt mode.
Beyond the display, everything else can connect through Bluetooth. Then it gets into RAM/CPU, and I would expect the performance to match your phone form-factor experience. I use my phone for phonecalls and basic internet operations, so I have never felt like my phone was too slow computationally, but your usage may vary.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2022, @06:18PM (3 children)
Wouldn't a cellular modem for a sub-notebook make a hell of a lot more sense that these kludges?
Or don't they make cellular modems any more?
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Thursday December 22 2022, @06:33PM
Or just a hotspot...
compiling...
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday December 23 2022, @04:17AM
Yes, maybe. Many people are using their phones for just about everything you might do on a PC / laptop. Although I have good close vision, I still can't deal with the tiny screen, and much worse lack of actual keyboard. More so, I don't trust a phone, at all, regarding security, not spying on me, etc., so I don't think I'd ever need the cellphone docking station, but I think many people would like it.
IIRC there are already tools built in to the phone and apk development (adb.exe) that give you phone's desktop in a window in Windows. It may be phone specific.
Laptop I'm typing on has (empty) slots for cell modem. Older, now deprecated 3G unfortunately is all that was available. As "RamiK" mentioned, I'm using my cell phone as a WiFi hotspot right now. Supposedly USB can do the connection rather than WiFi; I've never tried it.
Cellphones have a modem as part of the architecture. You can access it through USB.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Friday December 23 2022, @10:02PM
In this instance, yes. I've been looking for a device like this for a while: I travel a lot for work and would like a lightweight personal device. The model advertised looks very similar to my pre-existing personal laptop at 1.2kg and 13.3in, so it does nothing for me. But if they could bring the weight down and keep the price down it would be a good alternative to a full laptop. Especially if you have a workstation for real work somewhere remote, all you need is a thin client.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2022, @07:47PM
In the Tom's Hardware tfa (repeated by SN), it says:
> smartphones featuring display output through their respectable charging ports.
This seems like a good reason to not use smartphone apps--that "respectable" was likely changed from "respective" by some artificially stupid correction software.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Thursday December 22 2022, @09:57PM (5 children)
Was working for Qualcomm at the time, marketing asked for marketing ideas. This one was mine. Think I called it a docking station. I never heard anything back.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday December 23 2022, @04:13AM (4 children)
I think it's a great idea, but why it needs more than a screen, a keyboard, and a battery escapes me. Certainly shouldn't cost $449. Peel half the guts out of my $99 Win11 laptop (er, glorified netbook) and there ya go.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday December 23 2022, @04:40AM (3 children)
Yeah, it seems like a great product for some people, but I can't figure how they'll justify the cost.
As I wrote above, I remember a few years ago mirroring the phone's desktop in a Windows window, but I forget the details. I think it was part of the Android adb tools and USB connection of course, but I think you can do it through WiFi / IP too.
This article [lifewire.com] describes several ways to mirror phone's desktop on a PC.
There are many 3rd-party mirroring (remoting-in) apps, and of course you can ssh in to the phone.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday December 23 2022, @05:06AM (2 children)
Thanks, I'll have to try some of these... yeah, it's a solved problem, but could be made more portable and elegant without so much expense. Frex, how about a slot that the phone fits into? should be plenty of extra room inside the case. (Certainly is inside my glorified netbook.) Or maybe combine a flexible screen and keyboard into a rollup unit.
The advantage of just connecting a cable is that it would work for anyone with zero knowledge of how to make phone speak to PC.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Friday December 23 2022, @05:19AM (1 child)
Yeah, the slot idea is good, but like laptop docking stations, there's no standard. It might have been smart if they all agreed to one early on.
Early iPhones (4 for sure) had a fairly wide multi-pin connector and various little stands that made contact and brought out charging, audio, USB, and I'm not sure what else.
USB is Good Enough and pretty standard (now, finally).
I've thought about getting a large phone / tablet (phablet) and keyboard, but I really don't do much on the phone. Nothing that requires a login except for 1 of my email addresses- stuff that might be important / urgent.
Maybe if I ever have a true Linux or at least LineageOS phone I might trust it to do more important stuff, then link it to a bigger screen, full-size (ish) keyboard, etc.
Heck, just a nice-size tablet w/keyboard and USB ports (dongle/splitter/hub), strap on the cellphone, and you're good to go.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday December 23 2022, @06:03AM
I was thinking phone, connector, and all goes into the slot/drawer/hideaway thingee, just get it out of the way and not knock it off the desk or drop it in the mud when your third hand isn't on the job. No need to one size fits all, just something squishy and heat-dissipating to keep it from rattling around.
I do pretty much nothing on the phone, other than phone stuff. My Pinephone with the keyboard runs Manjaro and thinks it's a netbook (doesn't even have a SIM). It came with a USB dock, but so far I haven't used it.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 1) by Coligny on Friday December 23 2022, @04:30AM
Put a sim slot and a touchscreen on macbook air and be done with these kludges…
Bluetooth earpiece if you need to talk to other humans…
If I wanted to be moderated by mor0nic groupthinking retards I would still be on Digg and Reddshit.