The last few years have seen several major smartphone manufacturers and startups try to break down the barriers between smartphones and personal computers. The fact of the matter is, there is not even such a big difference between the two device categories: smartphones are personal computers with small screens, especially energy-efficient components, and come without physical keyboards and other input devices except for their touchscreen. These minor shortcomings are negligible when you update social media, reading reviews at iTunesCasino.co.uk or playing Candy Crush but they become serious when you try to do some work. Despite their processing power growing beyond that of the personal computers we used just a few years ago, smartphones are seen as primarily entertainment devices and not actual computers.
Microsoft was the first major tech firm to seriously pursue this direction. Its Continuum, a feature built into its Windows 10-powered smartphones, allowed them to transform their user interface into one similar to Windows 10’s desktop and be used as such. Unfortunately, Continuum went down with Microsoft’s Lumia smartphone line, taking the company’s mobile dreams with it. But the idea of Continuum survived.
Samsung was the first major smartphone manufacturer to release something similar with its new Galaxy S8 line last year. The product was called DeX (short for Desktop eXperience) and allowed people to use their Galaxy S8 / Note 8 line in a way similar to a desktop computer while simultaneously charging the phone, connecting it to Ethernet networks, as well as wired keyboards and mice. Huawei, the third largest smartphone manufacturer today, released something similar called PC Mode with its Mate 10 Pro handset (and its EMUI 8.0 interface). This time, there was no need for a docking station – simply connecting the phone to a large screen using a USB Type-C to HDMI cable did the trick. Of course, a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo was also needed to get work done. And this is just the beginning – we can expect more similar products and solutions to pop up both from big manufacturers and smaller startups.
But can we expect Apple to follow their lead?
The Cupertino giant appears to be more cautious when implementing some features and technologies. Just think of how long Qi-compatible wireless charging has been available before Apple decided to include it in one of its handsets. And in the case of the transforming smartphones into personal computers, we can’t really expect Apple to embrace it – especially since it already has something similar going on with its iPad Pro – see the commercial below.
Besides, launching a smartphone that could double as a personal computer would have the potential to reduce its other device sales – and that’s not something Apple wants. So, at least for the time being, we shouldn’t expect Apple’s take on Continuum, DeX, Huawei’s PC Mode and similar solutions that might appear in the future.
The post Will Apple Ever Embrace the Phone-To-PC Trend? appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.
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