Lapdocks Need Love
In 2020, flagship smartphones have become so powerful that they could (and should) replace many users' laptops altogether. They've got fast processors, large batteries, and expandable storage, but what they lack is the comfortable laptop form-factor. Having a full-sized physical keyboard, trackpad, screen, and ports make laptops leagues better for play and productivity.
But what if the form-factor of a traditional laptop could be combined with the high-powered and pocketable smartphones that people already carry? This already exists in the cross-section of "lapdocks" and "desktop-mode" enabled smartphones, and consumers have not been giving them a fair shot.
Lapdocks are laptop shaped shells containing a screen, keyboard, trackpad and full-sized I/O ports. However, they are strategically missing any kind of computational components. This means no processor, no ram, no hard drive and no onboard graphics, resulting in a smaller price tag and better build quality. Instead, your phone takes care of all of the processing by simply connecting the two via USB-C.
But even with the laptop form-factor, the experience would fall short if it just looked like Android blown up to 15 inches, diagonal. Well, Samsung, Huawei and LG thought of this, giving a select few of their phones "desktop-modes" that activate whenever they're plugged directly into a monitor, TV, or lapdock. This switches the phone's home screen into a Windows-like environment, complete with shortcut icons, a taskbar, window scaling and multi-window support.
While these features are all bog-standard to anyone who has used a computer in the past 30 years, it still feels impressive and novel when you see a phone doing it. Plus, it's absolutely essential when doing any kind of writing or productivity work.
Plus, there are some advantages that the lapdock ecosystem has over conventional laptops:
All of your apps, profiles and data will be as they are on your phone when you use the dock, making for a seamless user transition.
You can use your phone's data plan to connect to the internet wherever you are while using the dock.
Upgradability is seamless. When you buy a new phone, you've upgraded your lapdock!
Not just phones, but compute sticks and micro computers such as Raspberry Pi devices can run through lapdocks and off of their built-in batteries.
But you're probably wondering: What if I use an iPhone? Or, what if I want to use Windows or Mac OS exclusive programs?
If you use an iPhone, then the lapdock ecosystem isn't for you. Apple has made no plans to support iPhone docking, so maybe an iPad could fill this gap.
The same goes for using programs available only on Windows or Mac OS. While Android phones can't natively run Win or Mac programs, (without a lot of faffing about with Wine and virtual machines) you can still use screen mirroring software such as Google's Chrome Remote Desktop to run programs from your main computer on your phone through the lapdock. This retains the power of your main rig while allowing the portability and flexibility of your lapdock.
If you don't mind the occasional workaround, running Android through desktop mode can handily take care of your basic computing needs.
Regrettably, the lapdock / desktop mode premise hasn't taken off as fast as it should have. But, there are still several options that you could buy right now.
Samsung, Huawei and LG have incorporated desktop-modes into several of their mid to top tier smartphones, with the Samsung Galaxy and Note series being the most popular. But if you don't have one of these phones, then you're still in good standing. Google quietly released a basic universal desktop mode in the Android 10 update which works on all phones that support video-out over USB-C. It's not as refined as the previously mentioned offerings, but there's a good chance that it gets improved in Android 11.
As for the lapdocks themselves, there's only a few modern options available. HP is the only large company to still offer one with their Elite X3 Dock, but several start-up companies are successfully funding lapdocks of their own through Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, such as with the Nexdock and PhonePad. These provide sleek, durable, and thin form-factors with considerably low prices around $250 and $500.
You would think paying $1,300 for a Samsung Note 20 Ultra would make the average user want to use it for more than scrolling through Twitter. I think people just need to be made aware that their phones are more useful than they give them credit for; with a bit of help, anyway.
Lapdocks embody everything I love in new computer hardware: they're cheap, durable, upgradable, use existing components and break preconceptions about what tech should be used for. I hope that the public buys and appreciates lapdocks, as this niche deserves the support.