New convergence device for Android - $99 superbook

[vi edit]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andromium/the-superbook-turn-your-smartphone-into-a-laptop-f

Idea is that it's an ultra portable laptop that lets your smartphone run the guts of it. Android supports full office suite and has chrome. Plus this emulates a full file browser and desktop function. Has a built in battery that also charges your phone and will run for up to 10 hours now that the stretch goal has hit. It pulls in wifi and cellular signal from your phone.

I'm intrigued for using this as a toss in to the car for trips and what not to knock out longer emails, one notes and web browsing without investing a ton of money. The clip on attachment for the phone is cheap and crude. I'm sure there's a better way they could have done that. Also not thrilled that the base price color is gold (really????) and not black or silver. Have to pay $60 premium to go to blue. Big time miss there IMHO.

But for $99 for a disposable, portable and possibly highly functional shell for your phone it seems very interesting.

 

[sweenish]

Seems too good to be true.

 

[Red Storm]

I would love something like this, but there's no way I'm pledging money for it. Need it see it released for sale and properly reviewed before giving any money.

 

[quikah]

Not new

http://nexdock.com/

Nexdock will start shipping next month or so. They had a major setback a few weeks ago when their entire stock was destroyed in a factory fire.

 

[gorcorps]

Seems too good to be true.

What's too good to be true? The price or the technology? The technology as has been mentioned before is not new at all. HP has a windows phone that's due out soon that will have a similar laptop available. Asus even had tablet/phone combos that you could plug your phone into years ago.

https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/19/asus-padfone-x-review/

 

[vi edit]

That Next Dock and HP thing are windows phone devices. That's what...2% of smart phone users at this point?

At least an Android platform hits a huge market base.

 

[JMB1911]

Not new

http://nexdock.com/

Nexdock will start shipping next month or so. They had a major setback a few weeks ago when their entire stock was destroyed in a factory fire.

That looks like it's for Win10 only.

 

[quikah]

The nexdock can be used with anything. It has hdmi in, the keyboard and mouse are Bluetooth. There is nothing special that limits it to Windows devices only. It was marketed for windows devices, but also shows using with android, iPhone, raspberrypi, tablets, etc.

Anyway, the point is, there are other devices out there that do the same thing.

 

[luv2liv]

this is awesome! i like how you can use any phones you want, now and in the future!
previously, solutions from Asus forces you to use their phones.

 

[KeithP]

I guess there would be some use cases where this would make sense but it seems to me most people would be better off with a ChromeBook.

-KeithP

 

[vi edit]

I guess there would be some use cases where this would make sense but it seems to me most people would be better off with a ChromeBook.

-KeithP

It's an interesting niche for sure. For me it's awesome for traveling and light duty business stuff. It's a bigger screen for web browsing and email typing. It's also a way to view pictures taken on my phone on a bigger screen. I can use my phone cellular to team view in easily for support on weekends without lugging a laptop. And it's only $100 and doesn't "store" anything on itself. When I switch out phones it still works the way it always did. I'm in at the $99 level. Not sure how I feel about the 1080p option for $30 and the eventual jump to $50 if they hit the backlighting stretch goal.

 

[sweenish]

What's too good to be true?

The price and promised features.

The technology as has been mentioned before is not new at all. HP has a windows phone that's due out soon that will have a similar laptop available. Asus even had tablet/phone combos that you could plug your phone into years ago.

https://www.engadget.com/2014/06/19/asus-padfone-x-review/

I'm well aware of the technology and it's existence for Win10 phones. I have expressed interest in it on more than one occasion on these boards. I'm aware of the padfone and how much of a mess it was because Android was not in a good enough place for that.

I don't see their app providing near the freedom that it proposes.

On the Android front, I don't see these docks being any kind of worth it until maybe Android O, assuming the re-sizable windows cut from N make it. And for the price of the bells and whistles dock, why are you not getting a Chromebook that has access to the Play Store?

 

[core2slow]

Does it use some kind of mirrorlink/wifi screen share feature or does it just work through the usb port?

I have a hard time believing that performance isn't shitty by pushing large amount of data through a puny port, Samsung have tried this with MHL port wayyy back along with others that have been mentioned, and they've always been clunky.

 

[vi edit]

My understanding is that it uses Display Link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayLink

 

[JMB1911]

Does it use some kind of mirrorlink/wifi screen share feature or does it just work through the usb port?

I have a hard time believing that performance isn't shitty by pushing large amount of data through a puny port, Samsung have tried this with MHL port wayyy back along with others that have been mentioned, and they've always been clunky.

USB 3.1 gen2 has loads more bandwidth available than USB 2.0

 

[sweenish]

That's not relevant until the connector is in the phones people are buying.

 

[KingstonU]

Oh man this is fantastic. More so the Nexdock than the Andromium, as Nexdock supports all OSes.

My ultimate dream is to have 1 device to rule th... I mean one device for all my electronics needs (+1 backup of the data). Basically I want to get to the point where when I get home, I set my phone down and it projects to my 60" monitor with mouse + keyboard. But I also want it to be fully functioning x86-64 to run all my programs like Steam Games (unless it all gets ported to work on ARM). We are getting close!

 

[ericlp]

well, right now ... there is only 16 hours to go.....

It's almost @ 3 million dollars, or I believe will hit 3 million by the time ends. I got in on the basic shell... as I am a fan of backlit keys and a higher resolution monitor. I just don't know... I guess it depends on how many people are taking the upgrade?

The upgrades alone are another 50 bucks, it's 50% more of the machine itself. I just get a weird feeling that they may drop the ball ... Like use a cheap backlit key or a cheaper higher res display that will cause problems down the line because they didn't have time to research and rushed it out. I'd rather have the basic shell that works well... then some strange keyboard that they threw in for a hack job to get them out the door and on time only to find that keyboard sucks.

It's not really a money issue but a risk issue.

I find this device wonderful! I hope they make a super thin / 20 hour battery, 17" UHD model in the future, with 4 USB ports, nice audio speakers.... I'm not a huge fan of track pads, I turn mine off and use a logitech mouse on my current laptop. It's hard to do work, like edit documents or spreadsheets with a trackpad esp, when you need to adjust tables or push pull apart stuff.

I doubt I'll be able to plug a mouse (USB) into the basic shell, but maybe a bluetooth mouse may work synced up to a phone.