More recent offer of Motorola smartphones Smart ConnectAn Android desktop experience similar to the acclaimed Samsung Dex.
However, Unlike Samsung, it is available in a much wider range of devices and, one thing that can only applaud Motorola to make, on its Flip smart phones too.
Like Dex, Smart Connect* Create a desktop PC experience in seconds using only your smartphone: load your phone wirelessly, connect to a keyboard and mouse wirelessly and connect to a cable -free monitor (thanks to Miracast).
The additional advantage of using a flip type phone (such as Motorola Razr 40 or RAZR 50, one of the best smartphones) is the ability to change the angle of the front camera without resorting to a support.
So, yes, it could replace a desktop PC or a thin customer at a very low price; At this time, the most affordable Motorola smart phone equipped with Smart Connect is the Moto G Stylus 2024 of $ 250.
It is an exquisite business -centered device with a pen (such as the Ultra Galaxy S25), 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage on board, similar to what it would find on an average commercial laptop.
However, this is not very good for business if Lenovo, the largest PC manufacturer in the world and owner of the Motorola brand.
This perhaps explains why Lenovo has been so shy about it, which leads to a Motorola source to tell me: “Too true, we should shout more about it.”
I have not tried the Moto G Stylus 2024 with Smart Connect, so I do not know if the grouped optical pencil offers additional functionalities.
Smart Connect: In use
I spent a few hours using Smart Connect for a series of tasks. Since this characteristic is connected to Miracast, it is compatible with Roku, Amazon Fireck and a burst of other casting boxes.
Of course, many televisions and a growing number of smart monitors also integrate Miracast.
Walmart had five (yes, five) TV 4K less than $ 200 at the time of writing, all of which can be connected wirelessly to a smartphone compatible with Miracast.
The fact that almost all of them are a 43 -inch model is good news, as is my preferred screen diagonal for a home configuration.
Connecting to a screen through Smart Connect could be simpler. I used a Motorola Razr 40 Ultra to measure its performance, as well as a Ubiquitous Amazon standard firestick.
You do not need to be on the same network: on a smart phone trial, I click on the Smart Connect icon and a step -by -step tutorial was presented to connect.
You just need to do it once and once inside, the user interface is as intuitive as Samsung’s Dex.
There is an application tray that lists all applications installed on the smartphone plus a real desk; I used a 5K 27 -inch monitor from Japannext to try Smart Connect, which was impeccable.
This panel has two speakers, a fed USB port and an HDMI connector, among other things.
I like that you can use your smartphone screen like a trackpad, although you cannot drag and release or move windows.
The only thing that became evident immediately was the delay of the cursor; I struggled with him, and I think this will be an important problem for most users.
I do not think it is reduced to the performance of the smartphone CPU and can have the Wi-Fi connectivity (remember, the smartphone connects to the Amazon Fireck through Wi-Fi).
There have also been others (minors): I could not get Google Chrome browser to work on Google, and move along a page does not work with two fingers.
I used two Bluetooth keyboards with integrated tactile panels for my short test, complemented by the RAZR in TouchPad mode.
- My reliable Sony BKB-50 that I used for a time next to the fantastic Sony Xperia Z4.
- A generic A5 Bluetooth keyboard that can buy for less than $ 20 on Amazon.
It cost me a lot to find Ascheckible Bluetooth and Mouse keyboard; They exist but they are rare and, like the Logitech MK850, expensive.
Lenovo has only a Bluetooth keyboard and a mouse combo and $ 61.99, it is approximately twice what comparable and non -Bluetooth units are sold.
The demand is simply reduced to the demand: not enough customers want Bluetooth keyboards and mice, so that manufacturers do not send them.
So what happens to Samsung Dex?
Dex first appeared at the Galaxy S8 in 2017 and has been a basic element of most flagships (Galaxy S, Fold and Note), but only one model, the A90 5G, launched in 2019.
If you are looking for a smart phone enabled for Dex, a hard luck. Why such a long strategy for a game change characteristic? I contacted Samsung Mobile to try to find out, but I didn’t receive an answer.
Our Tomsguide colleagues have the same theory of why Dex is not being touched: “To make it too good, it means that the ability of a company to sell other things is actively eaten.”
Google’s rumors that bring a desktop mode to Android have existed since Fuschia’s days when the dreams of a unified operating system to merge Chromeos and Android entered excessively (that was in 2016 for registration).
This platform would allow Google to deliver a unified platform and compete more effectively with Microsoft in the business ecosystem.
Indeed, this would be a much more versatile and resistant thin customer who only needs a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse and a wireless load spring to replace computers.
Now, if someone could design any of the following, it would be very appreciated
- A device that fuses a portable monitor, a Milacast adapter, a keyboard, a battery, a touch panel and some connectors
- A dual purpose portable computer that can be fed by the main processor or a smartphone
* Smart Connect is capable of much more, however, beyond the scope of my article. Lenovo states that
Unite multiple devices, allowing task transitions without effort through Motorola phones, Lenovo, PC and TV tablets.
It provides safe connectivity for easy file exchange, access PC mobile applications and administer telephone notifications without distractions.
Improve productivity editing documents, transmission applications and shared notes on all devices.
