It looks like Samsung is working on a hybrid device that will boot two different operating systems.
The mystery laptop appears in a patent application recently revealed by the US Patent and Trademark Office, as reported by PatentlyMobile.
What’s special about the unnamed device is that it’s capable of booting both Windows and Android.
The computer runs Windows as standard, and is, for all intents and purposes, a conventional laptop.
However, there is a ‘phablet’ docking area on the device that allows a smartphone to be inserted.
Once the smartphone is in position, the laptop then switches to an Android OS, working in sync with the handset.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen such a product; the Asus Transformer Book V and the Moto Atrix 4G Lapdock employed a similar concept.
It would be a first for Samsung however, and, if realised, could bring significant gains to the company in the business productivity sector.
That’s tipped to be an important market for the company, as Apple is widely expected to tap into business customers with its long-rumoured 12-inch iPad Pro.
Related: Best Laptops, Ultrabooks and Hybrids 2015
Of course, this is still only a patent application, and we don’t know whether Samsung is actually developing such a product.
What we can be sure of, however, is that we won’t see a device like this until Microsoft launches Windows 10 proper later this year.
Microsoft’s next operating system will offer a massive cross-platform overhaul, and has been described by the company as the ‘last version of Windows’ ever.
Would you like to see a Windows/Android dual-boot device hit the market? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
