It’s been a few months since Microsoft showed off its new update for Continuum, which essentially lets you plug your phone into a monitor and use it as a portable PC.
While the feature is certainly an interesting idea, what about those of us who don’t fancy switching to Windows Mobile from Android? Now, a new Kickstarter project aims to provide an answer to that question.
The Superbook is a laptop shell with a 768p screen, keyboard, and touchpad which you can plug your Android phone into, turning it into a fully functioning laptop.
Connecting an Android phone via USB cable launches the Superbook app, which opens a full desktop experience on the laptop itself, using the phone’s processing power in place of internal hardware.
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The device was initially listed as having an eight hour battery life, but since a funding stretch goal was met, will now come with 10 hours as standard.
What’s more, the device will charge your phone, and should offer a full desktop experience with web browsing, word processing, and gaming capabilities.
The idea is that, since smartphone hardware is becoming increasingly capable, users will never need to upgrade their laptop as long as they keep upgrading their phones.
Created by Andromium Inc. the project has already smashed its $50,000 funding target, racking up close to $750,000 in pledges at the time of writing.
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Once the project reaches £1 million in funding (which at this point looks highly likely), Andromium will offer a 1080p version of the device, which will cost an extra $30 (about £22) on top of the regular price of $99 (about £75).
Thinking of backing the Superbook? You can either pay for the basic $99 bundle, which will cost you $134 (about £102) with shipping to the UK included, or there’s the Kickstarter exclusive bundle, which includes more cables, beta access club membership, and a side mount for your phone for $194 (about £148) including shippingg.
As smartphones become increasingly powerful, shelling out for two perfectly capable computers is beginning to make a lot less sense.
That’s why, although we’re obviously yet to see one of these devices close up, if the build quality is good enough, we could see the Superbook taking off in a big way.
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Will you be backing the Superbook? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
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.
