Samsung DeX is a thing, and I believe it’s in current Samsung phones.
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iOS 19 Rumored to Add Stage Manager Support to USB-C iPhones
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Microsoft did it first with Windows 10 Mobile. Continuum which let your device run a limited Windows 10-alike desktop with Edge and Office apps. I imagine they were thinking about the business market during development, where a PC user wasn’t doing much outside Excel or the web.
Samsung followed up with Dex which initially needed a dock but now runs straight from a handset. It allows you to run any app in a resizable window when connected to an external monitor or TV all whilst maintaining full phone functionality (or use the phone as a trackpad). I have used it in the past to turn a hotel TV into a full workstation on business trips.
Apple’s solution might not be as flexible initially. I imagine it will be like running iPhone apps on an iPad under stage manager, where they run in a smaller portrait or landscape window that can be stretched out into one larger size as this wouldn’t require any additional coding from devs. Apple may activate fullscreen use of some limited internal apps like Safari and Notes alongside this.
Interesting. Looking forward to it. More RAM will definitely be beneficial for these features.
No matter how much they try to hold it back, it is the next step in the evolution of the iPhone, and the smartphone in general.
Where else can it go? It already does all the mobile things. It's powerful enough to run a desktop OS with professional productivity software.
Smartphones as our everything is the future. You approach your car? It recognises you (your phone), unlocks and configures everything to your liking (seats, radio, mirrors, etc.). You leave, the car goes back to default. You approach your home, it recognises you, opens. As you navigate from room to room, all devices recognise you. You sit in front of your desk, and your phone projects on to your screen and you use a desktop OS with your mouse and a keyboard.
If you go to a concert, you don't have to present a ticket, the area recognises you and lets you in. The same with your gym, workplace, etc.
And here's the dystopian part. The commercial scene from Minority Report (2002) could still come true, because as you navigate, the commercial screens recognise your phone and give you personalised ads.
Your phone will have a public profile available for everyone to ID you with.
Not all iPhones with USB C may get this because only the pro models appear to support the speeds to allow this. The standard phones were all restricted to USB 2 speeds.
All USB-C iPhones minus the 16e have Displayport video-out at 4K60. They'd be fast enough for a desktop mode. The majority of desktop computers only output 60hz. Its fine for gaming already.
Think of it like this: 4K video streams fine over an internet connection with a bandwidth much less than the 480mbps USB 2.0 supports.
The point of this is that like someone said and someone else said, the new iPhone Fold would be like a computer (other thread) the iPhone Fold would also be like $2,500 (another thread)!
At that rate you throw an external drive/monitor/keyboard/mouse, you're looking at $3,500-4,000!
That's a full rig, where yeah you honestly dock your iPhone and undock your iPhone. At that rate that's what quite a few people "worldwide" would do.
I could easily see Apple doing "Dex" right and having 50-100 million people "computing" like this...
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No, the dystopian part happened after you mentioned “powerful enough to run a desktop OS with professional productivity software”.
Having all those things attached to your phone means losing or breaking your phone (or it breaking itself) is even more of a colossal pain in the arse than it is today. The IoT is a inextinguishable skip fire of security nightmares today, and adding all these things to it will not help. And then there’s the upgrade issue. What happens when for example your car manufacture pulls a Sonos, and decides you can’t have this or that functionality on your phone any more, and issues an OTA update to brick it? Every screen in your house - be it on a phone, a wall-mounted thermostat, or a connected speaker - will be a target for advertising. Every camera will be a target for evildoers governmental, corporate, and criminal. Even with all the security in the world, I can steal your phone and make your life thoroughly miserable for several days if not longer, even if the thing turns to a brick ten seconds after I lift it from you.
Also, having everything set up like that will be the preserve of the wealthy. Setting up a connected home costs a small fortune.
Whenever considering the Star Trek future, it is wise to imagine what the worst companies and people in the world will do with every part of the technology; whatever you imagine, it will be much worse.
The article is about iOS so whether Mac users use SM is irrelevant to the article, but I suspect the number of iPadOS users who use SM is much higher.
Well good! That’s was the idea! The iPhone unveiling in 2007!
This has been possible for years now.
It’s been purposely held back to make people buy multiple devices.
It’s a business decision, not a technological limitation.
This feature is helpful for those who use remote access on their Mac. Other people might feel good if there are certain improvements related to the dashboard or user experience.
That would be a light iMac. What I proposed would have the convenience of your iPhone being the computer with all of your data and settings, which is portable. Otherwise it's just a desktop of the processor is in the display.
This feature could inspire a new way how we think about devices. I really think it is the way forward. iPhones are powerful enough and most people just need the big screen to write, read and watch better. This can easily be done with an external monitor. You set up a dock at home with keyboard and mouse and on the go your iphone is enough. I love it. Really hope this happens. Finally some innovation!
Only the "premium" models such as the S series.
If Apple would release it it i'd guess they choose a similar path and will only offer it for the "premium" segment (Pro series)
First of all, I agree with you that Stage Manager, at least for me, isn’t the best window manager. I have been using it because there’s no other way to use my M2 iPad Pro with an external monitor, and I’ve gotten used to it, it’s usable now compared to the iPadOS 16 Stage Manager, but still not ideal.
However. Regarding the 40% of the screen lost. Do you know that you can go into Settings and choose not to leave the left margin free for the different “stages” or group of apps? You can disable that, and take advantage of the whole screen, left to right. You can also disable the dock, and you will also be able to enjoy all the screen space top to bottom.
It makes sense, from Apple’s perspective of course, to limit it to the Pro models, to boost their sales.
However, given that little by little all the M-powered iPads have adopted the external monitor support, I really think it is possible that, at least all the iPhone 16 and up, receive this functionality.
Heck, Splitscreen wasn’t ideal until ipad os 15 when they finally made it easy to add apps to the second half.
And you can still swip to see those stages if you want. It seems like the people who complain the loudest about Stage Manager, know the least about it.
This was a dream for many people 4 or 5 years ago. A dream finally come true. Something Apple had already made (for the iPad) and they could reuse to boost sales of the iPhone.
However, today I already have an iPad. Maybe other people will take advantage of it, I’m pretty sure, but others have moved to an iPad as the ideal portable and dockable device.
We will see, but this would mean that Apple is really trying to unify all their three major operating systems. Not using the same interface for all of them if course, but bringing the iPhone, the iPad and the Mac closer than ever both in design language and in functionality.
However, today I already have an iPad. Maybe other people will take advantage of it, I’m pretty sure, but others have moved to an iPad as the ideal portable and dockable device.
We will see, but this would mean that Apple is really trying to unify all their three major operating systems. Not using the same interface for all of them if course, but bringing the iPhone, the iPad and the Mac closer than ever both in design language and in functionality.
Yes, maybe it will be small differences depending on the HW.
Lets say a pro might support dual screens while the regular and air support one screen (random guess of what Apple could invent to differentiate).
If Apple would offer this you can count on it being released with a pile off accessories such as docks and all sort of holders used with PC-screens.
What we need it Apple to pick up this old idea and refine it further
Meet the Asus PadFone, the Phone That's a Tablet That's a Notebook
OK, Asus, you've convinced us: You're a world leader in clever mobile docking strategies. Asus announced Monday the PadFone, a 4.3-inch smartphone that can be directly inserted inside a 10.1-inch docking tablet -- which in turn can be paired with a keyboard.
The Asus still ran Android on the tablet. I thought Palm had a phone docking thing as well.What we need it Apple to pick up this old idea and refine it further
Meet the Asus PadFone, the Phone That's a Tablet That's a Notebook
OK, Asus, you've convinced us: You're a world leader in clever mobile docking strategies. Asus announced Monday the PadFone, a 4.3-inch smartphone that can be directly inserted inside a 10.1-inch docking tablet -- which in turn can be paired with a keyboard.www.wired.com