Over the years, we have seen multiple crowdfunding projects come up with ways for us to be able to use our phones more productively. There is the $99 SuperBook that allowed you to connect your Android phone to what we can call a laptop shell and use it as a laptop. It raised $2.6 million during its crowdfunding in 2016.
In the same year, there was also a similar device called the NexDock but with a $149 price tag and included support for phones with Windows 10 Continuum. Way before the SuperBook and NexDock, Motorola launched the Lapdock 100 which worked with some of its Android phones. This year, another manufacturer is giving it a go again and their product is called the PhoneBook.
The PhoneBook is also a laptop shell with a 15.6-inch touchscreen Full HD display and a full-sized keyboard and trackpad. All you have to do is plug in “ANY” phone to it and you have a working laptop. Anyware, the makers of PhoneBook, say your phone is the CPU and every time you get a new phone, it is like you have a new computer. It also uses your phone’s storage to save the work you do on it.
With the PhoneBook, you are not only able to run the apps on your phone on a larger screen, but you can also run Windows Cloud PC apps. For entertainment, the PhoneBook has stereo speakers, so you can enjoy your movies with better audio than what your phone’s speaker pumps out. The PhoneBook is also touted as the first device that allows you to use the keyboard and mouse to play mobile games, a feature said to be unavailable on Samsung’s DeX.
The PhoneBook has an 8-hour battery life and charges your phone when connected to it. The PhoneBook as 2 x USB ports, an HDMI input port, a USB-C video input port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It also has a reset button. It has a 12V/2A power adapter which is a bit disappointing as USB-C charging would have been better.
The PhoneBook will work with all Android phones except those powered by a MediaTek processor which means a large percentage of phones are excluded. It will also work with iPhones.
The device is available on Kickstarter for crowdfunding starting at $169 for backers. When it launches, it will sell for $249.
UP NEXT: Poll of The Week: Do you own and still use a tablet?
