Technology
- Super User
- Category: Technology
- Tuesday, 03 January 2017 21:21
Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone could be turned into a desktop personal computer...
Samsung's upcoming flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone could give users the ability to plug it into a screen and turn it into a desktop personal computer, according to a media report.
The All About Windows Phone blog posted a leaked slide from a presentation showing a Samsung Smartphone being connected to a screen with a keyboard and mouse.
The slide is titled "Samsung Desktop Experience" and shows a phone powering a screen to create a multi-tasking interface, presumably running on Google's Android mobile operating system.
There is not much more information on the slide than a visual representation, but if this is true, it'd be an interesting feature that Samsung will tout as it launches its next flagship phone, one that is crucial to make up the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 which was subsequently recalled.
Samsung usually releases its flagship Galaxy phone at Mobile World Congress towards the end of February and beginning of March, but sources told CNBC recently that it could be slightly later this year, to make sure that the S8 will not suffer the same fate as the Note 7.
Meanwhile, Samsung is slated to release a full report into the Note 7 debacle later this month.
The S8 is being released ahead of Apple's flagship iPhone, which is expected to be a special tenth anniversary edition. Both will be battling for smartphone dominance in 2017 looking to convince users with new features.
By introducing a desktop mode, Samsung could appeal to customers looking for a device that will also be good for productivity, something that the now discontinued Note 7 did. By sticking with Android, users will also have access to all the apps available on the Google Play Store.
Samsung was not available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
It's not the first device on the market that carries this functionality.
Microsoft's smartphones that have Windows 10 Mobile have a feature called "Continuum" which allows you to plug your smartphone into a monitor, turning it into a desktop PC too.
-CNBC