The desire to turn your Android smartphone into a laptop is not uncommon among users, and although there have been companies that have tried to implement this idea, as the Asus Padfone in the past through its entire line of devices, but the success of the proposals has been somewhat limited. Now we have Superbook, a project funded through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter.
Officially, Superbook is described as a "plug-and-play that turns your Android phone into a good laptop". The idea is simple: just connect your smartphone to Superbook to get the same experience of using the smartphone in a larger screen.
Superbook is not a real computer because it has no processor or other basic elements of computing, but is a 11.6-inch screen with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, a keyboard, trackpad multitouch, and a battery. The connection to the Android device is via a USB-C-to-micro-USB cable (Superbook uses a USB Type C port that connects to the micro-USB port on the mobile phone). The dialogue between the devices is done through Andromium OS, an operating system that is installed on the cell phone as usual after downloading from the Play Store, which creates the desktop environment from the screen of the Superbook since the application starts.
Behind everything is Andromium OS, the operating system running on the phone, but really the key is that you can use your smartphone as a computer, since it is not necessary to connect the device to the Superbook to access the experience with a desktop environment, even though it may be uncomfortable given the small screen of your smartphone.
For the best experience, it is not necessary to have the Superbook, since you can download and install the Andromium OS application on your smartphone and use a TV screen using Chromecast or Miracast, or connect the phone to a keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse to use the same phone as a laptop. Alternatively, if possible, the smartphone can also be connected via HDMI to a TV.
For example, if you want to watch a movie while you surf the Internet or perform a slide show, Andromium OS allows multiple applications running simultaneously (there may be delays in applications if the phone has an underpowered processor). Also it can install and run any of the millions of applications available on the Google Play Store.
The idea is very similar to that offered the Display Dock by Microsoft, which allows you to connect your Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL to a larger screen to work like a PC. The connection is fast, through the HDMI port: Display Dock is equipped with a USB port and HDMI output to allow connection of different accessories and relcharge the Lumia while you are using both tools at once.
Superbook is available on Kickstarter, collaborative price starts at $ 99, but the Andromium OS application is free and available in the Play Store in Beta for Android devices updated to version 4.4 or newer (recommended to have a powerful processor and at least 2 GB of RAM).