The latest Motorola -SmartPhones offer Smart ConnectAn Android -Desktop experience similar to Samsung’s recognized DEX.
However, Unlike Samsung, it is available on a much wider range of devices and – one thing I can only applaud Motorola to do – on its flip type smartphones too.
Like DEX, SMART Connect* creates a desktop PC experience within seconds using just your smartphone: Charge your phone wirelessly, connect to a keyboard and mouse wirelessly and connect to a screen Sans lines (thanks to Miracast).
The added advantage of using a flip-type phone (such as Motorola Razr 40 or RAZR 50, one of the best smartphones around) is the ability to change the angle of the front-facing camera without resorting to a tripod.
So yes, it can potentially replace a stationary PC or a thin client at a very low price; Right now, the most affordable Motorola smartphone is equipped with Smart Connect $ 250 Moto G Stylus 2024.
It is an exquisitely business-focused device with a pen (such as the Galaxy S25 Ultra), 8 GB RAM and 256 GB onboard storage, similar to what you would find on an average business carrying.
However, this is not very good for business if you happen to be Lenovo, the largest PC manufacturer in the world and the owner of the Motorola brand.
This may explain why Lenovo has been so coy about it, causing a Motorola insider to tell me, “For true, we should shout more about it”.
I haven’t tested the Moto G Stylus 2024 with Smart Connect, so I don’t know if the bundled stylus offers additional functionalities.
SMART Connect: In use
I spent a few hours using Smart Connect for a number of tasks. As this feature connects Miracast, it is compatible with Roku, Amazon Firestick and a flurry of other casting boxes.
Of course, many TV devices and a growing number of smart screens also integrate miracast.
Walmart had five (yes, five) 4K TV under $ 200 at the time of writing, all of which can be connected wirelessly to a miracast-compatible smartphone.
The fact that almost of them all is a 43-inch model is good news, as well as it is my favorite screen diagonal for a homework setup.
Connecting to a display via Smart Connect could be simpler. I used a Motorola Razr 40 Ultra to measure its performance as well as a ubiquitous standard Amazon Firestick.
You don’t have to be on the same network: On a test -smartphone I clicked on Smart Connect Icon and was presented with a step-by-step tutorial to connect.
You only have to do it once and when you are inside, the user interface is as intuitive as for Samsung’s DEX.
There is an app tray that shows all the apps installed on the smartphone plus a real desk; I used a 5K 27-inch screen from Japannext to test Smart Connect, which was flawless.
This panel has two speakers, a powered USB port and an HDMI plug -among other things.
I like that you can use your smartphone’s screen as a pointing field even if you can’t pull and drop or move windows around.
The one thing that immediately became visible was the marker delay; I struggled with it and I think this will be a big problem for most users.
I don’t think it’s down to the performance of the smartphone’s CPU and may be down on Wi-Fi connection (remember the smartphone connecting to Amazon Firestick via Wi-Fi).
There have also been others (smaller) them: I couldn’t get incognito to work in Google Chrome browser, and scrolling through one page doesn’t work with two fingers.
I used two Bluetooth keyboards with integrated touchpads for my short test, supplemented with RAZR in TouchPad mode.
- My reliable Sony BKB-50, which I used for a while with the amazing Sony Xperia Z4.
- A generic A5-Size Bluetooth keyboard you can buy for less than $ 20 from Amazon.
I had a hard time finding affordable Bluetooth keyboard and mouse bundles; They exist, but they are rare, and like Logitech MK850, expensive.
Lenovo has only a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combination and until $ 61.99, it’s about twice that comparable, not -Bluetooth devices retail to.
It boils, simply to demand and deliver: Not enough customers want Bluetooth keyboards and mice, so the manufacturers do not send them.
So what about Samsung Dex?
DEX first appeared at the Galaxy S8 in 2017 and has been a staple for most flagships (Galaxy S, Fold and Note), but only on a model, A90 5G launched in 2019.
If you are looking for a mainstream dex-activated smartphone, hard luck. Why such a long -standing strategy for such a game -changing feature? I reached out to Samsung Mobile to try to find out, but got no answer.
Our colleagues at Tomsguide have the same theory of why DEX is not being drummed: “To do it too well, it means that it actively eats in a company’s ability to sell you other things”.
Rumors of Google, which brings a desktop mode to Android, have been around since Fuschia’s days when dreaming of a unified us to merge Chromeos and Android went into exaggeration (it was in 2016 for the record).
Such a platform would allow Google to deliver a total platform and compete more efficiently with Microsoft in Enterprise Ecosystem.
In fact, this would be a far more versatile and resistant thin client who only needs a screen, keyboard, a mouse and a wireless charging dock to replace computers.
If someone could now design one of the below, it would be much appreciated
- A device that merges a portable screen, a miracast adapter, a keyboard, a battery, a touch plate and a pair of connectors
- A double purpose laptop that can be driven either by the main processor or a smartphone
* Smart Connect, however, is capable of much more beyond the extent of my article. Lenovo says that it
Unites several devices that enable effortless tasks across Motorola phones, Lenovo tablets, PC and TVs.
Provide secure connection to easy file sharing, access to mobile apps on PCs and control of telephone messages without distractions.
Improve productivity by editing documents, streaming applications and sharing notes across devices.
