Use your Microsoft phone as a PC
Windows 10 Mobile, which replaces Windows Phone, is only available on two smartphones so far – Microsoft’s Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL. Its main selling point is how close it is to ‘proper’ Windows 10, as opposed to other phones that run mobile-specific software, such as iOS and Android. And the best example of this is a feature called Continuum that lets you use your phone as a PC. It requires a monitor and a little grey gadget called the Display Dock.
This is a small but heavy box, about the width of a phone and an inch high, perforated with ports. If you thought we were living in a wireless era, Microsoft is having none of it. You connect your Lumia 950 or 950XL (it won’t work with other phones, not even older Lumias that can be upgraded to Windows 10) with a cable from its USB Type-C port, and attach the Display Dock’s mains adapter to its own USB Type-C port. This keeps your phone powered. Your monitor plugs in via HDMI or DisplayPort.
Once this is set up, what looks like Windows 10 appears on the monitor, as if from a PC. You can still use your Lumia phone for any of its usual purposes, like making calls,but at the same time, it's running Windows 10 Mobile in the background. Bear in mind, you can only open ‘universal’ apps – those designed for both desktop and mobile. This includes Microsoft’s Office apps and the Edge web browser, through which you can access services like Netflix, but most of the other apps you might have on your Lumia, or on your PC, won’t work.
Adding a USB or Bluetooth keyboard and mouse gives you the full impression of using a PC, and we found it worked pretty well. Web browsing was a bit jerky, but editing in Word and playing videos was smooth. It’s an interesting idea that could save Windows 10 Mobile users buying a basic PC. But with few other reasons to choose a Microsoft phone, there may never be many Windows 10 Mobile users to take advantage.
VERDICT
It’s a good way to make the most of modern devices’ processing power, but Continuum won’t tempt many Apple or Android users to switch to a Windows 10 phone.
SPECIFICATIONS
2x USB Type-C ports • 3x USB 2.0 ports • HDMI port • DisplayPort • Requires Microsoft Lumia 950 or 950XL phone • 26x64x64mm (HxWxD) • 230kg • One-year warranty