Motorola teased a new version of a desktop interface on one of the company’s as-yet-unreleased smartphone. The concept of giving users a windowed interface to run apps when docked with a monitor and keyboard/mouse combo isn’t new. However, with Motorola giving it another try, the mobile/desktop hybrid computing has received a significant push.
First, there was the eagerly-awaited Motorola Atrix 4G. However, that device failed to garner any appreciable traction. However, notwithstanding the disappointment, the company is yet again trying to push for a smartphone ecosystem that doubles up as a computing device replete with a large screen, keyboard, and mouse.
Motorola offers a glimpse of Android smartphones offering a complete TV and Desktop environments:
Motorola will bring Qualcomm 800-series “experiences” to its popular Moto G phones. The company is planning to introduce new TV and Desktop computing modes on its smartphones. Speaking about the endeavor, Motorola Mobility president Sergio Bunac said,
“2021 will mark the 10th generation of Moto G, and nothing would make us prouder than bringing 800-series experiences to this family.”
In a rather short introductory video, Bunac showed a Motorola phone running two new software experiences. The first mode, looked like it was replicating the ecosystem of a dedicated TV streaming box.
The second was a desktop mode that’s very similar to Google’s Android desktop mode. Needless to add, only Samsung has managed to take the desktop mode a lot further with the Samsung Dex. However, the Korean tech giant restricts the availability of Dex to its premium devices.
Motorola launching a premium Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Series smartphone?
Motorola usually plays in a rather different price segment. The company hasn’t yet launched a premium smartphone with flgaship chipset. It traditionally offers smartphones with large batteries and rather humble specifications.
Similarly, the company’s smartphones usually cost way less than flagship smartphones from other companies. In a way, Motorola has been playing the bargain and budget segment of Android smartphones. However, this could change soon.
Motorola chose to reveal the new Android TV and Desktop mode at the Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm’s event for introducing its new flagship chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. While this could be considered an indication about Motorola launching a flagship phone with the new Snapdragon 888 processor, Bunac chose to remain silent on the matter.
It is, however, possible that Motorola might just be exploring possibilities of embedding a slightly older but highly capable 800-series chip, such as the Snapdragon 845. Combined with 6 GB or perhaps even 8 GB of RAM, a Moto G Android smartphone could easily offer a reliable Android TV and Desktop mode experience.
The majority of Moto G Android smartphones have had the Snapdragon 600 series chipsets. These are good for everyday smartphone usage and casual gaming. However, to offer the two aforementioned modes, Motorola will have to upgrade significantly.