Samsung has come up with a proposal for a new dual-OS device which connects an Android smartphone into a notebook dock. After the smartphone is in place, the notebook switches to running a version of Windows.
Samsung filed for a patent describing this unusual hardware merger with the US Trademark and Patent Office that went public earlier in May. In its description, Samsung says that tablets can run most of a PC's applications but that its touchscreen interface is not well suited for business and enterprise tasks.
The patent application describes the proposal for creating a notebook dock that allows a large smartphone to connect to it. The application adds, "Herein, the first operating system may be Android, and the second operating system may be Windows." When the Android smartphone is placed in the dock, it could turn into the trackpad of that notebook while it runs Windows. Alternatively, the smartphone could serve as a second screen for the merged devices, running either Android or as a display extension for Windows.
Of course, filing for a patent is no guarantee that any products using this set-up will be made. However, it does show that Samsung is at least thinking about how it could combine the mobility of a smartphone with the hardware of a notebook for business uses.
Source: USTPO; Via: Patently Mobile
