Using Huawei Mate 10 as a computer
There are plenty of awesome tricks the new Huawei Mate 10 can pull out of its hat, but the most impressing one is switching to a fully featured desktop mode without needing a docking station.
Instead of paying another $100 or so for a dedicated docking station, you only require a standard USB-C to HDMI adapter to turn Huawei Mate 10 into desktop mode. The tablet does automatic recognition of oh HDMI connectivity and deploys EMUI Desktop.
Working as a desktop requires substantially more juice Thankfully, Mate 10 packs 6GB of RAM and a Kirin 970 power unit to make for a decent large screen experience. Some of the apps will reveal some frame dropping (for example browsing heavy web pages with Chrome) but overall, EMUI Desktop provides a fluid experience.
Once it boots, EMUI Desktop interface looks similar to your average desktop interface, with quick access bar for applications such as Gmail and Google Chrome. The lower margin of the screen hosts something that looks like a dock while more apps are available in the lower left corner of the screen.
As you might expect, not all the apps out there are designed to fit a large desktop screen. On the bright side, most common apps do actually fit well within the EMUI Desktop. To take the desktop experience a step further, opt for an USB-C to HDMI converter that adds one or two extra USB ports. This way you enable the possibility to connect a mouse and a keyboard. Even if you don’t have a mouse, Mate 10’s screen will act as a trackpad – a really good one.
Obviously, the main competitor in the portable-to-desktop niche is Samsung’s Dex. However, the idea of switching between a smartphone or tablet to a computer is to be able to work on the move. Carrying a dock around to pair your Samsung Galaxy with it doesn’t sound light nor comfortable.
Finally, it is worth noting that Huawei Mate 10 remains fully function even when EMUI Desktop takes over. This means you can still use your phone to make calls, answer texts or take pictures even if its connected to an external monitor. Samsung’s Dex on the other hand basically locks down the phone until you disconnect it from the external monitor.
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