The Superbook laptop shell is a portable dock which – when connected to an Android smartphone – can function as a fully-fledged laptop.
One of the more frustrating predicaments of the modern smartphone is the fact that many premium models sport processing power aplenty, which is limited to a 5″ slate. To remedy that problem, the Superbook is ready to step in.
The Superbook joins a market segment which has seen renewed interest under the banner of Windows 10 Mobile’s Continuum feature.
Read: HP unveils the Elite X3, a smartphone and PC in one
The idea is simple; smartphones increasingly have an abundance of processing power, so why should that grunt be limited to a roughly 5″ screen?
Microsoft‘s answer has been to enable its premium Windows 10 Mobile flagships with Continuum, which allows the device to function as a minute PC when connected to an external display through a proprietary dock.
HP took the idea a step further with its Elite X3 device, which came with a laptop shell. The shell itself – lacking any form of processing unit – relied on the Elite X3 for its brains.
Now, it would seem the idea we first saw with the Motorola Atrix has come full circle to Android. The Superbook takes the form of an 11.6″ laptop shell which uses an Android smartphone as its brain.
A device running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later can download an app, connect to the Superbook through a Micro USB or USB Type C cord, and work away.
The makers of the Superbook cite that the shell – which includes a multi-touch trackpad and full keyboard – is capable of multitasking and can even charge a smartphone while in use in addition to lasting 8 hours unplugged.
The Superbook runs Andronium, which can run millions of stock Android apps in a desktop-style guide.
If you’re interested in backing the Superbook, you can visit the team’s site here. The shell is expected to retail for approximately $99 USD on launch.
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Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
