I recently built my first desktop PC, but after using it for a few months, that type of computer just isn’t for me. There was nothing wrong with it; I just prefer to work from my phone.
This was not a surprise, as it had previously been two years using multiple phones as my main PC. Now I landed on the Razr Fold and it is my favorite so far. I do all my work on this device, but it requires changing the way I approach things.
My phone is a book style folding phone.
I do most of my work directly on the inside screen.
I recently flew to Austin, Texas, to cover a tech conference and I was the only member of the press who wasn’t taking notes on a laptop. I sat in the front row, working directly on the interior screen of my new Razr Fold.
My Razr Fold is a little thinner and lighter than my previous foldable model, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. Motorola’s multitasking features are a big part of the reason I wanted to make the switch. The company has offered a great way to have three apps visible at once. I can open three phone apps side by side and scroll between them, or I can switch to a carousel view that allows me to zoom in on apps to take up most of the screen.
The combination of an 8-inch screen with a built-in taskbar and multitasking features makes a foldable device more like a tablet than a traditional phone. However, I Consider that it is much easier to work with book-shaped devices than with a tabletdue in part to the square aspect ratios that fit documents better and are easier to hold for hours at a time.
I trust a stylus a lot
My digital pen is so important that I keep a backup copy
Although I do all my work on my phone, I don’t type much with my thumbs. Tapping on a virtual keyboard is fine for texting and making brief corrections to a draft, but I find it an exhausting way to get out a thousand words. When I need to sit down and write, I take out my pen.
What I do with this pen varies. I write by hand in apps like Saber either Note: when taking notes. If I need to type something long as quickly as possible, I switch to swiping gestures, but instead of dragging my thumb across the keyboard, I use my Moto Pen Ultra. Since purchasing the Razr Fold, I’ve started making heavy use of the handwriting features that Google has built right into Gboard. I can write words by hand and have my phone transcribe my writing on the fly. This allows me to see more of the screen while working than a conventional virtual keyboard.
I find my stylus even more important for navigating my phone than for writing. Some desktop websites are still not suitable for thumbs and a stylus offers the precision of a mouse.
I write most of my words using voice dictation.
I’m saying the words you’re reading right now.
I got tired of sitting hunched over a keyboard, and that’s a big part of the reason I’m happy to leave laptops and desktops behind. On my phone, I started using voice typing to not only write my first drafts quickly but also so I could write while out for a walk. My body feels better now that I don’t have to spend hours at a desk to get something done.
While the microphone built directly into my keyboard is sufficient if I pay close attention to detect errors, I prefer to use Wispr Flow. It better formats text with proper capitalization and punctuation, reducing the time it takes me to make edits.
I have external screens for when I need a larger screen
My phone should come with a desktop mode.
The Moto Edge+ 2023 was the first phone I used as a PC. That was a traditional phone and it couldn’t do many things without a separate accessory, so I bought a wireless portable base that I’m still close. I also bought several wired portable monitors. I did most of my work through Motorola’s desktop mode, then known as Motorola Ready For. That feature is now known as Motorola Smart Connect.
Android-based desktop modes run a Windows-like desktop and open mobile apps in resizable floating windows. Samsung DeX is the most mature, but now that a desktop mode is built right into Android, you can open one directly from a newer Google Pixel, although Google’s desktop leaves a lot to be desired.
The XR glasses are actually my preferred external screen when I want to sit down and work with a little more space. I have the XREAL One Pro. These glasses can anchor a virtual screen in place and have sharp text that doesn’t get blurry near the edges, which solves my two main problems with the XREAL Air 2 Pro. These glasses also have an ultra-wide option that I’m surprised to see works with Motorola Smart Connect. I tend to use them on a desktop while using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but I usually keep them as a backup for tasks I don’t do as often, like working with large spreadsheets.
8/10
- Speakers
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Yes, spatial sound field 3.0
- Show
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0.68-inch Sony MicroOLED
The XREAL One AR glasses offer a 147-inch virtual screen, high refresh rate, spatial sound and three degrees of freedom.
Not everyone can replace their phone with their PC
Blogging is one of the tasks best suited for foldable phones. I can write in virtually any application and all I need is a web browser to publish my work. The fact that it has a built-in camera means I don’t need to carry a separate one. Gain.
This workflow is not suitable for people whose work requires the additional power that can be obtained from a PC. It is also completely useless for anyone whose job absolutely requires the use of specific software that is only available for Windows, Mac or Linux.
However, this form factor works perfectly for me. Not only has my concept of what work is like changed, but what could be a computer.
