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Report: LG and Samsung Are Developing Portable Displays for Phones

The so-called 'Cloud Tops' will offer a 14.1-inch display for smartphones so there's no need to carry a laptop.

 & Matthew Humphries Former Senior Editor

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Smartphone displays have increased in size, but they're still no match for working or surfing on a large laptop display. Samsung and LG may have a solution, though, in the form of a large, portable display your phone plugs into.

As Liliputing reports, these portable screens are being referred to as "Cloud Tops." They are nothing more than a display with a battery in the back, but the idea seems to be you can carry around a large, dumb display to connect to your phone rather than investing in a laptop.

Samsung has been doing this for a few years now under the brand name DeX, but until now Galaxy phones were only being hooked up to a desktop display or laptop. The portable screen seems to be the latest evolution of the same idea, which is why it's no surprise Samsung is expected to call its display the DeXbook.

The Samsung DeXbook is a 14.1-inch display with a 10,000mAh battery in the back and weighs less than 1kg (2.2lbs). The LG version has yet to be named, but also offers 14.1-inch display. The battery is only half the size at 5,000mAh, and it measures 9mm thick, meaning it should easily slide into any bag.

We shouldn't expect anything less than 1080p resolution and plugging a phone in should hopefully bring up a more desktop-friendly interface on the larger screen. Samsung's DeX already offers a native application allowing for a "desktop like" interface, so expect the same on a portable display.

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About Our Expert

Matthew Humphries

Matthew Humphries

Former Senior Editor

My Experience

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

I hold two degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Games Development. My first book, Make Your Own Pixel Art, is available from all good book shops.

My Areas of Expertise

  • PC components and system building
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Software development
  • Storage technology
  • Video games and gaming hardware

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