HP, the popular brand for Laptops and printers all over the world has launched a new Windows 10 powered smartphone called the HP Elite X3. Along with that, they have launched two accessories called the Desk Dock and Mobile Extender that will allow you to add a lot more functionality to the smartphone.
Desk Dock:
With Windows 10’s Continuum feature, it is possible for you to use your Windows 10 smartphone as a full-fledged Windows 10 computer. We had earlier seen this with the Lumia 950 and 950 XL and the Microsoft Display Dock that allows you to plug in your smartphone and make it a full desktop PC.
The Desk Dock from HP is a similar thing. The desk dock is a stand that you can just put on your desk, and then plug in your smartphone at that dock, while keeping the keyboard, mouse and the monitor always plugged into the dock. The Desk Dock connects to the Elite X3 using the USB Type-C port on the phone. On the dock, you’ll find a few ports that you can use to connect peripherals to the dock. It features a DisplayPort, 2 USB ports, 1 USB Type-C port, and one RJ-45 jack to connect the dock to the internet via an ethernet cable. Also, the design on the Desk Dock looks a bit cleaner and simpler than the Microsoft’s Display Dock.
Mobile Extender:
The Mobile Extender is the second accessory that HP has launched for the Elite X3 smartphone. The mobile extender is similar to the Desk Dock in the functionality, i.e. making use of the Continuum feature of Windows 10 to transform the phone into a desktop PC. This accessory is one of a kind that is available right now. The Mobile Extender is essentially just an empty laptop shell casing with a battery and a 1920 x 1080p display (12.5-inch). This relies on the internals of the HP Elite X3 to work as a laptop. The mobile extender connects with the Elite X3 via the USB Type-C port and then works just like the Desk dock would.
Both these accessories from HP look really promising and handy when purchasing the Elite X3. I can’t really comment if it would work just as flawlessly as the Display Dock from Microsoft did, but HP will make sure that the accessories are flawless.
As for the pricing of these two accessories, that is still unknown and will be available soon, when the phone is launched. Ever for the phone, we do not know the pricing yet, but HP has said that the pricing will be competitive. The phone is no doubt a high-end smartphone, so don’t expect the price to be in the mid-range.
