I felt the possibility of the PC mode of "HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro" that can be used like a Windows PC

home> Gadgets> I felt the possibility of the PC mode of "HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro" that can be used like a Windows PC

Updated at 12:00 on December 09, 2017

Sentence ● Okamoto / ASCII editorial department

Huawei's new flagship smartphone "HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro" just released. Attention is focused on processors and Leica double-lens cameras that specialize in AI calculations, but one of the notable features is the "PC mode," which allows you to operate like a Windows PC by connecting an LCD keyboard, keyboard, or mouse.

Since the same kind of function is realized by Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S8 / Galaxy Note8 (+ DeX Station), it is undeniable that it is a follow-up, but when I actually tested this function, I felt great potential. So I will introduce it in detail.

With HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro, you can operate like a Windows PC!

HDMI output via USB Type-C and connect to LCD display Option for MateBook available

First of all, it is necessary equipment to use PC mode, but in fact, there is no product provided by Huawei as a peripheral device for PC mode, so you have to procure it yourself.

Only the USB Type-C-HDMI cable that can be purchased for about 2000 yen at the minimum. In this case, the keyboard and mouse are connected via Bluetooth. However, I felt a slight input lag with the Bluetooth connection. This time, the editorial department tried "MateDock" (about 5,000 yen at a mass retailer's site etc.), which is a genuine option for the same Huawei Windows PC "MateBook". In addition to being able to output video from the HDMI terminal, there are also two normal USB terminals, so a wired keyboard / mouse can be connected, and Type-C power supply was also possible.

This time I used the dock for Huawei's MateBook

The actual connection looks like this.USB connection seems to be good for keyboard and mouse

By the way, in addition to the same type of adapter sold on the net, I could use the genuine Apple adapter for the current MacBook. However, the power supply part was a little suspicious (power is being supplied but the charging speed is slow, etc.), so I'm glad if there is a genuine option or a third party product that Huawei has guaranteed operation in advance.

Apple's genuine MacBook adapter also worked fine with HDMI output and USB terminal

The smartphone side can be used as a normal smartphone even while the PC mode is operating (the application running on the PC mode side cannot be used, and vice versa), and the screen of the smartphone can also be used as a touchpad.

The display and operation of the web browser are comfortable. You can use it in multiple windows, and you can input Japanese.

Then, the part where I felt the possibility of the essential PC mode. Anyway, the operation is light. Chrome, a web browser, moves smoothly in both display speed and scrolling. It's much faster than a crappy laptop.

In addition to launching Android apps in multiple windows at the same time, you can also make it full screen. Both Chrome and Google Maps work more comfortably than a typical laptop.

Full-scale text input is possible with Jota +.I was able to freely change the window size

Another thing I felt the possibility in the PC mode of HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro is that I can freely change the Japanese input program. In addition to the standard iWnn, you can switch between "Google Japanese Input" and "ATOK". In other words, not only the Japanese keyboard layout, but also the "Ctrl key next to A", which is essential for me, can be easily realized by adding an app! If you combine it with Android's standard text editor "Jota +", you can write a full-scale manuscript.

Being able to freely add Japanese input programs is a big advantage of HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro in PC mode.

It also supports the Japanese layout of the keyboard.

Personally, I can't operate the Ctrl key unless it's to the left of the A key ...

If you install the application "Japanese 106/109 keyboard layout" (author: ta9mar) that is also on the screen from the Play Store, you can also set the layout with Ctrl and CAPS swapped.After that, it would be even better if you could switch between English / Japanese mode with the conversion key and the non-conversion key.

By the way, not all apps can be freely resized, and some apps have a fixed size or are fixed to the same vertical screen as a smartphone. However, apps that I use relatively often, such as Jota + and Excel mentioned above, seem to be okay. I personally have an Office 365 subscription, so I thought it could be used for full-scale work. It wouldn't be too much of a problem if the information system department of the company gave you only the HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro and the display, saying, "This is your work PC from today!"

You can input inline like a screen, and I felt that the performance of Google Japanese input for Android is enough for full-scale manuscript input.

Operating a smartphone like a PC seems to be a dream for many people once, and Windows 10 Mobile's Continuum was also very exciting at one point. However, the problem of operating speed was that it was practical, such as only a single window and the number of apps in the first place. In that respect, the PC mode of the HUAWEI Mate 10 Pro has reached a level that can be said to be almost practical (although there may have been a timing problem rather than a problem with Continuum itself).

It seems that the full-scale spread of how to use smartphones like PC mode has been incorporated as a standard function of Android, but the possibility of this function, if there is an opportunity, readers will definitely feel it. I hope you can.

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