Here’s one feature that all tablets should have to increase productivity (and sales)
Converting a tablet into a portable monitor should be easy as it can extend the value of the device
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Portable monitorswere all the rage during the COVID lockdown, becoming one of the most sought-after peripherals ashybrid workingand remote offices became the norm for a few months.
The ability to add a second monitor to yourbusiness laptophelped boost productivity effortlessly and without a huge outlay - they may be small (most are around 15.6-inch in diagonal) but their versatility makes up for it.
However, there are millions ofAndroid tabletsaround the world that are left unused either because they are no longer fit for purpose (poor battery life, no longer supported by the vendor, no more Android OS updates) or because their owners no longer see a use case for them. To extend the useful lifespan of their tablets, at least one vendor (Lenovo) has fitted one of its tablets (theYoga Tab 13) with a physical HDMI connector that enable it to be used as a portable monitor.
On paper at least, that sounds like a straightforward win-win feature but in a cut-throat market, every dime counts. The additional electronics needed to convert the tablet into a monitor adds to the bill of material which in turn eats into the profit margins.
Then there’s the fact that a few vendors have apps that allow you to turn a tablet into a secondary monitor:Galaxy Tabowners have theSamsungSecond Screen app, Lenovo has the Lenovo Freestyle,AppleMac users have the Sidecar feature which transforms your iPad into a portable monitor and Honor has turned its Connect feature into a worthy one.
By the way, if you’re looking to improve your productivity, it might be worth investigating your current setup by looking at our buying guides onbest standing desks,best office chairsandbest office desks.
Business tablets to double as portable monitors?
One thing they all have in common is that every single one needs software intervention (install an app, alter a feature) and lack universal compatibility. Given that portable monitors can be as expensive as tablets (if not more costly), there’s potentially an untapped market that brings together larger-than-13-inch displays and a full-fledgedGoogle-powered PC (in other words, an Android tablet).
Android tablets rarely displaced business laptops or indeeddesktop PCas the main computer in businesses despite the hype. However, they could easily be a great, affordable, complement to employees’ productivity toolbox, providing an extra display without the need for additional workplace changes (no need for extra power sockets, extramonitor arm, bigger desks etc).
Sadly, Lenovo stopped producing the Yoga Tab 13 and has no planned successor for it; a sign perhaps of poor sales or that of a thoroughly misunderstood product. If you’re still not convinced of the power of dual displays, check out the following articles written over the years on TechRadar (and TechRadar Pro)
Should you embraced the duality of displays, then the following makes for essential reading:
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Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled inwebsite buildersandweb hostingwhen DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.
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