CES 2018: Razer’s Project Linda combines laptop, smartphone experience into one

Razer showcased a fully functional hybrid setup that combined smartphone and laptop experience into one.

Project Linda imagines ‘the ultimate mobile hybrid setup’. (Razer)

Gaming accessories major, Razer entered the smartphone zone last year with its first product, the Razer Phone. Packed with features and specifications flagship standard, the Razer Phone possesses power and performance for a gaming smartphone. The future for the Razer Phone seems exciting as Razer demonstrated the prototype for Project Linda, a smartphone dock.

Showcased at the ongoing CES technology conference in Las Vegas, Project Linda has a smartphone dock designed for the Razer Phone replacing it as a touchpad as well. Project Linda offers a laptop design with a 13.3-inch Quad HD touchscreen display, and a keyboard. This prototype not only serves as a device for screen mirroring but instead infuses the Razer Phone to offer "the ultimate mobile hybrid setup."

In addition to functioning as a touchpad, the Razer Phone's 5.7-inch display can also be used as a secondary screen for custom interfaces and apps. Razer demonstrates playing an Android game on Project Linda with the secondary display used for menus, maps, and more. The Razer Chrome powered keyboard also comes with custom Android functioning keys like home, back, voice search, and more. In Razer style, the keyboard is backlit with different colors giving an edge to the device altogether.

Project Linda comes with a 3.5mm audio jack, and also a built-in powerbank. The Razer Phone when plugged in also gets charged at the same time. Project Linda doesn't come with speakers but instead uses the Razer Phone's front-facing speakers for audio output. Project Linda is currently a concept, but excels among other smartphone dock prototypes and existing ones like the Samsung DeX. It remains to be seen whether Razer will bring Project Linda to the commercial market.

Project Linda seems very similar to one of Samsung's patent for a laptop that houses a smartphone as well. Touted as 'dual-OS' laptop-smartphone hybrid, the laptop ran on Windows whereas the phone ran on Android. The dock, however, could not be used independently.