Cannot afford a laptop computer? Acer has a display/keyboard hack on your telephone

It appears like the brand new flooring for laptop computer costs can be round 700 {dollars}. And that isn’t going to get you an entire lot of laptop computer, particularly if you would like reminiscence for RAM-hungry browser tabs. So if you happen to can’t spare the money, Acer would love a phrase: Why not simply plug an enormous display and a keyboard into the costly telephone you have already got in your pocket?

The Acer PM1 system is, at its core, a transportable USB-C monitor with some additional steps. At 15.6 inches (at the very least for the PM161JB mannequin) and 1080p, it’s nothing significantly mind-blowing, although the touchscreen, built-in kickstand, and VESA-compatible mounting holes are good. The actually attention-grabbing bit is that this product features a Floor-style magnetic keyboard that connects over pogo pins.

So in case your telephone can output to a display over its USB connection, you may—at the very least theoretically—plug it into this monitor-and-keyboard combo. That’d get you a lot of the method in the direction of a full laptop computer setup, full with a trackpad for mouse motion. In case your telephone additionally occurs to incorporate an alternate desktop-style interface, like Samsung’s DeX and Google’s Desktop Mode, you would possibly even be capable to squint slightly and persuade your self it’s a full-power machine.

In case you’ve been watching the smartphone house lengthy sufficient, you’ll know that this has been tried earlier than. Way back to 2011, Motorola was attempting to increase the performance of its Android smartphones by promoting laptop-style add-on docks with screens and keyboards. Asus tried too with its “Transformer” line that might slide right into a tablet-sized shell and slap on a keyboard and trackpad. These options had been fairly roundly rejected by customers on the time. They didn’t see the purpose in paying virtually as a lot as a laptop computer to get a tool that was bulkier, extra awkward, and fewer highly effective than a price range machine.

Motorola

However oh, how the turntables. In 2026, laptops are costlier than ever due to the RAM disaster, inflicting cash-strapped customers to make compromises. And within the final 15 years, telephones—even price range fashions—have gotten way more highly effective. (It’s as soon as once more value mentioning that the MacBook Neo, to this point the breakout client laptop computer success story of the 12 months, is operating on an older iPhone chip.) Loads of folks, particularly on the youthful facet, barely contact a full PC anyway. So a less expensive laptop computer different powered by a telephone could be interesting to a variety of consumers, particularly if that different doesn’t want RAM or storage.

Samsung and Google have put numerous work into making these docked experiences extra palatable. I can personally attest that DeX is fairly darn good with a keyboard, mouse, and display—simply plug in your telephone and also you’ve received one thing akin to a Chromebook interface. Google now has Desktop Mode baked into Android 16+, even when numerous producers aren’t enabling the perform. You possibly can even plug an iPhone into an HDMI show with display mirroring, although the expertise is lower than excellent.

Acer’s PM1 resolution isn’t a brand new concept, nevertheless it could be an concept whose time has regretably come. Simply final week I opined that cash-strapped customers could be on the lookout for a technique to get extra performance out of the costly telephones they’ve already purchased, probably even foregoing new PCs altogether. PCs are projected for a reasonably enormous gross sales downturn this 12 months as costs rise and inexpensive choices dwindle.

Acer/Chloe Clem

We don’t have a date or, crucially, a value for this new on-the-go setup, however I’d assume late 2026 or early 2027. There’s additionally a 12.3-inch ultrawide model, the PM131QT, which may plug into the identical keyboard accent… and which appears awkward as hell. The success of this returning kind issue will probably rely on a number of variables, like how effectively it really works with extra units (is that USB-A port on the again I see, all the higher to plug in a flash drive?), or how shortly it drains a telephone’s battery with that large display. And the value, in fact.

I’ll be excited by attempting it out, if solely as a viable backup when my laptop computer offers up its ghost and my grocery invoice precludes me from getting one other one. I think I gained’t be alone.