Eric Zeman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Intel is working on an app that will allow Android and iOS users to connect their phones to Windows PCs.
- The app will allow your PC to do everything from making calls to receiving notifications.
- Intel expects the app to launch on 12th Gen Evo systems from Acer, HP, and Lenovo PCs this holiday season and will expand to 13th Gen Mobile processors and Evo designs in 2023.
Have you ever wished that your computer and phone could work seamlessly together? There are some solutions out there like Microsoft’s Phone Link, but they are severely limited. Intel is currently working on a more comprehensive solution that will work whether you have an Android or iOS phone.
After purchasing the company behind Screenovate and Dell Mobile Connect, Intel has reworked and optimized the software to create what the company calls Intel Unison. According to Windows Central, Intel Unison connects with your handset and allows you to do just about anything on your computer that you can do on your phone. This means you have the ability to make calls, send texts, transfer files, receive notifications, and more all from your PC.
Although Microsoft’s solution is capable of doing some of this as well, it doesn’t work on iPhones. Windows Central also claims that Phone Link isn’t as fast and reliable as Intel Unison is.
In an interview with Josh Newman, vice president and general manager of mobile innovation at Intel, Newman told Windows Central that the ecosystem for connecting phones to Windows PCs is extremely fragmented and most third-party software offers incomplete or severely limited solutions. Unison, on the other hand, will “elevate the quality of the experience” and maximize battery life and reliability.
The problem with Unison’s predecessor (Dell Mobile Connect), was that it was exclusive to XPS systems that Dell had tested. While it won’t immediately be the case, Unison will be available on more devices. Intel says that it will launch the app on select Intel 12th Gen Evo systems from Acer, HP, and Lenovo this holiday season. But it will expand to more devices with Intel’s 13th Gen Mobile processors and Evo designs in 2023.
In an effort to become the default solution for phone-to-PC connections, Intel claims that it’s open to working with anyone that wants to push the project forward. This means Intel is even open to joining forces with AMD and Qualcomm.
Being the walled garden that it is, it’s doubtful that Apple would accept Intel’s invitation on such a project. However, Newman told Windows Central that there’s no need for direct collaboration with Apple. Since the app uses standard APIs, the Intel Unison app can still work with iOS.
It’s unfortunate that Intel Unison will be limited to so few devices initially, but hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long for Intel to bring the app to more computers.
