Microsoft Display Dock Review – Make Your Windows Phone to Work Like a PC… Almost

Published: 23 December 2015Updated: 3 January 2016

The Microsoft Display Dock is a niche specific accessory. It is a tiny unit about the size of an adult-sized palm. It is an adaptor with one use – to turn your Lumia Phone into a PC, well, kind of. It does this with the new Windows 10 Continuum feature. This is a much hyped functionality which is one of the new features found in the Microsoft Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL. It is the point where the line between desktop and mobile versions of Windows 10 are blurred, again, sort of.

Microsoft Display Dock Review - Make Your Windows Phone to Work Like a PC... Almost

The Microsoft Display Dock Makes Use of the Windows 10 Continuum Feature

With the Windows 10 Continuum feature and the Microsoft Display Dock, you can use both to make your Windows-powered smartphone into PC mode when connected to a larger screen. The first, and the most basic function of the feature (without the dock) is to mirror the smartphone’s screen into a larger-screen format TV. The Lumia screen will work as the touchpad and the keyboard while users look onto their TV screen as it “magically” transforms into the familiar tablet mode of Windows 10.

When used with the Display Dock, you can connect your Windows-powered smartphone to the compact device. It has a USB-C port at the front to connect to your Lumia. On its back, there are three USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI out, another USB-C port, and a DisplayPort. All of these connectivity options can be found on its 64.1-millimeter behind.

With these ports, it means that you can connect a USB mouse and keyboard rather than touching aimlessly on your smartphone’s screen with the use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Using an HDMI-connected monitor with a USB mouse and keyboard, it feels like you really are playing around with a Windows PC using your smartphone.

However, still do take note that your Lumia handset can never replace the power and performance of a real Windows computer. Therefore, you still have to deal with what processing power and speed your smartphone has when using it in conjunction with the dock and the PC. Microsoft’s Dock is just what it is – to connect your smartphone and TV, and provide almost nothing in between.

Still, using the Microsoft Display Dock with your Microsoft Lumia phone promotes some better, friendlier user-experience. Swapping between apps becomes a tad simpler as they appear at the bottom toolbar just like a desktop. Also, not every Windows mobile app is supported and you will notice a lot of them grayed-out in the Start menu.

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