GraalPhone is showing off a concept modular devices at CES this week. It consists of two parts: a small Windows laptop with a 7 inch display that can also be positioned so that it rests on top of the keyboard for use in tablet mode, and an Android smartphone that slides into a slot in the computer.

The idea is that you can use the Android phone or Windows computer as standalone devices. But as soon as you insert the phone, it turns the system into a 7 inch Android tablet.

GraalPhone is showing off a pretty slick design prototype at CES, but unfortunately the software isn’t ready for a public demonstration yet.

The company says a finished product could be available in late 2017 or early 2018 and it would likely sell for around 800 to 1000 Euros, which would make the GraalPhone system kind of pricey for a phone, but potentially cheaper than buying a phone, a tablet, and a laptop.

But Graalphone is also taking meetings with bigger companies at CES, and a representatives tells me that some have mentioned their interest in the company’s intellectual property. So instead of selling its own products, it’s possible GraalPhone could license its patents to another company who would sell something similar under a different name.

GraalPhone calls the system a 4-in-1 device because it functions as a phone, a tablet, a laptop, and a 3D camera. That last one comes from the fact that the laptop dock has a camera with an optical zoom lens… but there’s also a hole in the case so that when the Android phone is inserted, you have a dual-lens camera system, allowing you to take stereoscopic 3D images.

The trickiest part of this system isn’t necessarily designing the physical case prototype that’s on display right now, though. It’s making sure the Android and Windows software works together properly and making sure that the processor, memory, storage, battery, and other hardware is all up to the task of powering this multi-function device.

It’s a promising concept. But right now it’s little more than a concept.

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22 replies on “GraalPhone concept is a modular smartphone, laptop, tablet, and 3D camera”

  1. The website is dead now. It was a nice idea. Hopefully, someone makes use of the patents

  2. This is desperation to use an Android OS phone combined with a Windows OS desktop experience. As a concept it may be a good idea, but it’s time has come and gone already. Google is transitioning it’s desktop replacement ChromeOS to use Android apps while Microsoft transitioning its mobile OS to work with desktop apps. The notion of having two products one with a mobile OS and another with a desktop OS is on its deathbed.

  3. I think that is very unique. I like the idea of it using Android.

  4. Personally, I’d rather go for a Windows 10 Continuum type of setup like the ones being teased/speculated about but the “lapdock” has a 7″ screen.

  5. Take the phone out the of equation, and I’ll buy one.

    I would love a modern UMPC, but not willing to use a phone that I’m not interested in.

    Edit: Also, those keys on the keyboard look absurdly tall and narrow. Doesn’t look that great to type on

  6. Would someone just fully release something like this already. It’s been too many years since the lapdock

  7. The screen mechanism is interesting but the device is a joke. Chinese nonsense junk.

  8. :/ this falls into a phablet size: to big to carry, and to small to be useful.

    1. That’s tablets – “phablets” usually refers to the 5 to 6″ range which are perfectly portable, as well as a lot more useful that the tiny tablet/phones.

      It’s larger tablets that fall into the too big to carry, but not as useful as laptops/2-in-1s.

  9. I’ve thought about the sliding mechanism for use in both a laptop and tablet shell. For something this small, I think I would prefer a transformer-style solution that converts a regular 6″-7″ smartphone into a laptop. Seems so much more simpler, doable and affordable.

    I can’t even imagine all those users who cry about a 5″ phone being (OMG!) too large even interested in a 7″ laptop. So it’s us users with 6″ and 7″ phones that would be the target audience. We just need the attachable keyboard dock (with extras: battery, ports, etc).

    We already have mini-keyboards that expand (from folded to double their width when opened) which could be incorporated into the transformer-style solution.

    Big fan of small devices with keyboards but I think this device is trying to do too much. Hate to say it but it’s innovation for its’ own sake without taking user ‘use cases’ into consideration. As a result (sorry, more wet-blanket stuff), it won’t see production.

    1. Yeah, that’s why I didn’t write it up when the press release dropped last month. I had a feeling this’d be the case. The design is nicer than I’d expected, and I’m told some of the software works in lab… but they’re not showing it yet.

      1. I like the concept of this device because its a Swiss army knife of technology. Perfect for when your out of the house and going to say a park, or if your on a Airplane and traveling. I hope this device lowers its price to a level, like 600 or 500$, where its at least obtainable by mortal men. 1000 seems a bit steep, to steep for this thing to make profit one would think. But what do I know. Thanks for the coverage on this device, I know this article is a bit old, but I was looking at the Asuna Padfone, and soon I discovered this device. With information being very scare, its good to see a article covering this device. If you by chance see this comment, I would love to get a name of devices that can be obtained that can do things like the Asuna Padfone. Thanks again Brad.

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