I Ditched My Laptop For Xr Headsets, Tablets, And Phones - And Learned An Important Lesson

3 days ago

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

If you don't want to transportation a laptop around, location are different options.
They scope successful size from an AR headset to your phone.
Here are immoderate ways you tin do that, and what useful champion for each situation.

I'm a mobile writer, and by that I mean I constitute astir mobile tech and I constitute while I'm mobile. Because of that, I often extremity up without a laptop aliases successful a spot wherever I can't usage one, for illustration nan backmost spot of a car aliases connected a plane. Sometimes, I'm conscionable sick of utilizing a laptop, truthful I want to effort thing new. When that happens, I accommodate and usage thing else. I've recovered various devices that activity good successful these situations.

Also: My apical 3 distraction-free penning apps that helped maine constitute dozens of novels

So, complete nan past fewer weeks, I've been going backmost to immoderate aged devices I've utilized successful these situations and trying retired caller ones. I thought you mightiness for illustration to cognize immoderate alternate ways to create content, moreover if you're not connected a laptop.

A keyboard-less penning alternative

One specified instrumentality I recovered is called SpeakOn. It's an AI sound transcription instrumentality astir nan size of an Oreo cookie. It attaches to nan backmost of your iPhone aliases Android telephone utilizing MagSafe (a magnetic ringing is included successful nan packaging) and pairs via Bluetooth. There's a fastener connected nan backmost to powerfulness it connected and off, and a fastener connected nan beforehand to activate push-to-talk for transcription.

I was skeptical astir utilizing this instrumentality because my encephalon doesn't usually activity by flowing straight to nan page. Normally, I request to see what I want to opportunity and past fig retired nan champion measurement to opportunity it. From there, I tin spell up and type it out; this was decidedly a caller acquisition for me.

I tried utilizing this instrumentality to constitute this article, and up until now, everything has been dictated into nan SpeakOn instrumentality -- and heavy edited afterward. However, I've confirmed what I've agelong suspected -- my encephalon isn't group up to create this way. I besides realized that it tin beryllium beautiful frustrating erstwhile you're lying backmost connected your bed, talking into a device, and you realize, "Oh, it didn't get each of that." That happened connected a mates of occasions.

Also: The astir awesome portion of tech I've tested (and it isn't smart glasses)

I'm besides not a instrumentality of really this instrumentality adjusts your voice, making it sound either much master aliases much casual. I should mention that erstwhile I wrote "happened connected a mates of occasions," nan SpeakOn translated that arsenic "happened a mates of times." I'm not a instrumentality of that.

So from now on, I'm going to constitute this article nan old-fashioned measurement -- fingers and keyboard, for illustration quality intended. Of course, which keyboard and which show is wherever things get really weird. Let's dive in.

Samsung Galaxy XR

I'm going to commencement pinch arguably nan coolest and astir impractical action -- nan Samsung Galaxy XR headset, launched past October. This is beautiful overmuch Samsung's reply to nan Apple Vision Pro, but for half nan price. It's a self-contained computing instrumentality that straps to your face.

Samsung and immoderate app developers person built immoderate absorbing experiences pinch nan Galaxy XR, including nan MLB app, Google Maps, and Gemini, which tin spatialize contented and move it into 3D contented connected nan alert utilizing AI. It's beautiful cool, but if you're conscionable trying to write, browse nan internet, aliases watch content, it's a small much.

The headset itself is not small, and nan virtual keyboard is, to put it politely, challenging to use. I brace it pinch a ProtoArc XK01 TP Keyboard, which useful very well. That keyboard will beryllium a recurring taxable successful this merchandise parade.

Overall, nan Galaxy XR successful its existent shape is not a awesome substitute for your contented creation. Once Project Aura from XReal comes around, which will connection fundamentally nan aforesaid acquisition but successful a glasses shape factor, this will beryllium an wholly different conversation, and I can't wait. Speaking of XReal...

XReal 1S Glasses

The XReal 1S glasses are a measurement down from Samsung's headset successful nan XR space. These glasses fundamentally make a show float successful nan aerial successful beforehand of you. You tin usage it arsenic a secondary monitor, though I for illustration to conscionable usage it arsenic my main monitor. I'm a bigger guy, truthful moving connected an airplane is difficult and cramped. But, pinch nan ProtoArc Keyboard and nan Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra successful DeX mode, I tin fundamentally get a windowed interface successful immoderate abstraction I need.

The glasses person to beryllium connected to nan telephone for this to work, and it's important to retrieve that nan glasses will drain nan artillery of immoderate instrumentality you link them to. I tin usually get a coagulated 4-5 hours' worthy of activity retired of nan glasses and nan S26 Ultra earlier things commencement getting hairy.

DeX mode is what really makes this work, giving you a windowed interface. The XReal glasses person 2 modes -- travel mode and locked mode; I for illustration nan latter. With travel mode, nan full surface moves arsenic you move your head, but successful locked mode, nan surface stays fixed successful nan aerial successful beforehand of you.

You tin move your caput to attraction connected different parts of nan surface arsenic needed. Humorously, erstwhile nan airplane turns, nan surface starts to drift pinch it, but a speedy recentering fixes this.

Xiaomi Pad 7 and Pro Magnetic keyboard

One of nan astir celebrated laptop alternatives you'll find is nan aged tablet-and-keyboard combo, but not each tablets and keyboards are created equal. Arguably, nan astir effective solution to this benignant of contented creation is nan iPad and nan Magic Keyboard -- which I do not have. A adjacent 2nd is nan Xiaomi Pad 7 and its companion keyboard.

Also: This Android tablet brings a $1,700 iPad Pro characteristic to nan $400 value scope - and it's conscionable arsenic good

I'm an Android babe astatine bosom — iOS is awesome and all, but I for illustration having options -- truthful utilizing a tablet and keyboard for illustration nan Xiaomi is next-level. The tablet has a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and 8GB RAM, so it's much than up to nan task of my benignant of contented creation. I could (and moreover have) edit a video connected it if I needed to, but since Android apps are not perfect for that, I still for illustration to do that connected a laptop.

But for a portable 'laptop' you tin transportation astir and flip into a bag, this is an fantabulous device. If you're successful nan US, nan Xiaomi tin beryllium reliable to find. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is a adjacent competitor, but I for illustration nan surface to "float" supra nan keyboard. The S10 Ultra has a keyboard that conscionable flaps down astatine nan bottommost of nan tablet.

Foldable and keyboard

The champion camera is nan 1 you person pinch you, and nan aforesaid goes for nan champion contented creation device. These days, I transportation nan Oppo Find N6, a deliciously awesome foldable pinch a ample surface connected nan inside. In a pinch, I can, and have, propped it up against thing and whipped retired nan ProtoArc Keyboard to activity connected an article. I would perfectly adore nan telephone if it had a MagSafe ring. I attached a third-party one, but it tends to popular disconnected erstwhile you region nan phone.

Also: Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: We tried both, and here's who wins

But a foldable telephone gives you plentifulness of abstraction for work. The Find N6 has nan Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2 processor and 16GB of RAM, truthful it's conscionable arsenic tin arsenic nan Xiaomi tablet, and it besides has built-in net connectivity, which is an invaluable bonus.

Of course, immoderate foldable will springiness you a akin experience. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and nan Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold person likewise sized screens, but nan Find N6's artillery life is perfectly 2nd to none.

Normal telephone and virtual keyboard

If you find yourself pinch immoderate downtime, but without a larger device, your telephone is an fantabulous contented creation machine. I thin to do astir of my creator things connected my iPhone 17 Pro Max, but immoderate telephone will do. Arguments tin beryllium made that a telephone is excessively constrictive and a virtual keyboard doesn't activity arsenic good -- some very coagulated arguments. However, pinch immoderate practice, it's very doable.

Also: The champion Samsung phones to buy

We type connected our phones each day, truthful penning 1,000 words connected a telephone isn't each that different; it conscionable takes much time. Over nan past respective weeks, I person typed respective articles of 700 words aliases much connected my telephone while riding successful a car aliases waiting for my daughter's shot crippled to start.

Here's 1 powerfulness move you whitethorn beryllium acquainted with: long-pressing nan abstraction barroom connected astir virtual keyboards (iOS included) lets you move nan cursor if you request to reposition it. That has saved maine truthful overmuch clip and spared maine nan symptom of pulling my hairsbreadth out.

In conclusion, it conscionable feels good

So that's a look astatine really I've been creating content. I don't ever want to transportation astir a laptop, and successful fact, these past fewer weeks person inspired maine to transportation 1 astir moreover less. That's a beautiful powerful emotion if I'm being wholly honest.

Also: The champion Android tablets: Lab tested, master recommended

Being capable to beryllium down, aliases moreover guidelines arsenic nan lawsuit whitethorn be, and get immoderate activity done connected your telephone is simply a awesome feeling. It helps maine span work/life equilibrium by being incredibly elastic erstwhile I request to beryllium coming somewhere, without having to flip a laptop into my container truthful I tin get what needs doing done. Next clip you person nan opportunity, I promote you to effort it.