Is there a need for hefty laptops
when you have an all-powerful Android device to hand?
The technology in smartphones is constantly
improving in all areas, enabling users to perform things that could only be done
on a laptop until recently. With this in mind, we’ve asked whether it is
possible to put away your laptop and solely use your phone instead? We’ve put
together a list of apps that cover a wide variety of tasks you can do on a
laptop to see if your phone is a viable substitute.
Can
you replace your laptop with your phone?
Working with documents
As Android users, we’re spoilt for choice
when it comes to word processors. The best of the bunch is Kingsoft Office,
which can first and foremost be integrated with all your Microsoft Word
documents, presentations and spreadsheets. Apart from the editing, there’s also
the ability to create documents from scratch and share them to your contacts.
Email is also another strong point of the catalogue of phone apps available,
and with the likes of Gmail and Outlook having brilliant Android apps, you
won’t have any problem managing your inboxes. To help manage all of your
documents and emails you’ll want to invest in some suitable cloud storage. Once
again there’s plenty of choice, but the likes of SkyDrive are much harder to
use on your phone when compared to their desktop counterparts.
SkyDrive
is great, but better on a desktop?
Having fun with your media files
We also like to have fun on our laptop,
whether it be watching videos, browsing the web or playing a game - your laptop
can cater for it all. Cloud skipper Music Player is a superb mobile audio
streamer that includes some handy editing tools. It would be great if it had a
few more ways of integrating your playlists in one place, but that isn’t too
much of an issue. VLC is one of the most highly regarded desktop clients for
watching videos and you can expect the same exceptional experience when using
the VLC for Android Beta app. Where Android phones have yet to catch up with
their laptop counterparts is the gaming side of things. Apps like OnLive offer
access to some of the biggest AAA titles, but there are compatibility issues
with some games and nothing beats the experience of playing a game with either
a proper controller or mouse and keyboard.
Simple utility tasks
One of the most overlooked aspects of
laptop usage is the utility and data management side of things. Whether it’s
managing your battery, storing files, dealing with updates and general
management, your laptop can handle all of this with ease. Thankfully, some of
the best apps in the Play store can fill this void on your phone. Easy Battery
Saver can be used to keep on top of your battery life and offer improvements,
AndroZip File Manager can give you access to all your files, including hidden
ones on your device. Both the AppMgr Pro III and App Update Notifier are
suitable choices when you need an app to help manage updates and downloads.
AndroZip
gives you full access to files
App checklist
Gmail
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: Google Inc.
VLC
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: VideoLabs
Cloudskipper
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: cloud.tv
OnLive
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: OnLive
SkyDrive
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: Microsoft
App Update Notifier
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: Paradise Android
AppMgr Pro III
·
Price: $1.99
·
Developer: Sam Lu
Easy Battery Saver
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: 2Easy Team
Kingsoft Office 5.3.3
·
Price: $1.99
·
Developer: Kingsoft Office Software Corporation
Limited
AndroZip File Manager
·
Price: Free
·
Developer: AgileSoft Resource
Verdict
Success rating: Complete 85%
The quality of the apps on the Play store
means that for the most part you can use your phone as replacement for your
laptop. It isn’t perfect, however, and we’d love to see more media player apps
follow their desktop counterparts.
