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With some tinkering and a monitor, iPhone 15 Pro can be used as a PC

Published: Sep 24, 2023, 11:14 AM

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With some tinkering and a monitor, iPhone 15 Pro can be used as a PC

One of the key iPhone 15 features is something that Android phones have had for years: a USB-C port. But it unlocks new use cases, including those not officially supported by Apple, such as a desktop mode that can rival Samsung's popular DeX feature that lets you use the company's top phones as a PC.

A USB-C connector can handle higher power levels and data transfer speeds than Lightning. iPhones with the Lightning port can only mirror the screen on a bigger display but USB-C opens up a world of possibilities.

The iPhone 15 Pro's A17 Pro is a very fast chip and that's great news for gamers particularly as they can connect the phone to an external monitor. But what about productivity-oriented tasks? Well, where there is a will, there's a way.

X user @iOS_App_Dev has posted a video on the platform that shows him using the iPhone 15 Pro as a desktop computer. He connected the phone to Apple's Studio Display monitor and used a demo version of the infiniteX2P Studio app, which is basically meant for the iPad and allows the tablet to connect to an external display and run multiple apps at the same time in resizable windows.

iPhone 15 Pro + Studio Display + infiniteX2P Studio Demo.

Use your iPhone 15 Pro as a desktop computer.

Not everything is perfect. If I figure out a way to line up the iX2P mouse cursor and iOS cursor, it's not far from being done. pic.twitter.com/lEmUyVvJ0D
—  exDeveloper (@iOS_App_Dev) September 23, 2023

In the video, we can see the @iOS_App_Dev enjoying a desktop experience on his setup, and though everything is not smooth, they think that lags can be worked out after some optimizations.

Regardless, this is some impressive work and even though the iPhone 15 Pro doesn't natively support a desktop mode for multitasking, this developer has shown us that it's perfectly capable of projecting a macOS-like experience on the screen.

After all, the iPhone chips and Mac chips share the same DNA, so it would make perfect sense to be able to use the iPhone 15 Pro for casual computing.

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View Full Bio

Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.