Microsoft’s Continuum for Phones can turn your Windows 10 phone into a full PC

With Windows 10, Microsoft is focusing on better integration and unifying its rather fragmented operating system to work across all platforms to offer an optimum and seamless experience across all devices. As a part of this process, Microsoft has announced several new features in Windows 10 at its BUILD 2015 developer conference. One of them is the Continuum for Phones feature that will transform a smartphone running Windows 10 into a desktop PC when connected to a bigger screen.

Initially when Microsoft had first presented Windows 10 at its BUILD conference in 2014, it had revealed that its main aim was to unify all the devices running the software. Now with the Continuum feature, developers will find it very easy to make apps that will adjust automatically according to the device. The apps built for Windows 10 will be universal apps which can work on any device from a smartphone, to a PC or a TV.

Microsoft has undertaken a lot of efforts to build the whole software and its no wonder that a smartphone can transform to show a desktop layout when it is connected to a big screen. During the on-going developer conference, Joe Belfiore took to the stage and showed how it works. He hooked up a smartphone to a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Immediately the UI of the phone adapted to the new inputs & outputs.

Although the Interface seen on the screen was not exactly like what Windows 10 looks on a PC, the apps shown did look like it, especially the Power Point. The monitor needs to be an HDMI monitor and you can simply connect your smartphone to it and make any changes you want to your Power Point presentations by using the big screen and the tools as in a PC. Even Excel and Photos worked well on it. According to Belfiore, this feature would work very well when developers build apps that “scale across form factors” and the company is now providing them with tools for it.

“What we’re trying to show here today, is our unique vision for phones and enabling them to scale up to a full PC-like experience,” said Belfiore.

The demonstration by Belfiore was very impressive and it would be interesting to see that apart from Office, what other uses of the Continuum could be.

Well, the Continuum for Phones feature is not going to be available on existing Windows Phones. Smartphones need to comply with certain requirements in order to be compatible with Continuum and able to offer support for a second screen. So this feature will run on new devices that comply with the requirements. Microsoft plans to reveal more details about it soon.

Microsoft’s Continuum for Phones can turn your Windows 10 phone into a full PC