Razer outs Project Linda dockable Android device

Gaming hardware giant Razer is again catching eyes at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with the unveiling of a design concept for an Android-powered gaming-and-productivity smartphone which docks into a laptop chassis: Project Linda.

The idea of having only one easily portable device which can do everything you could possibly need is, of course, not a new one. From the early days of luggable laptops which could slide into a desktop chassis to the brief period when Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were a thing, companies have been working to slim down the PC and make it more accessible on-the-go. Razer's Project Linda, the company has announced, takes that concept and applies it to gamers and power users, pairing a high-performance smartphone with a laptop dock - and with, in a clever twist, the phone acting as both a secondary display and the system's touchpad while docked.

In a design which owes much to both the Motorola Lapdock and the Asus Padfone, the Project Linda hybrid system pairs a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 smartphone packing 8GB of RAM with a 13.3" Quad HD (QHD) touchscreen laptop in an aluminium unibody design. Weighing 1.25kg including the docked phone. While docked, the phone can use the laptop's keyboards, USB port, 3.5mm jack, 720p webcam, dual microphones, and 200GB of additional storage, as well as a 53.6Wh battery for extended run time.

'Android power users and laptop enthusiasts share a need for performance in a mobile form factor, which we provide with our award-winning Razer Phone and Razer laptops,' explains Razer co-founder and chief executive Min-Liang Tan of the design. 'Project Linda combines the best of both worlds, bringing a larger screen and physical keyboard to the Android environment, enhancing the experience for gaming and productivity.'

While Razer has a dedicated microsite for Project Linda where users can register for more information, it's worth bearing in mind that the company frequently releases design concepts and even functional prototypes which don't make it to market - including the company's triple-screen Project Valerie, unveiled in prototype form at CES 2017 but still no closer to market a year down the line, and CES 2014's Project Christine modular gaming PC.