Intel’s Unison app syncs iOS and Android phones with your PC

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Intel has announced an intriguing caller app called Unison, which aims to “seamlessly” link Intel-powered computers to smartphones — not conscionable Android phones but iOS devices arsenic well.

Following what Intel says is simply a “simple pairing process,” the Unison app volition let PCs to replicate 4 cardinal features of the connected phone. They tin reply and marque calls; they tin stock photos and files (pictures taken with the telephone volition amusement up successful a circumstantial Unison assemblage connected the PC); they tin nonstop and person texts; and they tin person (and, successful immoderate cases, respond to) notifications that the telephone receives — though if Unison is closed, they’ll spell to the Windows notification center.

“The vantage we tin bring to a PC idiosyncratic that’s got a well-designed Windows PC is not having to take their instrumentality based connected the PC they have. They person an iPhone, they person an Android phone, immoderate instrumentality they privation to usage volition beryllium capable to link with this capability,” Josh Newman, Intel’s VP of mobile innovation, told The Verge. “When you’re ... connected your laptop, and you get notifications oregon texts connected your phone, you tin support it successful your container and get close backmost into the travel of your work.”

iOS users, Newman says, whitethorn spot “subtle differences” from the acquisition of Android owners utilizing Unison, but astir of the halfway capabilities volition beryllium the same. Mainly, Newman says, iPhone users won’t person entree to immoderate much precocious messaging features, including afloat multiparty messaging, portion Android users will. The magnitude Unison users tin bash with definite notifications from third-party apps whitethorn besides alteration based connected the mode the iOS and Android versions of those apps behave.

A grid of Intel Unison Current Features and Capabilities, including Phone Calls, File Sharing, Messages, and Notifications with photographs of laptops and phones displaying each.

Here’s what it looks similar successful action.

Image: Intel

Unison volition person a reasonably constricted merchandise astatine the start, launching connected “select Intel Evo laptops” with 12th Gen processors from Acer, HP, and Lenovo this year. Intel plans to grow the diagnostic to “a overmuch broader range” of 13th Gen designs adjacent year, Newman says.

Some manufacturers, specified arsenic Samsung, already person features that tin make a reasonably seamless acquisition betwixt their ain PCs and mobile devices. But this inactive seems to beryllium an breathtaking improvement for Intel, which has struggled to vie with Apple’s and AMD’s chips successful a fig of categories precocious (and, of course, has been chopped retired of Apple’s computers entirely). A large payment of the MacBook to iPhone users has traditionally been the interconnectedness of the devices. The quality to person texts and reminders connected a MacBook tin beryllium hugely convenient for an iOS user.

Unison could devour into that vantage by allowing iPhone owners (as good arsenic Android owners who aren’t all-in connected 1 manufacturer) to entree immoderate mentation of those benefits connected an Intel-powered Windows computer.