Is there anything that can replace my laptop? I tested 5 remote setups to find the best alternative

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Highlights taken by ZDNET

• If you don’t want to carry a laptop, there are other options.
• They vary in size from the AR headset to your phone.
• Here are some ways you can do that, and what works best in each situation.

I’m a mobile writer, and by that I mean I write about mobile technology and I write on the go. As a result, I often end up without a laptop or in a place where I can’t use it, like the backseat of a car or airplane. Sometimes, I just get sick of using a laptop, so I want to try something new.

When that happens, I adapt and use something else. I have found various devices that work well in these situations.

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So, over the past month, I’ve been going back to the old devices I’ve used in these situations and trying new ones. I thought you might like to know some ways to create content, even if you’re not on a laptop.

Another keyboard shortcut

One such device I found is called SpeakOn. It’s an AI voice typing device the size of an Oreo cookie. It attaches to the back of your iPhone or Android phone using MagSafe (a magnetic ring is included in the package) and pairs via Bluetooth. There’s a button on the back to turn it on and off, and a button on the front to turn on push-to-talk for texting.

I was hesitant to use this device because my mind doesn’t usually flow directly on the page. Usually, I need to think about what I want to say and find the best way to say it. From there, I can go ahead and write it; this was new to me.

I tried using this device to write this article, and so far, everything has been called for on the SpeakOn device — and it’s been heavily edited since then. However, I have confirmed what I have suspected for a long time — my brain is not programmed to create this way. I also realized that it can be frustrating when you’re lying in your bed, talking to the machine, and you realize, “Oh, it didn’t get all that.” That happened a few times.

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I’m also not a fan of how this device adjusts your voice, making it sound professional or exotic. I should mention that when I wrote “happened a few times,” SpeakOn interpreted that as “happened a few times.” I’m not a fan of that.

So from now on, I’ll write this article the old-fashioned way — fingers and keyboard, as nature intended. Of course, which is the keyboard and which is the display is where things get really weird. Let’s dive in.

Samsung Galaxy XR

I’ll start with the coolest and most unlikely option — the Samsung Galaxy XR headsetwas launched last October. This is Samsung’s great answer to the Apple Vision Pro, but at half the price. It’s a self-contained computing device that straps to your face.

Samsung and other app developers have created interesting experiences with the Galaxy XR, including the MLB app, Google Maps, and Gemini, which can segment content and turn it into 3D content on the fly using AI. It’s great, but if you’re trying to write, browse the internet, or watch content, it’s too small.

The headset itself is not small, and the physical keyboard, to put it politely, is a challenge to use. I match with a ProtoArc XK01 TP Keyboardwhich works very well. That keyboard will be a recurring theme at this product launch.

All in all, the Galaxy XR in its current form does not take up much room for creating your content. When Project Aura from XReal arrives, which will offer the same experience but in the form of glasses, this will be a completely different discussion, and I can’t wait. I’m talking about XReal…

XReal 1S glasses

I XReal 1S glasses they are a step up from Samsung’s headset in the XR space. These glasses basically make the display float in the air in front of you. You can use it as a second monitor, although I prefer to just use it as my main monitor. I’m a big guy, so working on a plane is hard and cramped. But, with the ProtoArc keyboard and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra in DeX mode, I can get a windowed interface anywhere I need.

The glasses must be connected to the phone for this to work, and it’s important to remember that the glasses will drain the battery of any device you connect them to. I can usually get a solid 4-5 hours of work out of the glasses and the S26 Ultra before things start getting hairy.

DeX mode is what really makes this work, giving you a windowed interface. XReal glasses have two modes — tracking mode and lock mode; I prefer the latter. In tracking mode, the entire screen moves as you turn your head, but in lock mode, the screen stays in mid-air in front of you.

You can turn your head to focus on different parts of the screen as needed. Funnily enough, when the plane turns, the screen starts to drift with it, but a quick update fixes this.

Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro Magnetic Keyboard

One of the laptop alternatives you’ll find is the old tablet and keyboard combination, but not all tablets and keyboards are created equal. Arguably, the most effective solution for this type of content creation is The iPad as well as Magic keyboard — which I don’t have. A close second is the Xiaomi Pad 7 and its companion keyboard.

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I’m an Android kid at heart — iOS is great and all, but I prefer to have options — so using a tablet and keyboard like a Xiaomi is next level. The tablet has a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and 8GB of RAM, so it’s more than up to the task of my type of content creation. I can (and have) video editing on it if I need to, but since Android apps aren’t good for that, I still prefer to do that on a laptop.

But with a portable ‘laptop’ you can walk around and throw it in your bag, it’s a great accessory. If you’re in the US, Xiaomi can be hard to find. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra is a close competitor, but I prefer that the screen “floats” above the keyboard. The S10 Ultra has a keyboard that simply hits the bottom of the tablet.

It is foldable along with the keyboard

The best camera is the one you have, and the same goes for the best content creation device. These days, I’m carrying the Oppo Find N6, which is a cute little wrap with a big screen inside. Suddenly, I could, and I backed it up with something and pulled out the ProtoArc Keyboard to work on the article. I would absolutely love the phone if it had a MagSafe ring. I have a sticker that comes out from the side, but it usually comes off when you remove the phone.

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But a foldable phone gives you more space for work. The Find N6 has a Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2 processor and 16GB of RAM, so it’s as capable as a Xiaomi tablet, and it has a built-in Internet connection, which is a very important bonus.

Of course, any fold will give you the same feeling. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold have screens of the same size, but the battery life of the Find N6 is second to none.

A normal phone with a physical keyboard

If you find yourself with some free time, but without a large device, your phone is a great device for creating content. I tend to do most of my creative stuff on my iPhone 17 Pro Max, but any phone will do. Arguments can be made that the phone is too small and the physical keyboard doesn’t work well — both strong arguments. However, with practice, it is very possible.

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We text on our phones every day, so writing 1,000 words on a phone isn’t that different; it takes more time. In the past few weeks, I’ve typed several articles of 700 or more words on my phone while I was riding in the car or waiting for my daughter’s soccer game to start.

Here’s one power move you’re probably familiar with: long-pressing the space bar on most virtual keyboards (including iOS) lets you move the cursor if you need to reposition it. That saved me a lot of time and the pain of pulling my hair out.

In conclusion, it just feels good

So that’s a look at how I’ve been creating content. I don’t always want to carry a laptop, and in fact, these past few weeks have inspired me to carry one a little more. That’s a strong feeling if I’m being completely honest.

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Being able to sit down, or stand as the case may be, and do some work on your phone is a great feeling. It helps me balance work/life with incredible flexibility when I need to be somewhere, without having to throw a laptop in my bag so I can do what needs to be done. Next time you get the chance, I encourage you to give it a try.