Part of Intel’s Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” launch also included new features coming to Unison, Intel’s cross-platform sharing and collaboration software utility that lets you connect your phone and computer.
For a hardware company, the continued development of the Unison app is a bit surprising. Intel parlayed its Screenovate acquisition into Unison in 2022 and began making it a premium feature for its Evo brand of laptops and desktops. While Microsoft’s Phone Link still offers a richer experience for sending content between computers, phones, and tablets, Unison does something Phone Link doesn’t: talk to iPhones.
Microsoft’s Phone Link lets you interact with your phone’s home screen and apps while on a Windows PC. But it doesn’t really let you use a phone or tablet as a second screen. Unison will do. David Feng, vice president of Intel’s Customer Computing Group, showcased Unison’s new capabilities in a video Intel shared ahead of the company’s launch of Core Ultra processors in customer laptops at an event in New York City.
In the video, Feng demonstrated how the iPad can be used as a separate display by moving a video playing on a PC to an Apple tablet. He also demonstrated a second feature, universal control, where he could type and move the mouse on the PC and then move the mouse to the iPad and interact with icons and apps on that screen.
“Let’s say I was in the middle of writing notes on my iPad before I switched to typing on my iPad. Feng said I could continue typing using my keyboard on the computer.
Unison also adds an additional sharing option called Swift Connect: an HTML glyph for those who don’t have the Unison app on their PC or phone. The glyph can be scanned with a camera app on PC or phone; This will open a link for the user to download the file. All that is required for the user to shake hands is to compare the eight-character authentication code with the other user to verify the transaction. Other manufacturers have done this. Samsung Multi Control and Second Screen allows you to use your Galaxy Tab as a second screen, allowing you to control multiple Galaxy devices with your computer. However, these options are limited to Samsung devices.
However, there is a hidden problem in the Unison update. The new features will only work on Core Ultra/Meteor Lake laptops, at least initially. Intel said the new features will be released from mid-February to April. “So these new features will land on Meteor Lake platforms first,” Feng said. “We will soon make these available for previous Evo platforms as well.”