NexDock has featured in the HEXUS news pages twice previously. The first of our reports saw the 'dumb laptop' device touted as a great complement for Windows Phones featuring Microsoft Continuum (as reported in April 2016). We have obviously moved on from that era but other smartphones/OSes have been adding bigger-screen partnering features (like Samsung DeX) so the core functionality of the NexDock concept will surely still have some appeal. Thanks to support for second screens, NexDock Touch can be useful for Windows, Chromebook, and Mac users too.
NexDock has been refining and improving its dumb laptop designs in the meantime and has just announced its latest and greatest development, the NexDock Touch. This is an improved version of the NexDock 2 with an integrated touch display. Key features of the NexDock Touch are bullet pointed below:
- 14-inch Touch Screen (instead of 13.3-inch NexDock2)
- Slimmer, narrow bezels
- 60Wh battery (instead of 51Wh on NexDock2)
- Improved 4x speaker array
- Bigger and improved touchpad
- Webcam at bottom of screen removed
Standard features and ports brought over from the previous design are:
- 1x USB-C 3.1 with DisplayPort
- 1x Full-sized HDMI-in (1.4a) port
- 1x USB-C PD Charging port
- 1x USB 3.0 Type-C
- 1x USB 3.0 Type-A
- 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
- 1x Micro SDXC reader
For mobile devices, the NexDock team has designed a special magnetic sidecar mount. You can see it in the pictures below and NexDock reckons it is a "perfect travel companion" for the device.
Previously NexDock devices have been crowdfunded but the firm seems to be moving away from that source of capital for this release. Instead, it is offering the following (until the end of July): customers put down a fully refundable US$100 to secure a NextDock Touch for $249 + shipping. The customer will pay the remainder of the $249 offer price when the device six week before the device ships on 31st August 2020. If you don't participate in this early bird scheme NexDock says the Touch will come with an SRP of $319.
It is neater to mount the RasPi on the back of the screen if this is a regular use case.
Mass manufacturing is in progress and despite pandemic concerns the firm is confident of shipping all pre-orders by the end of August, as stated above.
