New Intel computers will soon have a feature that Macs have offered for years: the ability to text, receive calls, and send files to their iPhone. That’s all thanks to Intel’s Unison app, which aims to help Windows users get on with their work without being distracted by their phones. And yes, it also works with Android devices.
After getting Israeli company Screenovate last year, Intel has improved its phone integration engine to suit more demanding users. With Unison, there’s support for VPNs, firewalls, and IT manageability. Intel also pays special attention to battery efficiency, as well as a mix of wireless connections over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks. The result is something more useful Microsoft’s Your Phone App for Windows, looks very slick but only works with Android phones.
According to Josh Newman, Vice President of Mobile Innovation at Intel, Unison will provide fast file transfers between phones and computers. (We’re still waiting for more details on actual connection speeds.) For example, you can quickly take a photo or video on your phone and transfer it to your Windows computer for further editing. . The app will also allow you to push files from your PC to your phone.
As a lifelong Windows user who can’t help but crave the integration between Macs and iOS devices, Unison might be what many PC users have been waiting for. However, we’ll need to see it in action before we make any final reviews, and its limited support could be an issue.
For starters, Intel will only be supplying Unison with a handful of 12th Gen Evo PCs from HP, Acer, and Lenovo this fall. Newman says it will aim for future 13th-generation Evo systems next year. When asked if it could support previous Intel hardware, Newman didn’t rule that out, but he noted that the company wanted to see how Unison performs on a pre-selected set of systems. Ultimately, there’s nothing stopping Unison from supporting AMD chips, but the companies will have to work together to make that happen.
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