In addition to the exciting new hardware that Dell announced at CES this year, there's also some incredibly clever software coming. Here's a quick look at a working build of Dell Mobile Connect, the app that Dell has been building for the past two years to make it possible to use your phone directly from your Dell PC. This initial build wasn't created to make it easy to send text messages and make phone calls from your mouse and keyboard. It was meant to bring your entire phone experience directly to any Windows-friendly VR headset.
There are a few ways you can use Dell Mobile Connect in VR. The simplest way is directly through the existing notification system on the VR headset. On the HTC Vive Pro used for this demo, text messages and other app notifications from the phone appeared just like any other SteamVR notification, and as long as you're using an Android phone, you can access the full notification response system to reply or like or favorite something.
This system also supports iPhone, but the responsiveness features are a bit limited because iOS is a bit limited in this regard.
But if you're trying to complete a level in Beat Saber while waiting for your taxi to show up, you don't have to be nervous about looking at your phone while you play. On Android, you can actually bring the entire phone UI into VR and use it that way. You can call an Uber and use the actual Uber through the headset, the touch surfaces on the controls make it easy to swipe and tap and generally feel natural.
Accessing the entire UI means just that. You can look up hints for that Beat Saber level you're stuck on on YouTube and watch them as you play the level. You can have your favorite Netflix show next to you while you're trying to solve a really difficult puzzle, or listen to your favorite music without having to go to the Desktop UI. You can even open the camera and take a picture at the same time.
Dell doesn't give a firm timeline for when this new version of Dell Mobile Connect will be available, but even in this early version it worked very well. The only major issue we noticed was with the audio playing through the phone instead of the headphones. This is a very small thing, but it really will be a very high-end experience if Dell manages to bring the audio from the phone to the headphones when this update is available to the public.
Either way, this will be hugely important for VR fans since they won't lose the rest of their lives while playing.
