Rumors of iPhone feature that can replace laptop

While phones have gotten much more convenient over the years, people still need to carry around a laptop if they want to get much done. Thankfully, that could change if a rumored new iPhone feature becomes official.

DeX, but for iPhone

One of the things that has made people lean more towards Samsung in recent years is the ability to work directly on the phone with an external monitor. Samsung DeX has established itself as a great productivity tool, replacing the need to carry around a larger tablet or laptop.

If Apple can successfully replicate DeX on the iPhone, it could completely change how and where you work. Many people spend the majority of their work time between a Windows PC and a laptop. While people generally prefer the larger screen on a PC, the ability to work almost anywhere has its benefits.

With the iPhone now fully embracing USB-C, it's the perfect time for Apple to implement a DeX-like feature for iOS. And, if MajinBu's rumor is anything to go by, we could see it as early as iOS 19 .

Apple has allowed us to mirror our iPhone screen to an external monitor. However, it is very limited because it mirrors the entire screen, there is no way to make it fit the screen. However, extending the screen will allow us to use the phone like a laptop.

All you have to do is plug your phone into an external display with a USB-C cable, then connect a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to your phone. Former MUO editor Bertel King used to work almost exclusively on his Samsung smartphone, via DeX. And he's written many times about how using his phone to work has increased his productivity.

If Apple can even mimic half of what DeX can do, you'll be able to leave your laptop behind most of the time. But that's where the core problem with this rumor comes into play.

New iPhone feature isn't exactly a DeX competitor

Since we're talking about Apple, it's worth looking at how the company tends to approach these types of features. It's never as cut and dry as you might expect. And that's the case here.

According to MajinBu, external display support on the iPhone won't be the DeX-like desktop mode many of us have been hoping for. Instead, it'll mostly just be a way to extend your screen for editing, presentations, or just enhanced viewing.

It's a shame, because many people were really hoping that Apple would fully embrace turning the iPhone into a productivity machine — even more so than it already is.

However, due to this design, the feature will likely be very limited in terms of the applications it will run at the expanded aspect ratio.

You can use AR glasses and iPhone to get the job done

One potentially useful use case for external display support on the iPhone is being able to connect it to a pair of augmented reality glasses, like Apple Vision . This would allow you to turn your phone into a virtual workspace instead of relying on an external display like traditional computer systems do.

For people who want to be truly immersed in their work and not pay attention to the outside world, this could be a great product. Of course, there are still some issues to be solved, as AR like Apple Vision has its own issues that we won't get into in this article. But the potential there is exciting.

Even if it's as limited as MajinBu suggests, using AR glasses could still be applicable here.

Eliminate weird aspect ratio issues

As noted above, one reason the current iPhone screen mirroring system is frustrating is that it's so limited. The weird aspect ratio (which mimics the iPhone's own screen) is unwieldy. At the time, you might as well just work directly on your phone, since it's at least less distracting.

That said, extending the display completely eliminates this problem by fitting the background software to the display you're connecting it to. Given the power of the chipset found inside the newer iPhones, it should be capable of running the basic programs that people need for their work – and honestly, even more intensive programs and apps like games.

Considering Apple has been gradually working to make all of its different devices work better together and feel more cohesive as a whole, making it easier to work from the iPhone seems like a step in the right direction.

Of course, the downside to rumors like this is that even if they come from reputable leakers, they're still just rumors. There's no guarantee that these features will ever come to light, or that they'll show up when people say they'll show up. There's also the fact that the current rumors suggest the feature will be extremely limited, far beyond what could actually make it as impactful as possible.

Given Apple's recent track record of over-promising AI features and under-delivering on Apple Intelligence features that users actually use, it's still hard to fully buy into this hype right now. But the potential is there, and if Apple delivers this DeX-like feature, it could help users ditch their laptops altogether.

Marvin Fry

Update 26 May 2025