Intel’s Unison application available for Android, iOS, and Windows PCs is a major deal for those constantly connected.
In the beginning of September, Intel announced its new application, “Unison,” based on the technology it acquired from its acquisition from Israeli business Screenovate (read my deep dive and interview about it). The app is like Microsoft’s Phone Link (aka Your Phone) in that it allows you to connect your mobile directly to the Windows PC to receive notifications and text communications, calls and much more.
The main distinction between the Intel Unison can be found in the fact it is compatible with Apple’s iOS which Phone Link does not. In reality, all the features are available on Android such as pictures, the transfer of files, receiving and sending messages, as well as notifications.
Intel announced in the past that Unison will be available first on selected Intel 12th Generation Evo models made by Acer, HP, and Lenovo “this time of the holiday season,” however, we’ve never heard about it from Intel or any other PC manufacturer since the Unison’s launch.
It turns out that it’s available and is available on Microsoft Store. Microsoft Store.
Based on the reviews, it appears to be released around November 22, but I’m not certain when exactly it was made available. Users also need to install the appropriate apps from Google Play and Apple App Store and pair up by means of a simple QR code and allowances for permissions.
It is also interesting to note that the application runs on all Windows 11 PC I have attempted, despite Intel’s assertion that it is only compatible “on suitable Intel Evo models.”
In my case, I successfully implemented Intel Unison for Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio, running an 11th-Gen Intel processor. This was in the same way as Lenovo’s ThinkPadX13s which is running an Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 processor. Of course, both shouldn’t be avoided, but both were flawless when coupled to iOS and Android.
Intel Unison also unsurprisingly worked on HP’s new Dragonfly notebooks (Elite Dragonfly G3 and Dragonfly Folio G3) which are which are based upon Intel 12th Gen Evo designs as well as my Core i9 13th Gen desktop PC, which isn’t included in Intel Evo. Intel Evo program.
Concerning the performance aspect, Unison is like Microsoft’s Phone Link but handles connections better (it’s scheduled to include Wi-Fi Direct instead of being within similar networks). The current version isn’t able to support app mirroring however, this feature is likely to be added later on when Intel expands the application user experience for Unison.
Being able to receive notifications, browse your pictures or send files to receive texts on an iPhone but not receiving text messages is what really makes this experience enjoyable. While playing on Unison using iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Mini, I did not notice any difference in the experience using Android. The only difference is that it requires an additional step when setting up to enable Bluetooth pairing.
The disadvantage I observed in comparison the Microsoft Phone Link is that it only allows pairing only one computer and one phone at one time. I expect Intel will address this issue in the future versions of Unison however, for now it’s a problem for those who have several phones as well as Windows laptops.
Of course, back when Dell launched the Mobile Connect app (based on Screenovate prior to the time that Intel bought the company) users could download it to all Windows PC for a short duration. Dell eventually realized this and restricted the ability to install through its Microsoft Store. I wouldn’t be shocked that Intel followed suit however, the company has stated the possibility that Unison was open to the idea with some limitations.
The place where you can see where the Intel Evo advantage comes into play for Unison might be in the future with enhancements to Intel’s WiFi 6x platform as well as mobile processors, in which case Intel Evo will have greater control over the whole connectivity stack.
If you’ve have ever thought of connecting to connect your iPhone with the Windows PC, now may be the right time to do it in particular if you’re running older hardware.
