A new product that has just launched will provide a stylish and low-cost laptop alternative for students and young professionals around the world. The Leef laptop is a beautifully designed laptop shell that receives its computing power from a connected smartphone. Weighing just 1 kg, and being 12mm thin; it retails for less than nearly any other laptop on the market while still being of high-end build and design quality. It was conceived in Ireland and developed in China. Leef is now available to pre-order on the Kickstarter website.
Leef is the creation of Christian McKeever from Ardee in Co Louth. A recent economics graduate of Trinity College Dublin, he has been inspired by new companies that have used technology to reimagine and reinvent existing products and services. A smartphone and computer user for his entire life, McKeever believes strongly that the time for these to be merged has arrived. He says: “The computing power in a smartphone is extraordinary and, docked with a compatible keyboard and screen, it can deliver a low-cost computing solution that will fulfil the average person’s needs.” He continues: “My vision is for a world where the smartphone will be the only computer people will need – to be used with a Leef laptop of course.”
Following intensive research, McKeever selected a Chinese company to support him with developing and designing his novel laptop alternative. ShenZhen LKKER SCM Co, a subsidiary of a leading Chinese industrial design company, will also manufacture and deliver the Leef laptops worldwide. About his Chinese partners, McKeever says: “As well as providing exactly the functionality we set out to provide, they have designed something really beautiful. I hope it will appeal and that people will really enjoy using it.”
Any smartphone with the ‘desktop mode’ feature is compatible with the Leef laptop; this includes all Samsung and Huawei flagship models as well as several models of LG. Leef displays the connected smartphone’s apps and user-interface on its screen in a desktop, Windows-like format. It features a full-size keyboard and trackpad, a 12.5-inch Full HD LCD display, USB-C ports for fast charging and connection to smartphones; its full aluminium body is just 12 mm thick and weight just 1 kg. Users of Leef can do anything that they would do on a traditional laptop: socialise, be productive, be entertained or play games. Examples of compatible apps include: Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office apps, AutoCAD Mobile, Adobe Photoshop apps, Google Chrome, YouTube, Gmail, Netflix and Spotify.
The Leef is now ready to be mass produced. It is now available to pre-order starting at a cost of €164 on the Kickstarter website. As soon as a sufficient quantity of orders have been received, the laptops will be manufactured and delivered to customers.
Kickstarter Page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/leeflaptop/leef-an-ultralight-laptop-powered-by-your-phone
Website: www.theleef.com