Google Ends Motorola Webtop Lapdock Support

Motorola has ended support for its range of Motorola Webtop Lapdocks that allowed users to add laptop functionality to their smartphones.

The Lapdock was first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in 2011 with the Motorola Atrix 4G and was targeted at business travellers who didn’t want to have to carry an additional laptop with them on their trips.

The Google-owned manufacturer has reportedly confirmed that it is killing off the accessory and that no new Motorola smartphones wll support the accessory, beginning with the Photon W and Droid Razr HD.

Motorola Webtop Lapdock Killed Off

It has been suggested that the kill order came direct from Motorola owner Google, as part of a wider cost cutting exercise at Motorola Mobility. Apparently Motorola has said that the development direction of the Android platform to include more desktop features has rendered the Lapdock obsolete.

Smartphones running version 4.0 of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, can adapt to larger screens without the need for a custom second operating system being built in. Price was a contributing factor to the Lapdock’s demise as the first dock cost $500, around the same price as a cheap laptop, but the rise of the tablet also appears to have rendered it obsolete.

Motorola had not responded to our requests for comment at the time of publication.

However proud Lapdock owners wondering what on Earth they can do with their expensive accessory may be able to turn a into a fully-functioning laptop. One user has managed to create a Raspberry Pi laptop (admittedly with a few training wires) by using some custom cables and adaptors to connect their pocket-money priced computer to the dock.

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