What is it and how does it work?

The new feature allows you to start the process of transferring photos and videos from smartphones to Windows laptops. The most interesting part is that it works with both Android and iOS. All you need is to touch your phone to your laptop.

Smart Share is currently running on Lenovo’s Aura Edition PCs, a new line of devices powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, allowing these devices to benefit from special new features – in fact, the possibility of data transfer is one of them.

Starting with the new Lenovo Yoga and ThinkPad laptops, the Smart Share feature Transfer photos and videos to your laptop by literally shooting them with your phoneas shown in the video below. Although you can probably get by without fists, that remains to be seen. Even so, when you tap your phone on the side of the screen, an interface opens that lets you instantly drag and drop photos and videos, as well as transfer photos and videos to your phone.

• Lenovo says the interaction between the phone and the laptop happens using some “artificial intelligence sensors” that are at least partially virtual.
• The transfer itself is done via the Intel Unison application, which launched in 2022.
• Wi-Fi is used to transfer files, not too different from AirDrop or Quick Share.
• The app needs to be running in the background. If it is, Smart Share is incredibly fast, judging by the videos available on the Internet. A simple tap and the app will open instantly.

Ahead of IFA in Berlin this week, the company showed examples of the feature in use.

How Smart Share works on a Lenovo computer: video

It is unclear whether the device somehow detects the fact of impact, or whether the function is activated when it detects that the smartphone is too close to the case. Also, there is no data on which gadget detected the impact – a smartphone or a laptop.

The cons are insignificant

The need for Intel Unison to run constantly may seem like a disadvantage of this approach, as it requires the smartphone to allocate resources to it. However, for those who are constantly transferring a lot of files between devices and have one of the modern smartphones with a lot of RAM, this will be justified. And for those who only do this occasionally, the application can only be run once temporarily.

Lenovo says its Aura Edition laptops will start shipping in the next few weeks.