A Windows PC that looks like a smartphone? No, Microsoft is not resurrecting Windows Phone — but Chinese startup behind tiny mini PC may have missed a trick (again)
Many mini PCs are becoming increasingly popular because they offer the power of a regular computer in a much smaller package, making them great for people who don’t have a lot of space or who need a portable solution that they can easily take with them on the go.
One of the more unusual mini PCs we’ve come across lately is the Meenhong JX5, which stands out because it looks like a smartphone and runs Windows 11, bringing to mind Microsoft’s failed Windows Phone experiment.
The JX5 has a sturdy aluminum body and a 5.5-inch touchscreen with FullHD (1920×1080) resolution. The screen is big enough to be usable, but you may struggle to read smaller text or interact with some on-screen elements. At 161mm tall and 92mm wide, it’s a little larger than an iPhone 15 Pro Max, but considerably thicker. A chunk of the 23mm depth is down to the inclusion of a cooling fan.
Limited battery life
It’s another mini PC powered by an Intel N100 processor with Intel UHD Graphics. It comes with up to 12GB LPDDR5 4800MHz soldered-in RAM and you can buy it on AliExpress where it goes under the SZBOX brand. The barebone model with no SSD and no OS sells for $220. If you opt for the top version, with a 2TB SSD, the price rises to $356.32.
The Meenhong JX5 has WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, a full USB Type-C port, a USB-A 3.0 port, two USB-A 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. There’s no SD card slot, though. It’s able to power two additional screens at 4K@60fps, so you can use it for a three-screen setup.
We’ve covered its predecessor, the Meenhong JX2, before, and while that device was intriguing, the lack of a battery massively limited its portability. The JX5 does have a battery, but it’s a 1500 mAh model, so you’re going to be looking at about an hour’s use between charges. Like the JX2, it doesn’t have a webcam either, which seems like a strange omission. Although the JX5 runs Windows 11, you can opt for a Linux OS if that better suits your needs.
This mini PC brings to mind similar products like HiGOLE’s tablets, the GOLE1 and GOLE1 Plus, both of which we’ve reviewed here before.
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