Intel Unison Aims to Bring Phone Calls, Texts, and Notifications on PCs

Intel announced today Unison, the company’s own alternative to Microsoft’s Phone Link app on Windows PCs. Unison aims to sync iOS and Android devices to Windows to make phone features available on PC. The new app was announced alongside Intel’s 13th Gen Core desktop CPUs today.

The first features that Unison will support include file transfer, text messages, phone calls, and phone notifications. The fact that iOS will be supported is quite a big deal, especially since Microsoft’s Phone Link app is still restricted to Android devices. Microsoft’s solution also gives preferential treatment to select Samsung Galaxy phones with some exclusive features. 

Speaking with The Verge, Josh Newman, Intel’s VP of mobile innovation, said that there will be “subtle differences” regarding what iOS and Android users can do with Unison on Windows PCs. As an example, the exec mentioned that iOS users won’t be able to enjoy full multiparty messaging on PCs. The experience regarding app notifications from third-party apps will also differ depending on the apps. 

Intel Unison is expected to launch on select laptops from Acer, HP, and Lenovo later this year. The solution will be available on Intel “Evo” designs, which is a label for Intel-powered laptops providing what the chip maker considers to be a premium experience. 

“Intel Unison will continue to evolve with additional form factors, functionality and operating systems in the future,” the company said today. It’s an interesting development for Intel, though making Unison only available on select Evo laptops may well restrict its appeal. In comparison, Microsoft’s Phone Link app does work on all Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs, though it has yet to become a true killer feature.