Connecting a pen display to a mobile device

Overview

This document focuses on how a pen display connects to a mobile device such as a phone. It's a subset of the broader guide Connecting a pen display to a computer, but focused on the specific issues that come up for a mobile devices.

Key requirements and realities

  • USB-C port on the mobile device

    • Your mobile device must have a USB-C port

    • Your mobile device's USB-C port must support DP alt mode. Not all USB-C ports support DP alt mode.

  • USB-C cable connecting the phone to the tablet

    • This cable must also support DP alt mode

  • Compatibility between pen display and a phone

    • Even if your phone's USB-C port supports DP alt mode, your phone simply may not support using it with a pen display. A great example here is iPhones - they simply do not work with pen displays at all.

    • A pen display may be compatible with some mobile devices but not others. You should contact the manufacturer and ensure which phones they support with their tablets.

  • Power

    • Your pen display needs power from somewhere.

    • Most likely your mobile device cannot provide enough power so you will need get power separately.

Specific cases

Last updated