The first rule of Purse Computer is to check your bag before you leave the house.
A few days ago, I took a 15 minute walk to a nearby coffee shop thinking I had my new folding keyboard in my bag — the key ingredient that would turn the Galaxy Z Fold 7 into a mobile workstation. I spent the whole trip congratulating myself on how light it felt compared to carrying my MacBook. “It’s almost like it’s not there,” I thought.
This was because it wasn’t there, which I discovered only once I was at my destination. I tapped out a few emails with my thumbs, drank a latte, and walked back home in shame.
After using every major phone of 2025 in succession, early 2026 has allowed me some time to revisit some of my favorites. While I eagerly await the arrival of the Galaxy Z Trifold, I started carrying the Z Fold 7, which is so slim and light it effectively comes with all the benefits of a folding phone, with none of the usual weight and size penalties. Once I realized I was basically carrying a keyboard-less Chromebook, I figured I might as well get a keyboard and see how far I could get using a folding phone as my laptop. It’s not perfect, but I’m going to have a very hard time going back.
It’s not perfect, but I’m going to have a very hard time going back
You don’t need to be a purse-carrier to use Purse Computer; it’s just what I’m calling the combination of a lightweight travel keyboard and foldable phone. And look, I know this isn’t a new concept, either. Folding phone enthusiasts have been kitting out their devices as mobile workstations for years now, iPads with keyboard cases exist, and hell, remember netbooks? Collectively, we’ve been trying to downsize our laptops in all sorts of creative ways almost as long as laptops have existed.
That’s exactly what Purse Computer is for me: an alternative to my laptop, aka Backpack Computer. As laptops go, my company-issued MacBook Air is hella light, honestly. And technically, it fits in the (huge) tote bag that goes everywhere with me. But it’s just too heavy to carry that way for much more than the walk from my car into a coffee shop, so trips to a coworking space or some other remote work spot require putting the “backpack” in Backpack Computer. The trouble is, once I’m done working and I need to run an errand, I still have my laptop on my person. I am encumbered. What do I do when I need to run into Target? Put my MacBook in the trunk? Haul it up and down the aisles of the store while I buy toothpaste? It feels all wrong. That’s where Purse Computer steps in.
Most of my journey has revolved around finding the right keyboard. My requirements: light and small enough that I hardly notice it in my bag, but big enough to feel like a real keyboard when in use. I tried a Protoarc folding keyboard (too big), a cheapo Samsers off of Amazon (too squirrelly), and have finally settled on a Logitech Keys 2 Go. It’s the one I’ve enjoyed the most — it’s so thin and light I barely notice it in my bag, and it has full-size keys. Unlike the other two it doesn’t come with a phone stand (though the first-gen Keys 2 Go seems to come with one) or charge over USB-C. But it’s easy enough to get a separate stand for the phone — I’ve been borrowing the one that came with the Samsers — and Logitech says the Keys 2 Go’s coin cell batteries will last a full three years before you need to replace them.
Latte sold separately.
You might know Purse Computer by another name: the four-pocket laptop. That’s what Michael Fisher, known for his Mr. Mobile YouTube channel and fondness for folding phones, has dubbed it. He’s been experimenting with the folding-phone-as-a-computer concept since the Fold 3 came out in 2021. So when I decided to adopt the Purse Computer life, there was really only one person to call for some guidance.
... continue reading