They make windows tablets and mini laptops as well. It's not just about phones.
I don't even have a smart phone. I am by a computer almost all day, so I don't really need one in my pocket.
I have an old flip phone that sends texts and makes calls. That's all I want a phone for. When I bought my Phantom, I had to decide whether to get a tablet or a smartphone. Not only did I want a larger screen, I also didn't want to get locked into a contract with a phone that would cost me hundreds of dollars that I didn't need to spend, and that didn't count the cost of the phone.
I opted for an android nexus 7 for about $200.00. At the time, it seemed the best thing for what I wanted to do at a reasonable cost. For me, I use it exclusively for the Drone. I don't need to purchase a contract for it, I just use it.
For the times that I need internet, but don't have WiFi, or can't pre-load Google maps for where I am flying, I purchased a mobile hotspot and use pre-paid plans when I need it. Again, no contract.
I didn't really look too much into windows tablets, but I don't know why that wouldn't be an option. It wasn't for me, since it is not supported, but it looks like that may now change.
Using a full sized laptop seems a bit bulky and hard to operate, but I suppose some people would just as soon set up a station, with a chair, a sun shade and a nice full-sized monitor and control the drone from their station, rather than walking around with the controller in their hand. A windows laptop would certainly be a good choice for that kind of setup.
