Hi HN — I’m Emre, founder of Nex Computer (NexDock). After ~14 years working on “phone-as-PC,” we’re announcing NexPhone: a smartphone that runs Android by default, can launch a full Debian Linux environment on demand, and can dual-boot into Windows 11.
Curious what HN thinks about the tradeoffs here: dual-boot vs virtualization, Linux as an app vs full replaceable OS, and what the “killer workflow” is for a phone-as-PC device. Would love to hear use-cases / critiques.
I'd love it to be the other way around: Linux is native, and you can start an Android environment in the userland for the few Android apps I can't avoid :)
I don't care about Windows, but it's useful if I want to deal with a Windows only app (a few from the government locally).
But note that I am unlikely to get one today: with a drawer full of Linux phones (from Motorola A1200, Nokia N900 and N9, Palm Pre+, HP Pre 3, PinePhone, Meizu MX4 shipped with Ubuntu, and Nexus 4 running Ubuntu), I'd really be looking for something that does exactly what I want with enough performance to actually dock to my 8k TV or 4k dual screen setup.
How does it deal with AVB? Does it have a secure element that works with Android keymint?
Does the bootloader implement fastboot? Is it unlockable? What does the partition layout look like?
I suppose the actual magic has to happen in the "abl" part and this is where it gets very interesting, but these announcements were extremely light on details..
To separately answer the killer workflow: I'd love to reduce a number of devices, and another one might be an e-ink note taking screen to dock to (yes, I've got a reMarkable Paper Pro and Kindle Scribe). But other than docking to my keyboard, screen(s), external camera/mic and network, phone, laptop and eink with pen is what I care about.
I'd also want more built-in, fast storage (2tb) to keep my basic data always with me (photos, documents...).
Even if it couldn't do win11 it would be amazing, but also transforming into a work pc setup is ingenious. Then there are the environmental benefits of reducing the footprint of eventual e-waste.
While this phone still does not have an Armv9-A CPU, but only a quadruple Cortex-A78, that is nonetheless like 4 to 10 times faster than the phones mentioned by you and faster than a light notebook of a decade ago.
The other Linux phones are barely competitive with a laptop of 25 years ago and they are not really usable as a personal computer today, unless you like waiting for your computer.
When I select my country a different text than the default "Reserve NexPhone (Direct Shipping)" appear. And the line "This is a fully refundable reservation deposit" is no longer there.
Could anyone using a lapdock everyday share their experience? How do you use it? Does it make sense to buy a device that requires another device to function?
The point is that you'll have one anyway (your phone), so the other is to make it more powerful. But I can imagine some cases where it is suboptimal (you need a MFA token read off your phone for a web page login?).
Hi HN — I’m Emre, founder of Nex Computer (NexDock). After ~14 years working on “phone-as-PC,” we’re announcing NexPhone: a smartphone that runs Android by default, can launch a full Debian Linux environment on demand, and can dual-boot into Windows 11.
Write-up with background + rationale: https://nexphone.com/blog/the-tale-of-nexphone-one-phone-eve...
Curious what HN thinks about the tradeoffs here: dual-boot vs virtualization, Linux as an app vs full replaceable OS, and what the “killer workflow” is for a phone-as-PC device. Would love to hear use-cases / critiques.
I'd love it to be the other way around: Linux is native, and you can start an Android environment in the userland for the few Android apps I can't avoid :)
I don't care about Windows, but it's useful if I want to deal with a Windows only app (a few from the government locally).
But note that I am unlikely to get one today: with a drawer full of Linux phones (from Motorola A1200, Nokia N900 and N9, Palm Pre+, HP Pre 3, PinePhone, Meizu MX4 shipped with Ubuntu, and Nexus 4 running Ubuntu), I'd really be looking for something that does exactly what I want with enough performance to actually dock to my 8k TV or 4k dual screen setup.
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How does it deal with AVB? Does it have a secure element that works with Android keymint?
Does the bootloader implement fastboot? Is it unlockable? What does the partition layout look like?
I suppose the actual magic has to happen in the "abl" part and this is where it gets very interesting, but these announcements were extremely light on details..
To separately answer the killer workflow: I'd love to reduce a number of devices, and another one might be an e-ink note taking screen to dock to (yes, I've got a reMarkable Paper Pro and Kindle Scribe). But other than docking to my keyboard, screen(s), external camera/mic and network, phone, laptop and eink with pen is what I care about.
I'd also want more built-in, fast storage (2tb) to keep my basic data always with me (photos, documents...).
1) Is your supply chain plan published anywhere?
Always seems to be the weak point making new entrants.
2) Please don’t add too many days to the patch interval of these OS, if any.
3) How will the hardware security rival the Pixel line?
Wishing you success!
Even if it couldn't do win11 it would be amazing, but also transforming into a work pc setup is ingenious. Then there are the environmental benefits of reducing the footprint of eventual e-waste.
I’m sad that people are spending time on this when they should be building a Linux phone.
Linux phones already exist: Librem 5 and Pinephone.
Those have a ridiculously low performance.
While this phone still does not have an Armv9-A CPU, but only a quadruple Cortex-A78, that is nonetheless like 4 to 10 times faster than the phones mentioned by you and faster than a light notebook of a decade ago.
The other Linux phones are barely competitive with a laptop of 25 years ago and they are not really usable as a personal computer today, unless you like waiting for your computer.
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If I dual boot into Windows, I take it I am no longer contactable on my phone?
Windows devices can address cellular modems.
When I select my country a different text than the default "Reserve NexPhone (Direct Shipping)" appear. And the line "This is a fully refundable reservation deposit" is no longer there.
Could anyone using a lapdock everyday share their experience? How do you use it? Does it make sense to buy a device that requires another device to function?
Like a smartwatch? ;)
The point is that you'll have one anyway (your phone), so the other is to make it more powerful. But I can imagine some cases where it is suboptimal (you need a MFA token read off your phone for a web page login?).