Google is building its own DeX: First look at Android's Desktop Mode

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

ChromeOS, Android, and Fuchsia Direction

  • Several comments see this as “ChromeOS 2.0”: evidence of Google folding ChromeOS into Android rather than the reverse.
  • Some argue ChromeOS feels faster and more efficient than Android on the same low‑end hardware, especially when the Android VM is disabled.
  • A long subthread debates Fuchsia: one insider characterizes “Fuchsia as Android replacement” as effectively dead and reduced to niche products (e.g. smart displays), while others point to high commit volume, starnix (Linux syscall layer), and micro‑Fuchsia VMs as signs it’s still strategically alive.
  • Consensus: near‑term trajectory looks like “ChromeOS into Android” rather than “Android onto Fuchsia.”

Existing Desktop Modes and Prior Attempts

  • Many note this concept is old: Samsung DeX, Motorola Atrix, Windows Phone Continuum, Ubuntu Touch convergence, ChromeOS with Linux+Android, Motorola Ready, laptop shells like NexDock.
  • DeX gets mixed but generally positive reviews: good enough for email, browsing, remote desktop, even light dev; “annoyingly close” to great but held back by quirks (latency, 4K hacks, app behavior, small UX papercuts).
  • Windows Continuum is remembered as smooth but crippled by lack of Win32 apps. Linux on DeX and similar experiments were short‑lived.
  • Some point out Linux‑phone distros (Ubuntu Touch, Librem 5, Plasma Mobile) already offer “phone as full Linux desktop,” but are niche and often missing containers, Docker, or polish.

Use Cases, Benefits, and Limits

  • Enthusiasts like the idea of:
    • Travel setups using a phone + USB‑C monitor or AR glasses + foldable keyboard.
    • Secure single device (e.g. hardened Android) that docks into a full workstation.
    • Thin‑client workflows using VS Code tunnels, code‑server, or remote desktops.
  • Others find the value marginal compared to a cheap laptop: you still need screen, keyboard, pointing device, power, and often a GPU; the only saved component is the SoC.
  • Concerns include: battery drain when driving big displays, thermal limits, noticeable input latency, and Android UI not being well‑adapted to mouse/keyboard.

Linux Integration and “Real Computer” Aspirations

  • A key excitement point is Google’s new Linux Terminal / AVF‑based Linux VM and its hinted integration with desktop mode.
  • People see first‑party Linux containers on Android as a potential “complete game changer” for development and “full‑fat” apps, similar to or better than ChromeOS’s Linux support.
  • Some express a broader desire for phones to be general‑purpose, user‑controlled computers, not consumption‑oriented, locked‑down appliances.

One Device vs Many Devices, and Economics

  • One camp imagines a future where phone compute powers everything: docks, laptop shells, AR glasses, perhaps with optional accelerator boxes. They argue we currently “waste” a lot of silicon across idle devices.
  • The opposing camp notes:
    • Consumers demonstrably like separate form factors (phone, laptop, desktop, tablet) for ergonomic and social reasons.
    • The extra silicon in a laptop/desktop is becoming a small fraction of total device cost compared to screens, batteries, enclosures.
    • Vendors are financially incentivized to sell multiple devices rather than one converged one.
  • There’s also debate over cloud vs local: some prefer cloud‑centric, cached experiences (ChromeOS style); others want phone‑centric local compute plus offline backups.

AR Glasses, Docks, and Input

  • Several comments describe successful setups with DeX + AR glasses (e.g. Xreal) and foldable Bluetooth keyboards, calling it “feels like the future” for light work and travel.
  • Others report earlier AR attempts as too jittery, low‑res or tiring; newer hardware is said to be significantly better but still not perfect for heavy coding.
  • People want the phone screen usable as a trackpad/keyboard in desktop mode; DeX already does this, and commenters hope Google’s mode will too.

Trust, Longevity, and Article Quality

  • Multiple commenters say they’d hesitate to invest in Google’s desktop mode because of Google’s history of killing products; Samsung’s long‑term support for DeX is seen as comparatively reassuring.
  • This ties into a desire for open‑sourcing abandoned projects so communities can carry them forward—countered by arguments that Google has little business incentive to do so.
  • The linked article itself is criticized as thin, repetitive, possibly AI‑generated; a better original source is identified and substituted.