Your phone is an entire computer

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Why Apple Doesn’t Turn iPhones into Macs

  • Many argue Apple avoids an “iPhone-as-Mac” or lapdock/macOS mode to protect hardware segmentation and App Store revenue, not because of technical limits.
  • Others counter that Mac revenue is small vs iPhone, and a macOS-capable iPhone could increase iPhone and Mac sales by being a gateway into the Mac ecosystem.
  • Some suggest thermals, UX, and design focus are bigger reasons: Apple prefers focused, polished device roles over “jack-of-all-trades” hybrids and may not want the complexity of a dual-UI macOS/iOS experience.

Demand, Economics, and Form Factor

  • Skeptics say there’s little real-world demand: people already choose cheap laptops/iPads, and few use existing external-display + keyboard options on phones.
  • Others reply that demand is artificially suppressed because vendors don’t ship good lapdocks, don’t market this use case, and current solutions are clunky.
  • Several note the laptop form factor (hinged screen, integrated keyboard/trackpad) remains physically superior to juggling phone + peripherals.

Security, Lockdown, and User Freedom

  • One camp sees strong lockdown (App Store, locked bootloaders, SIP, attestation) as essential: phones store banking, identity, keys, and are easily stolen; users want “unbreakable” appliances.
  • The opposing camp sees profit- and control-driven gatekeeping, arguing owners should be able to unlock bootloaders, install alternative OSes, and repurpose devices.
  • There is debate over whether “admin mode”/optional unlocking is viable: some fear scams, social engineering, and influencers pushing risky settings; others point to Android’s sideloading and unlockable devices as evidence it’s manageable.

Existing Phone-as-Computer Efforts

  • Samsung DeX, Android desktop mode, Pixel’s Linux/terminal features, Librem 5, PinePhone, postmarketOS, and NexDock-style lapdocks are cited as partial realizations.
  • Experiences are mixed: some find DeX and similar setups surprisingly usable for office work; others describe them as clunky, low-quality, or niche.

Reuse of Old Phones and E‑waste

  • Multiple commenters lament drawers of capable old phones that can’t be turned into simple servers, NAS, dashboards, or Home Assistant panels due to locked bootloaders and OS support limits.
  • Some succeed with Pixels, Nexus devices, or Linux phones, but note these are exceptions.

Broader Reflections on Computing Culture

  • Several frame phones as “appliances” and PCs as “playgrounds,” and worry that phone-style lockdown will creep into all computing.
  • Others stress generational differences: younger users are phone-native and often computer-illiterate, reinforcing the market for appliance-like devices.