- Nexphone is launching a triple-OS smartphone
- It runs Android by default but has Linux and Windows 11 as well
- It is the first time that such a mobile phone is launched
"It’s been a 14-year journey", Emre Kosmaz, the CEO and founder of Nex Computer tells me - a journey which has now reached its final destination with the launch of the NexPhone, the first (and only) Android smartphone that runs Windows (dual-boot) and Linux (Debian). Kosmaz confirmed that the phone will support other operating systems.
The concept is deceptively simple - what if your phone could be your only computer? Others before Nex Computer have toyed with this idea - Google with Project Fuschia, the old Motorola (Atrix) and Asus (Padfone) with the Laptop Dock, Samsung with Dex, Microsoft with Continuum, and Fujitsu with the very odd device, the Symbian/Windows hybrid F-07C mobile phone - with other examples are enumerated in this article.
Set to ship in Q3 2026, the NexPhone is the culmination of this quest - a $549 smartphone with an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage. It has a 6.58-inch display and a 64MP camera, wireless charging and a 5000mAh battery. Of note, it is MIL-STD-810H and IP68/69K rated, which will appeal to anyone looking for a rugged smartphone.
The QCM6490 that powers it is not your usual SoC. It is part of Qualcomm's Dragonwing family optimized for IoT (Internet of Things) applications with an extended scheme that guarantees support till 2036. This is no flagship component but should provide enough compute power for most casual scenarios.
A product that could change everything… or nothing at all
The primary experience is an Android + Linux mode with full GPU acceleration for desktop-style workflows. NexPhone also offers Windows 11 on ARM via dual-boot with a mobile-style UI we developed
Emre Kosmaz, CEO/founder Nex Computer
Targeting the right audience for the NexPhone remains its biggest challenge. Kozmaz pitches the phone as a powerful secondary or backup phone that can be used as a real PC if you need one.
That's essentially the brief for a work phone, one that he expects "should be useful for years - not obsolete in two" - but will his dream of a phone to rule them all be shared by enough customers or will it meet with the harsh reality of the current global economic outlook?
"NexPhone is the device I’ve wanted to carry for 14 years: a phone that becomes your Linux machine, your Windows PC, and your everyday Android device" Kosmaz wrote on a company blog announcing the launch of the NexPhone.
In theory, there are no significant technological barriers that could prevent others from launching a device with comparable features.
After all, this is just Windows on Arm rather than any exotic setup. You won’t be able to make calls on Linux or Windows though so it’s not exactly Windows Mobile.
NexPhone will support standard on-device OTA updates, just like any other Android phone and Windows updates will be delivered through Windows Update when booted into Windows, like a typical Windows PC.
Should NexPhone turn out to be a roaring success, it's likely others (including whoever the NexPhone's ODM was) will quickly release similar products at a lower price point.
Remember that you will need, at the very least, a screen (or portable monitor), a keyboard and a mouse, in order to use the desktop element of the NexPhone. Either that or you could grab something like the Nexdock 360 , essentially a laptop without a brain (where the brain is the smartphone).
For now, you can reserve the NexPhone today for $199 (refundable) and pay the rest on delivery. The cost excludes shipping and any relevant taxes and duties. Preorders will also include USB-C dock.
Source: TechRadar
