This smartphone runs Android, Linux, and even Windows 11

Ever since smartphones started getting really powerful, some of us have been wondering why we need so many other computers in our lives. Instead of a smartphone, plus a laptop, and maybe even a desktop computer at home, couldn’t we have this one convenient, portable handset just act as our primary computing device, and connect it to larger screens, keyboards, and mice as we liked? Companies have been trying to offer just that sort of experience for well over a decade now — to varying degrees of success — and now we’re checking out the latest attempt from Nex Computer: the NexPhone.

Software support for some of the biggest platforms around

Players like Samsung, Motorola, and Microsoft have all offered their own software solutions for connecting phones to PC peripherals in order to offer a desktop experience, with DeX, Ready For, and Link to Windows, respectively. And now with Android’s own Desktop Mode, this sort of experience is more accessible than ever. While Desktop Mode is one part of what the NexPhone plans to offer, it is far from the whole package.

The big idea with the NexPhone is its platform flexibility: In addition to Android 16, the phone offers users access to Debian Linux, as well as Windows 11. You’ll probably run Android most of the time while on the go, but can launch Debian as an app for quickly pivoting to a new OS. And if you need to, you can reboot the phone into Windows 11 — Nex has designed a custom tile-based UI that should feel right at home to old Windows 10 Mobile users.

That sort of software latitude extends to the desktop, and when you sit down and pair the NexPhone with a monitor and input devices you’ll similarly have your choice of Android Desktop Mode, Debian (now with its full desktop interface), or Windows 11 (again, with its familiar desktop UI). Android and Linux share access to the same files, while Windows will exist on another partition.

In theory, that kind of broad support sounds fantastic — who doesn’t like having more options available to them? Admittedly, it will probably take a big personal decision to commit to this kind of approach to computing, but for people who are interested, NexPhone wants to make that dream as frictionless as possible.

NexPhone hardware

What about the hardware? Is it up to the task of replacing your PC? Well, that’s maybe a trickier question, and one that could depend heavily on what you’re looking to get done.

The NexPhone will arrive with a 6.58-inch, 120Hz LCD screen with a 1,080 × 2,403 resolution, offers 12GB of RAM, and comes equipped with 256GB storage — plus microSD expansion, a rarity in 2026. There’s a 64MP main camera, 13MP ultrawide, and 10MP front-facer. With a 5,000mAh battery and support for wireless charging, most of this sounds pretty standard — and then there’s the processor.

Rather than a cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 chip, the NexPhone is going with a rather odd choice of Qualcomm SoC: the QCM6490. This chip is primarily designed for IoT purposes, and it’s not exactly new, either — we saw the Fairphone 5 running it back in 2023, and it was noticeably sluggish, even then. While the decision makes a bit of sense, since Qualcomm has committed to long-term support for this silicon, it also means we probably can’t expect blistering speeds.

Still curious to give the NexPhone a shot? Well, all you need to do to get started is make a $199 reservation. The manufacturer is planning to start shipping sometime in Q3 of this year, and you’ll need to pay the remaining balance of $350 by then — so, only $549 altogether. And if you do change your mind before then, the reservation fee is fully refundable.

That’s a pretty affordable mid-range price tag these days, so we wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of smartphone users who have been craving a full desktop replacement might be curious to see if the NexPhone will be the handset to really get this approach right — especially when it comes to that Windows 11 mode.