- Nexphone launches a smartphone with triple operating system
- It runs Android by default but also has Linux and Windows 11.
- It is the first time that a mobile phone of this type has been launched
“It’s been a 14-year journey,” Emre Kosmaz, CEO and founder of Nex Computer, tells me, a journey that has now reached its final destination with the launch of the NexPhone, the first (and only) Android smartphone running 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 played 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 strange device, the Symbian/Windows F-07C hybrid mobile phone, and other examples are listed in this article.
The NexPhone, launching in Q3 2026, is the culmination of this pursuit: a $549 smartphone with an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It has a 6.58-inch screen and a 64MP camera, wireless charging and a 5000mAh battery. Of note, it has a MIL-STD-810H and IP68/69K rating, 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 until 2036. This is not a flagship component, but it should provide enough computing power for most casual scenarios.
A product that could change everything… or nothing at all
The core 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 that we developed
Emre Kosmaz, CEO and founder of Nex Computer
Targeting the right audience for the NexPhone remains its biggest challenge. Kozmaz presents the phone as a powerful secondary or backup phone that can be used as a real PC if you need it.
Those are essentially the instructions for a work phone, one that you hope will be “useful for years, not obsolete in two,” but will your dream of one phone to rule them all be shared by enough customers or will it face the harsh reality of the current global economic landscape?
“NexPhone is the device I’ve wanted to have for 14 years: a phone that becomes your Linux machine, your Windows PC, and your everyday Android device,” Kosmaz wrote in a company blog announcing the launch of the NexPhone.
In theory, there are no major technological barriers that could prevent others from releasing a device with comparable features.
After all, this is just Windows on Arm rather than any exotic configuration. However, you won’t be able to make calls on Linux or Windows, so it’s not exactly Windows Mobile.
NexPhone will support standard OTA updates on the device, just like any other Android phone, and Windows updates will be delivered via Windows Update when Windows starts up, like a typical Windows PC.
If NexPhone turns out to be a big success, others (including whoever NexPhone’s ODM was) will likely quickly launch similar products at a lower price.
Remember that you will need, at a minimum, a screen (or portable monitor), a keyboard and a mouse, to be able to use the NexPhone desktop element. Either that, or you could get something like the Nexdock 360, essentially a brainless laptop (where the brain is the smartphone).
For now, you can pre-order the NexPhone today for $199 (refundable) and pay the rest on delivery. The cost excludes shipping and any relevant taxes and duties. Pre-orders will also include a USB-C dock.
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