- Nexphone launches a triple-OS smartphone
- It runs Android by default, but also has Linux and Windows 11
- It is the first time that such a mobile phone has been launched
“It’s been a 14-year journey,” says Emre Kosmaz, CEO and founder of Nex Computer – 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 the Dex, Microsoft with the Continuum and Fujitsu with the very strange device, the Symbian/Windows hybrid F-07C mobile phone – with other examples listed in this article.
Due in Q3 2026, the NexPhone is the culmination of that quest — 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. Note that 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’s part of Qualcomm’s Dragonwing family, optimized for IoT (Internet of Things) applications, with an extended plan that guarantees support until 2036. This is no flagship component, but should provide enough computing 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 NexPhone remains the biggest challenge. Kozmaz presents 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 job of 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 the harsh reality of the current global economic outlook?
“The 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 to prevent others from launching a device with comparable features.
After all, this is just Windows on Arm rather than some exotic setup. However, you won’t be able to make calls on Linux or Windows, so it’s not exactly Windows Mobile.
The NexPhone supports standard OTA updates on the device, like all other Android phones, and Windows updates will be delivered via Windows Update when booted into Windows, like a typical Windows PC.
Should the NexPhone prove to be a roaring success, it’s likely that others (including whoever NexPhone’s ODM was) will quickly release similar products at a lower price.
Remember that you need at least a monitor (or laptop monitor), a keyboard and a mouse to use the desktop element on the NexPhone. Either that, or you can 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 upon delivery. The price is exclusive of shipping and any applicable taxes and fees. Pre-orders will also include USB-C docking station.
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