3 ms·

A 2-3 generation old pixel on the second hand marker is not expensive at all though. And you easily add a mouse/keyboard just fine to it.

by gf000 9mo ago

jeffbee 9mo ago
Note that such capabilities were added to the 8 after it launched. When they launched it they did not even mention that it contains displayport alt mode.
joe_mamba 9mo ago
>A 2-3 generation old pixel on the second hand marker is not expensive at all though. Sure but at around 300 bucks is still way over 50 bucks. And even if you get a used Pixel 8, having separate phone and computer adds a priceless layer of redundancy and flexibility. If someone steals my phone, I don't want to also loose my work PC with it.
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]
- cogman10 9mo ago
  You are also buying a soon to be unmaintained device which will fall out of security support. That $50 PC can run linux with the latest kernel for the next 20 years (maybe longer).
  - joe_mamba 9mo ago
    There's lineageOS for outdated pixel device, but I think you loose device attestation if you flash that, so your banking, payment and digital-ID apps won't work anymore which is kind of important features for a lot of people. I still think separating a phone for phone apps and a PC for productivity, is the best choice even if that PC is a 20 year old rustbucket from the dumpster, it will still do more tasks than a phone. You can't learn photoshop on a phone.
    - cogman10 9mo ago
      The lineageOS kernel isn't guaranteed to be super up to date. It's often based on the manufacturer's kernel. There's also possibly binary blobs involved which can't be checked or updated.
      - joe_mamba 9mo ago
        If your device is on the official supported list then it will always be up to date to a point. You're not gonna get android 16 on 10+ year old phones.
        Zak 9mo ago
        Allow me to present LineageOS 23 for the Nexus 5: https://xdaforums.com/t/rom-unofficial-lineageos-23-0-for-nexus-5-hammerhead.4776691/ https://xdaforums.com/t/rom-unofficial-lineageos-23-0-for-ne... That's Android 16 on a 13 year old phone. It looks to be a little glitchy and it takes some work to install, but it's possible.
    - IncreasePosts 9mo ago
      Your banking app might not work but your bank probably also offers a web page that you can just load up in your browser
      - bossyTeacher 9mo ago
        There is a growing trend among banks to keep the web app usable only for emergency purposes (notify bank that your phone got stolen or lost and authorize the installation of the bank on a new phone) and only allow functionality on their mobile apps.
        thaumasiotes 9mo ago
        I've seen that claim around, but I have yet to see a bank claim to have this obviously unworkable policy, or to see someone identify a bank that does have it.
- jabwd 9mo ago
  "work pc" -- random 50 dollar fire hazard running Linux. Anyway, those Android phones though they are obviously going to be the unreliable part in this story.
- butlike 9mo ago
  I'm right there with relating to this mindset, however, I recently (in the past 2 weeks) got to experience restoring a new phone from backup without the old one present, and it's becoming essentially a non-issue. I can't think of a single thing that wasn't restored from cloud backup.
semi-extrinsic 9mo ago
Isn't Pixel 10 the first one with fully supported desktop mode? I remember I was very confused when buying a Pixel 7 to replace my (then 3 year old) Huawei P30 Pro, and the inferior camera + lack of desktop mode made it feel like a net downgrade.
- ThePointed 9mo ago
  I use it on my Pixel 8 Pro too It's a toggle in Developer options, Local Desktop.
- adrian_b 9mo ago
  According to Google's help site, no Pixel has a desktop mode (like you can find at Motorola, Samsung and others). The latest Pixel models have DisplayPort, but their operating system only provides screen mirroring or app window mirroring on an external monitor. Unlike Pixel, the phones with a true desktop mode can display multiple windows on the monitor, and presumably they can have a selectable resolution for the monitor. I assume that for screen mirroring the monitor is used at the same resolution as the phone screen, i.e. either 1080 lines or only slightly more. Moreover, while the help site states that DisplayPort exists in Pixel 8 and newer, Google does not bother to advertise the existence of this feature in its online shop, where there is no mention about this in the phone specifications.
  - gf000 9mo ago
    > operating system only provides screen mirroring or app window mirroring on an external monitor That's not true. It's probably written that way, because this is still an experimental feature so it is indeed not "supported", but it does work, you just have to toggle a few settings inside developer options. And in this desktop mode it could make use of my 2k desktop screen, though it is quite buggy (it is a pixel 8 device, for reference)
    - adrian_b 9mo ago
      Good to know, but the fact that the knowledge about the possibility of connecting an external monitor is very well hidden on the Google site and the existence of a true desktop mode is even better hidden from any potential Google customers, does not inspire confidence. From this state of affairs I cannot be sure that if I bought a Google Pixel it would really be usable with a monitor, as such hidden features could be removed at any time. Other smartphone vendors clearly specify for their phones whether e.g. they support DisplayPort 1.4, so that they can use a monitor at a decent resolution, and whether they have a desktop mode.
backscratches 9mo ago
Only pixel 8 and up have DP. So 2 generations old. I guess soon it will be 3rd gen.
realusername 9mo ago
Old pixels don't have HDMI output, I learned it the hard way when the screen of my Pixel 3a died.

A 2-3 generation old pixel on the second hand marker is not expensive at all though. And you easily add a mouse/keyboard just fine to it.

by gf000 9mo ago

A 2-3 generation old pixel on the second hand marker is not expensive at all though. And you easily add a mouse/keyboard just fine to it.

jeffbee 9mo ago

Note that such capabilities were added to the 8 after it launched. When they launched it they did not even mention that it contains displayport alt mode.

joe_mamba 9mo ago

>A 2-3 generation old pixel on the second hand marker is not expensive at all though. Sure but at around 300 bucks is still way over 50 bucks. And even if you get a used Pixel 8, having separate phone and computer adds a priceless layer of redundancy and flexibility. If someone steals my phone, I don't want to also loose my work PC with it.

deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]
cogman10 9mo ago
You are also buying a soon to be unmaintained device which will fall out of security support. That $50 PC can run linux with the latest kernel for the next 20 years (maybe longer).
- joe_mamba 9mo ago
  There's lineageOS for outdated pixel device, but I think you loose device attestation if you flash that, so your banking, payment and digital-ID apps won't work anymore which is kind of important features for a lot of people. I still think separating a phone for phone apps and a PC for productivity, is the best choice even if that PC is a 20 year old rustbucket from the dumpster, it will still do more tasks than a phone. You can't learn photoshop on a phone.
  - cogman10 9mo ago
    The lineageOS kernel isn't guaranteed to be super up to date. It's often based on the manufacturer's kernel. There's also possibly binary blobs involved which can't be checked or updated.
    - joe_mamba 9mo ago
      If your device is on the official supported list then it will always be up to date to a point. You're not gonna get android 16 on 10+ year old phones.
      - Zak 9mo ago
        Allow me to present LineageOS 23 for the Nexus 5: https://xdaforums.com/t/rom-unofficial-lineageos-23-0-for-nexus-5-hammerhead.4776691/ https://xdaforums.com/t/rom-unofficial-lineageos-23-0-for-ne... That's Android 16 on a 13 year old phone. It looks to be a little glitchy and it takes some work to install, but it's possible.
  - IncreasePosts 9mo ago
    Your banking app might not work but your bank probably also offers a web page that you can just load up in your browser
    - bossyTeacher 9mo ago
      There is a growing trend among banks to keep the web app usable only for emergency purposes (notify bank that your phone got stolen or lost and authorize the installation of the bank on a new phone) and only allow functionality on their mobile apps.
      - thaumasiotes 9mo ago
        I've seen that claim around, but I have yet to see a bank claim to have this obviously unworkable policy, or to see someone identify a bank that does have it.
jabwd 9mo ago
"work pc" -- random 50 dollar fire hazard running Linux. Anyway, those Android phones though they are obviously going to be the unreliable part in this story.
butlike 9mo ago
I'm right there with relating to this mindset, however, I recently (in the past 2 weeks) got to experience restoring a new phone from backup without the old one present, and it's becoming essentially a non-issue. I can't think of a single thing that wasn't restored from cloud backup.

semi-extrinsic 9mo ago

Isn't Pixel 10 the first one with fully supported desktop mode? I remember I was very confused when buying a Pixel 7 to replace my (then 3 year old) Huawei P30 Pro, and the inferior camera + lack of desktop mode made it feel like a net downgrade.

ThePointed 9mo ago
I use it on my Pixel 8 Pro too It's a toggle in Developer options, Local Desktop.
adrian_b 9mo ago
According to Google's help site, no Pixel has a desktop mode (like you can find at Motorola, Samsung and others). The latest Pixel models have DisplayPort, but their operating system only provides screen mirroring or app window mirroring on an external monitor. Unlike Pixel, the phones with a true desktop mode can display multiple windows on the monitor, and presumably they can have a selectable resolution for the monitor. I assume that for screen mirroring the monitor is used at the same resolution as the phone screen, i.e. either 1080 lines or only slightly more. Moreover, while the help site states that DisplayPort exists in Pixel 8 and newer, Google does not bother to advertise the existence of this feature in its online shop, where there is no mention about this in the phone specifications.
- gf000 9mo ago
  > operating system only provides screen mirroring or app window mirroring on an external monitor That's not true. It's probably written that way, because this is still an experimental feature so it is indeed not "supported", but it does work, you just have to toggle a few settings inside developer options. And in this desktop mode it could make use of my 2k desktop screen, though it is quite buggy (it is a pixel 8 device, for reference)
  - adrian_b 9mo ago
    Good to know, but the fact that the knowledge about the possibility of connecting an external monitor is very well hidden on the Google site and the existence of a true desktop mode is even better hidden from any potential Google customers, does not inspire confidence. From this state of affairs I cannot be sure that if I bought a Google Pixel it would really be usable with a monitor, as such hidden features could be removed at any time. Other smartphone vendors clearly specify for their phones whether e.g. they support DisplayPort 1.4, so that they can use a monitor at a decent resolution, and whether they have a desktop mode.

backscratches 9mo ago

Only pixel 8 and up have DP. So 2 generations old. I guess soon it will be 3rd gen.

realusername 9mo ago

Old pixels don't have HDMI output, I learned it the hard way when the screen of my Pixel 3a died.