Google is working with Samsung to build on the foundation of Dex
You will soon be able to use your Google Pixel more like a Samsung phone as the two companies work together to bring a more robust desktop enviorment to all Android 16.
This will function like Samsung Dex, meaning that it has the ability to open apps as windows when plugged into an external display. When combined with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, it can work like a makeshift PC.
Google showed off a developer presentation at I/O that shows a Samsung Dex-style design with a big menu bar along the bottom and apps in the app launcher. The desktop mode also features standard close and minimize buttons in the top right corner, like a traditional computer window.
Android 16 is also coming with a host of updates to make apps scale to various screen sizes, which should help them adapt better to a desktop environment. While this appears to be part of Android 16, it isn’t in the beta we’re able to run on our Pixel phones just yet.
This mode has been leaked for a while as journalists like Mishaal Rahman unpacked it in previous builds of Android, but it’s nice to see it finally confirmed by Google. Hopefully it comes to the beta soon so we can test it out. There are a few toggles in the developer settings that will let you get close, but I assume when Google launches this it will be a popup whenever you plug into a USB-C display.
Source: The Verge
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