Google’s June Android update has been released, and it offers a few Noticeable changes For Pixel phones. What’s even more interesting is that the Pixel 8a, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro all get DisplayPort Alt Mode capabilities via their USB-C ports. This means you can go from USB-C to DisplayPort and connect it directly to your TV or monitor. This was it Rumored forever And I fell into some Android beta earlier, but now it has finally shipped into production.
The Pixel 8’s initial display support is just the opposite. You can either have a weird vertical phone in the middle of the widescreen or flip the phone sideways and get a more sensible design. You can see that it is useful for videos or presentations. It would be nice if she could do more.
Along with this extra year of viewport rumors, there’s been a steady drumbeat (again) for an Android desktop mode. Google has been experimenting with this idea since the release of Android 7.0 in 2016. In 2019, we were told it was just a development test project, and had never shipped to any real devices. Business around Android’s desktop mode has been heating up, so perhaps a second swing at this idea will lead to an actual product.
Desktop mode is in development for Android 15.
Robot body Mishal Rahman has been tracking the new desktop mode for a while and it is now up and running. The new desktop mode looks just like a real desktop operating system. Each app gets a title bar window decoration with app icon, label, maximize and close buttons. You can drag and resize windows; The operating system supports automatic window tiling by dragging to the side of the screen; There is also a small drop-down menu in the title bar application icon. If you run this using the bottom app bar of an Android tablet, you’ll have much of what you need for a desktop operating system.
Just like last time, we have no idea if this will turn into an actual product. Certainly, Samsung, the largest Android partner, believes the idea is worth implementing. Samsung’s “DeX” desktop mode has been a feature for many years on its devices.
DisplayPort support is part of the June 2024 update and should be rolling out to devices soon.
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