Even browsing the web to read wikis and documents and stuff is a complete pain half the time.
I'd hook it up to a proper display using an MHL cable then connect a Bluetooth keyboard. It was a sweet setup and the assorted tools (plus root shell) actually came in very handy. It could fill in for a laptop quite nicely.
These days it seems there's no legitimate alternative to MHL... can any phones directly connect to a display anymore via wire? Or is the only option screencasting to a smart TV?
FWIW, I generally like my appliances on the dumb (or open) side.
Samsung has "Dex", their android desktop interface.
Linux phones can generally offer a full DE, either the pinephone or Librem, or compatible phones that have a video out where you can install something likke postmarketos.
Most phones also support miracast, and you can plug in a mouse/keyboard. I think the Charging in + keyboard + mouse + video out is clearer with USB-C.
Sent from my Galaxy S4 ;)
That is your preference. For others the advantage of utilizing a familiar interface outweighs the disadvantages (that maybe even aren't for some) mentioned.