With Android 15 you even get a full blown Linux VM running on KVM.
I was actually tempted to switch when AAA games like AC got ported to iOS, but then I remembered I love programming more than gaming.
Is this any closer to becoming reality with modern Android?
Not sure which model though. So yes, somewhere, somehow this is possible.
However, when I sit in front of a big screen it is just easier to connect a "real" PC to it. Syncing data between my desktop and phones are pretty fast anyway.
This phone exists: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5, and it's my daily driver.
Librem 5 has open schematics [0] and runs an FSF-endorsed distro [1]. What else do you need for the verification [2]? Otherwise Linux could also be a honeypot, right?
[0] https://source.puri.sm/Librem5/l5-schematic
[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25504641
[2] https://puri.sm/posts/hidden-operating-systems-in-chips-vs-s...
[0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Trojan_Shield
Which AR glasses are good enough in screen quality for coding?
Do you wear the AR glasses when you're out and about like a coffee shop?
The only problems were that the version of Android I was running did not have windowing, so every app was full screen, and it could only drive one monitor. I guess some of the apps were also goofy on a widescreen monitor, but that's not really Android's fault.
It felt like the dream was almost there, but as time went on it was also obvious that nobody was terribly interested in making that dream a reality.
It is the main Android's fault. It's not based on GNU/Linux, so you can only run specifically designed apps and can't run ordinary desktop apps. As such, a large screen is almost useless even if it technically works.
I think the issue is that a unified computing platform would devour a decent amount of their laptop sales, but in the long run I think it would be a superior experience for the user. It really is a political problem and not a technical problem at this point.
Build a monitor with a base to set the iPhone on with wireless charging, you drop the phone on the base and it automatically pairs to the monitor and mouse/keyboard. You can call the system “Apple One” or something similar catchy. There you go Apple, just saved you millions of dollars on product development.
I think folding phone is the better approach.
https://www.androidauthority.com/run-desktop-linux-apps-on-a...
"An upcoming Android update will significantly upgrade the Linux Terminal app, enabling it to run full-fledged graphical Linux programs on supported devices"
However, Google is evolving Android's security model towards app-specific storage and away from shared/global storage access (for legitimate security concerns), so no telling how long the window will be open.
Unfortunately they stopped making phones because they didnt sell well. Which I always thought was odd because they had all the coolest niche features and were fairly priced.
I couple of years back, I really liked replit for having probably the best integrated IDE on a phone. Everything was so smooth and well thought out.
Just judging purely from the weight of devices, no.
Is there anything more than a proof of principle that people (aka anyone who owns an Android 15 device) can try out?
I didn't find any instructions for actually doing that.
https://deepakness.com/blog/android-linux-terminal/
Basically just go to developer options and enable Linux development environment. A Terminal app will be installed.
You just need a non-Snapdragon Android phone. Because Snapdragon uses a different hypervisor than other vendors.
Also, using two thumbs can be more awkward if you have big hands.
The awkwardness of phone coding isnt the typing of text (wherein most people rely on decent prediction rather than precise typing), it's the use of symbols.
Not every programming languages require a lot of symbols. Like Python, Go, OCaml etc. For me writing many symbols is awkward even on a physical keyboard.
Not if you're using a Swype-style keyboard.
With Apple discontinuing the small iPhone se and Android being able to run on folding phones that unfold to have an 8" display... Spending money on an Android phone is interesting again.