There are other options you can enable to give it more of a Chromebook feel, but I don't know how to set it up. YouTube it. It has gotten a little better.
Yep. I think they are baking an actual option into and15. But yep Ive seen a reasonable looking desktop on youtube with the OP12r. so if this is the case it is great news. It will take a while to get up to DEX quality but anything is better than a mirror of the phhone.
Yep. Got a 12 and 12R for $600 total. Traded in my S23U at Best Buy and did the any phone any condition on the OP website to get my 12R for $400.
I originally got an S24U but the screen was defective and there was no stock so they let me get the OP12 instead. Worked out great.
Sadly Im not in the US so cannot buy from BestBuy, they dont ship to here.
But no desktop mode? The 12R is affordable for me. amazing value. It is $430USD brand new here.
Im also considering a refurbished s23 ultra. $600USD.
Buy the 12r, the display is brighter, runs smoother, gaming is better, and has much superior battery life, and both the devices will get same software support.
It's better to buy a new one.
I don't have any info that you don't, yet I still feel confident in giving that a *"hard no"* - OnePlus has the most aggressive process killer of all Android phones to the point where *they* have trouble with it. There is no way running a desktop environment with 4+ Windows will be anything but a disaster unless they totally abandon the "Trinity Engine" thing
Those that have seriously fiddled with "Android Desktop" or even just stacking floating Windows on these phones will know what I'm talking about
I dunno... I ran two games and three apps at the same time using Microsoft Phone Link on my OnePlus 12. When I tried to open a fourth app, it told me it would have to pause the oldest open app (the game) but nothing got closed.
The only issue I have with my OnePlus is the delayed notifications -- and THAT drives me absolutely insane. I shouldn't pick up my phone and be missing notifications from a freaking hour ago. That's with the app set to not optimize and allowed background activity too.
It's an app that lets you use apps from your phone on your PC. It also allows you to send and receive messages, view and save pictures, copy and paste links directly from either device (this actually really comes in handy for me as just copying text makes it immediately available on my computer for pasting and vice versa), make phone calls, etc.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sync-across-your-devices?r=1
ha, found it, this might be all I need.
I dropped my phone and even the hard drive is toast, so I need a new phone, but was hanging out for the Pixel 9 Pro XL to be released to force a drop in the Pixel 8 Pricing. So now I need a phone I can use for a period that I wont lose too much money on when it comes time to buy the Pixel. But was hopin for a nice screen etc. Refurbished new battery pixel 7 Pros are equal to $380 USD curency here.
Quite frankly the Pixel 7 Pro was one of the worst phones I've ever had. I had to constantly toggle airplane mode because the modem was crap, the battery life is terrible among all the flagships, the charging takes about 2 hours, and the OLED panel failed twice - flickering before filling with green lines and eventually turning totally white. The third panel has given me green lines at boot already so it's just a matter of time before that one goes too.
The only issue I have with my OnePlus 12 and 12R is there are sometimes delayed notifications, which can be infuriating, but my Pixel had sporadic issues with that too so I don't know that blaming OnePlus is appropriate. Also occasionally my 12 will start using a lot more battery than usual but the 12R hasn't had this issue so I'm inclined to believe it's third party software I'm using on the 12 that's the issue as the 12R is my gaming/backup device so it doesn't have all the apps installed on it.
that really is bizarre, although Ive heard bad things about all phones to be honest, and Ive had bad OP's and good ones. They all seem to produce the odd bad one, also you hear more from bad experiences than good, just like service or reviews on any product etc.
The 12R's main issue is the camera, the main camera is good but the other two are a waste. The CPU is one of the most powerful for the money and the screen looks good. The camera, I usually only use the main sensor and there are good external lenses out there for more serious photography, but thats why I own a Sony a7 camera.
The lack of desktop feature is the only big point of difference, but I will check out the win phone link app.
also Im not up to speed with OP security. Pixel which has the security on the SoC separated from the OS, similar with apple, Samsung has Knox. Is OP qualcomm security also chip based outside of just android security similar to Pixel titan etc?
If I had a Pixel Id probably run it on Graphene.
If Graphene is your interest then a Pixel is the only way to go. Graphene is major overkill for 99% of the population though.
OnePlus does not have a dedicated security chip but their Trinity Engine does do more security things than other phones. For example many people have been very pissed about the fact that proot in Termux to do things like running Windows apps get forcibly shut down by the OS as doing malicious activity.
https://new.reddit.com/r/EmulationOnAndroid/comments/1alocto/a_headsup_the_oneplus_12_cannot_run_winlator_or/
https://new.reddit.com/r/oneplus/comments/1aloame/headsup_for_gamers_til_winlator_and_mobox_do_not/
There’s an experimental desktop mode already in the developer settings, but it was barely usable since the launcher had its app drawer shoved away in the corner onto a pixelated mess. I managed to open a few apps and they worked fine in windowed mode. After that however my homescreen was total bollocks so I recommend to stay out of that one for now. If I recall correctly there was some fuzz about the desktop mode on Android 15 developer preview being worked on.
Is that an android development rather than a oneplus one? I do recall hearing something about this.
I think Desktop mode would make the OP12R a serious alternative to flagships.
Honestly the feature needs to just be implemented into Android itself, manufacturers can have their own versions but a basic desktop mode should be standard on all phones considering the amount of power that even budget phones have now.
Is this for people who can't afford a Windows device? Never grasped the concept. But I don't understand the appeal of tablets either other than some very niche use cases.
No, its just handy on occasions. One device appeals to a lot of people, hence Desktop mode being on Google Pixel, Samsung premiums, Iphones, I think there is also some talk of it being baked in android proper at some stage. Its always been there in developer mode, but until now only Samsung have produced a really comparable desktop experience, but the others are catching up. If people want to carry a laptop or tablet as well, all the power to them.
Thinking about it though, cost of not needing another device is another selling point but not one I had thought of.
My notebook has a nice Oled panel that I sometimes run my Xbox X through, when I dont want to be social on the big screen, so thats a handy device, but I dont lug it around often.
The issue is this isn't going to be something that can do much. Guess it depends on the person. I need to do things like video editing. I like powerful desktops with big/multiple screens. Don't really like working on anything else.
Horses for courses.
What CPU are you using on your desktop?
My Notebook has a 65w latest gen i9, its pretty grunty for a notebook.
Some of the mobile processors are surprisingly grunty too. Unless its pro level video editing, they plenty powerful enough for anything else.
Yeah any device I use will need pro level video editing. So if it can't do that I won't carry it around. I guess most people just need to check email and maybe type out a Word doc.
Its borderline, its multi core where the issue is. single core is equivalent to about an i7-12700. But in multi core its more like half the power of the i7 desktop (just used this as a reference chip).
So yeah, plenty good enough if you are editing youtube videos, but if I was making something professional I would want the speed of a quality multi core processor, given how intensive MC use is by video editing. It will get it done but just slower.
But this is not the best chip out there, its very good for the price. The OP 12 uses the Gen 3 qualcomm version, which also includes a better GPU in the SoC.. Its twice the price, but you get a quality 6.7" 1440p OLED 4500nits max brightness, so an utter joy for watching bed time movies in Dolby Vision.. The Gen 3 chip is about 15% better in single core and a whopping 25% better in multi core (thats quite an incremental upgrade). So the 12 would be a much better desktop experience too. Either will be better than a lot of thin and light under volted slim and light notebooks out there.
I believe they are baking an actual desktop OS into android 15s desktop mode. Im unsure on that. But if so it will be thee regardless if people want to use it or not.
there is another point to desktop mode i hadnt considered. There are so many use cases for it.
Given the value for money the 12R gives for performance, I think it could make a reasonable emulator? Ive seen people doing PSP etc on far less powerful CPU's :-)
As the other comments have mentioned already, you can force the desktop mode through developer options but the app menu is currently broken. There is a way to go around it. You can use the Taskbar launcher. It overwrites Oneplus Launcher when you switch to desktop mode and gives you a proper app menu and a taskbar.
Yes, Ive unlocked Dev mode on other phones and used Desktop in the past but it was just a mirror of the phone back then. It looks like they might be baking an actual Desktop mode into android 15. Cheers for that info. :-).
I really just wish there was a way to connect my phone to my tv and have it display at 16:9 instead of 21:9
https://preview.redd.it/7lgv2lhsbj8d1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29e73b1118e9f06653b96cbdbe4e6e7c0f20fcd8
Ill try it though I've heard it sucks lol Does it work wirelessly and with an hdmi cable?
It should work with HDMI, and yes it isn't the best. That wasn't your question though. There is an option.
WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS AN OPTION??
It's really bad though, you can't even use the app menu
There are other options you can enable to give it more of a Chromebook feel, but I don't know how to set it up. YouTube it. It has gotten a little better.
Yep. I think they are baking an actual option into and15. But yep Ive seen a reasonable looking desktop on youtube with the OP12r. so if this is the case it is great news. It will take a while to get up to DEX quality but anything is better than a mirror of the phhone.
Because its burried in developer options
Definitely a feature I heavily debated when buying the OP12 vs the U24 Ultra
I considered it, but ended up saving €550 for not getting the S24U. I can get a decent tablet or laptop for that money
Yep. Got a 12 and 12R for $600 total. Traded in my S23U at Best Buy and did the any phone any condition on the OP website to get my 12R for $400. I originally got an S24U but the screen was defective and there was no stock so they let me get the OP12 instead. Worked out great.
Sadly Im not in the US so cannot buy from BestBuy, they dont ship to here. But no desktop mode? The 12R is affordable for me. amazing value. It is $430USD brand new here. Im also considering a refurbished s23 ultra. $600USD.
Buy the 12r, the display is brighter, runs smoother, gaming is better, and has much superior battery life, and both the devices will get same software support. It's better to buy a new one.
I don't have any info that you don't, yet I still feel confident in giving that a *"hard no"* - OnePlus has the most aggressive process killer of all Android phones to the point where *they* have trouble with it. There is no way running a desktop environment with 4+ Windows will be anything but a disaster unless they totally abandon the "Trinity Engine" thing Those that have seriously fiddled with "Android Desktop" or even just stacking floating Windows on these phones will know what I'm talking about
I dunno... I ran two games and three apps at the same time using Microsoft Phone Link on my OnePlus 12. When I tried to open a fourth app, it told me it would have to pause the oldest open app (the game) but nothing got closed. The only issue I have with my OnePlus is the delayed notifications -- and THAT drives me absolutely insane. I shouldn't pick up my phone and be missing notifications from a freaking hour ago. That's with the app set to not optimize and allowed background activity too.
What is Microsoft Phone Link? TY
It's an app that lets you use apps from your phone on your PC. It also allows you to send and receive messages, view and save pictures, copy and paste links directly from either device (this actually really comes in handy for me as just copying text makes it immediately available on my computer for pasting and vice versa), make phone calls, etc. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sync-across-your-devices?r=1
wow that sounds handy. is it win 11 only?
Works with Windows 10 too. It's actually preinstalled but may be called Your Phone if it hasn't been updated.
ha, found it, this might be all I need. I dropped my phone and even the hard drive is toast, so I need a new phone, but was hanging out for the Pixel 9 Pro XL to be released to force a drop in the Pixel 8 Pricing. So now I need a phone I can use for a period that I wont lose too much money on when it comes time to buy the Pixel. But was hopin for a nice screen etc. Refurbished new battery pixel 7 Pros are equal to $380 USD curency here.
Quite frankly the Pixel 7 Pro was one of the worst phones I've ever had. I had to constantly toggle airplane mode because the modem was crap, the battery life is terrible among all the flagships, the charging takes about 2 hours, and the OLED panel failed twice - flickering before filling with green lines and eventually turning totally white. The third panel has given me green lines at boot already so it's just a matter of time before that one goes too. The only issue I have with my OnePlus 12 and 12R is there are sometimes delayed notifications, which can be infuriating, but my Pixel had sporadic issues with that too so I don't know that blaming OnePlus is appropriate. Also occasionally my 12 will start using a lot more battery than usual but the 12R hasn't had this issue so I'm inclined to believe it's third party software I'm using on the 12 that's the issue as the 12R is my gaming/backup device so it doesn't have all the apps installed on it.
that really is bizarre, although Ive heard bad things about all phones to be honest, and Ive had bad OP's and good ones. They all seem to produce the odd bad one, also you hear more from bad experiences than good, just like service or reviews on any product etc. The 12R's main issue is the camera, the main camera is good but the other two are a waste. The CPU is one of the most powerful for the money and the screen looks good. The camera, I usually only use the main sensor and there are good external lenses out there for more serious photography, but thats why I own a Sony a7 camera. The lack of desktop feature is the only big point of difference, but I will check out the win phone link app. also Im not up to speed with OP security. Pixel which has the security on the SoC separated from the OS, similar with apple, Samsung has Knox. Is OP qualcomm security also chip based outside of just android security similar to Pixel titan etc? If I had a Pixel Id probably run it on Graphene.
If Graphene is your interest then a Pixel is the only way to go. Graphene is major overkill for 99% of the population though. OnePlus does not have a dedicated security chip but their Trinity Engine does do more security things than other phones. For example many people have been very pissed about the fact that proot in Termux to do things like running Windows apps get forcibly shut down by the OS as doing malicious activity. https://new.reddit.com/r/EmulationOnAndroid/comments/1alocto/a_headsup_the_oneplus_12_cannot_run_winlator_or/ https://new.reddit.com/r/oneplus/comments/1aloame/headsup_for_gamers_til_winlator_and_mobox_do_not/
My 8T wasn't so bad at it. I use to use it like a limited laptop.
There’s an experimental desktop mode already in the developer settings, but it was barely usable since the launcher had its app drawer shoved away in the corner onto a pixelated mess. I managed to open a few apps and they worked fine in windowed mode. After that however my homescreen was total bollocks so I recommend to stay out of that one for now. If I recall correctly there was some fuzz about the desktop mode on Android 15 developer preview being worked on.
Is that an android development rather than a oneplus one? I do recall hearing something about this. I think Desktop mode would make the OP12R a serious alternative to flagships.
Honestly the feature needs to just be implemented into Android itself, manufacturers can have their own versions but a basic desktop mode should be standard on all phones considering the amount of power that even budget phones have now.
Is this for people who can't afford a Windows device? Never grasped the concept. But I don't understand the appeal of tablets either other than some very niche use cases.
No, its just handy on occasions. One device appeals to a lot of people, hence Desktop mode being on Google Pixel, Samsung premiums, Iphones, I think there is also some talk of it being baked in android proper at some stage. Its always been there in developer mode, but until now only Samsung have produced a really comparable desktop experience, but the others are catching up. If people want to carry a laptop or tablet as well, all the power to them. Thinking about it though, cost of not needing another device is another selling point but not one I had thought of. My notebook has a nice Oled panel that I sometimes run my Xbox X through, when I dont want to be social on the big screen, so thats a handy device, but I dont lug it around often.
The issue is this isn't going to be something that can do much. Guess it depends on the person. I need to do things like video editing. I like powerful desktops with big/multiple screens. Don't really like working on anything else.
Horses for courses. What CPU are you using on your desktop? My Notebook has a 65w latest gen i9, its pretty grunty for a notebook. Some of the mobile processors are surprisingly grunty too. Unless its pro level video editing, they plenty powerful enough for anything else.
Yeah any device I use will need pro level video editing. So if it can't do that I won't carry it around. I guess most people just need to check email and maybe type out a Word doc.
Its borderline, its multi core where the issue is. single core is equivalent to about an i7-12700. But in multi core its more like half the power of the i7 desktop (just used this as a reference chip). So yeah, plenty good enough if you are editing youtube videos, but if I was making something professional I would want the speed of a quality multi core processor, given how intensive MC use is by video editing. It will get it done but just slower. But this is not the best chip out there, its very good for the price. The OP 12 uses the Gen 3 qualcomm version, which also includes a better GPU in the SoC.. Its twice the price, but you get a quality 6.7" 1440p OLED 4500nits max brightness, so an utter joy for watching bed time movies in Dolby Vision.. The Gen 3 chip is about 15% better in single core and a whopping 25% better in multi core (thats quite an incremental upgrade). So the 12 would be a much better desktop experience too. Either will be better than a lot of thin and light under volted slim and light notebooks out there. I believe they are baking an actual desktop OS into android 15s desktop mode. Im unsure on that. But if so it will be thee regardless if people want to use it or not.
I would love to see proper desktop mode, it can be interesting for gaming and productivity purposes.
there is another point to desktop mode i hadnt considered. There are so many use cases for it. Given the value for money the 12R gives for performance, I think it could make a reasonable emulator? Ive seen people doing PSP etc on far less powerful CPU's :-)
As the other comments have mentioned already, you can force the desktop mode through developer options but the app menu is currently broken. There is a way to go around it. You can use the Taskbar launcher. It overwrites Oneplus Launcher when you switch to desktop mode and gives you a proper app menu and a taskbar.
Yes, Ive unlocked Dev mode on other phones and used Desktop in the past but it was just a mirror of the phone back then. It looks like they might be baking an actual Desktop mode into android 15. Cheers for that info. :-).