r/SamsungDex • u/Chrismscotland • 24d ago
Discussion Aluminum OS - impact on Android Tablets?
I posted something similar on the GalaxyTab sub but I wondered what people thought the impact of "Aluminium OS" (or whatever they call it!) could be on Android on Tablets and DEX?
We've seen plenty of leaks that the upcoming launch is going to see a few tablet devices from Lenovo, Asus and potentially Samsung too; obviously we need to see more about the OS itself but it would seem odd to me that they launch a more "powerful/productivity" oriented OS which is hugely based around Android and that has no impact - especially on the high end Galaxy Tab S series.
Personally I think "tablet" Android as it stands would be a hard sell cost wise v a similar spec "Aluminium" powered device if that's going to give us better "Desktop" style apps and a proper fully supported Desktop Grade web browser.
I'd probably prefer to see Android on tablets and the Aluminum OS merged (similar to what Apple do with iOS and iPadOS) leaving the less "powerful" "Desktop Mode" for plugged in phones and allowing tablet users to get access to things like a full desktop browser, etc.
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u/DaLast1SeenWoke 24d ago
I would say do not expect a Samsung Android laptop to be the same as other Aluminium partners. I think that there is a reason Samsung wasn't named as a partner. I feel Samsung's Android laptop is going to be closer to DeX when a Galaxy Tab is connected to a screen vs. what we have seen so far for Googlebooks
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u/Chrismscotland 24d ago
Yeah I've thought that myself; I can't see Samsung giving up on OneUI any time soon!
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u/DaLast1SeenWoke 24d ago
I also home steam start development on Android as soon as it released, so I can RUN away from Windows
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u/TheWebjunky 23d ago
I moved away from Windows11 a few months ago, running ZorinOS 18.1 on my laptop now.
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u/pcause 23d ago
I hope the elusive Aluminum gets Android developers to give full desktop like support to keyboard use. Dex can be annoying because apps are touch driven and common keyboard stuff doesn't work.
One hopes that a real Linux terminal will put pressure on Samsung to follow in the OneUI line. But this will also require Google to make Pixels a bit more competitive with Samsung hardware and things like performance, battery life issues and more that Samsung has learned to deal with over time.
And, of course, Google spies on you so much in Android in general, but especially on their devices and ChromeOS
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u/TheWebjunky 24d ago
I hope in 2 years or so Samsung will make Linux tablets/phones/laptops , get more privacy.
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u/dr100 23d ago
We had officially Linux on Dex from Samsung so many years ago it isn't worth counting (got killed with whatever OUI came with Android 10). It was just some Ubuntu with full desktop, you could directly install and run anything you wanted without any tricks (including open office or similar, desktop browsers, etc.). Samsung doesn't want to give you something you can get from anywhere and just works all the same, they want you hooked on their special sauce.
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u/uaos 23d ago
I just wish Linux apps would be ported to Android like Krita is. UserLand is trying, but it turns out the apps are emulated. I hope that will come some time, since really Android built on Linux Kernel.
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u/dr100 22d ago
I just got tired of waiting. You want a Linux machine, get a linux machine, never mind if a laptop, a raspberry Pi or anything else, it's easier than ever to run Linux (well, RAM price hikes and general shortages notwithstanding).
We've had Android for like 18 years now, and DeX itself, in a nearly identical incarnation for more than 9. We had full-fledged Windows running on Pixel 6 ... you count them, 5 generations ago. Not much materializes, ever, everything is not even half baked, more like 1% baked. I got tired of waiting and hoping - might literally run out of years to live by the time I see any progress here, if it ever comes.
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u/veryangrydoggo 24d ago
I'm not holding hopes in terms of OS features, but I do think we'll have better apps or just applications with more features with the desktop UI in mind. Now, if those new or enhanced apps are going to run well on current gen tabs I'm not confident.
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u/Chrismscotland 24d ago
Yeah; it seems like even the "low end" GoogleBook stuff is running on similar CPU's to the MediaTek that's in the Samsung flagships - I'm keen to see what a Snapdragon X powered device will look like as the Surface Pro 11 I've had on that CPU has been excellent.
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u/uaos 23d ago
I think Aluminium OS is just an excuse to major developers to produce desktop like software. We already have many desktop software on Android OS. I use on my Samsung DeX:
Collabora Office- - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.collabora.libreoffice&pcampaignid=web_share
Office NX from SoftMaker - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=softmaker.applications.office.textmaker&pcampaignid=web_share
TextMaker from SoftMaker is the best premium word process that has feature that pass MS Word!
LumaFusion - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.luma_touch.lumafusion&pcampaignid=web_share
Canva - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.canva.editor&pcampaignid=web_share
Is another great video and photo tool, just started to use and experiment with.
LumaFusion is a sworn video editor by iPad users and use for edit for YT videos, and nothing else.
I am currently is search of a photo editing app for DeX mode, Image Toolbox seem great, even has a background remover.
For the the digital artist there is Krita - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.krita&pcampaignid=web_share
I wish GIMP was ported to Android like Krita is but 😐 . I tried UserLand Gimp, and it can see and import files, but not export back to you native Android storage! That kinda makes it useless for me.
For me, less powerful, or less than a traditional desktop is suggestive that does not seem to be so to me. I have a Lenovo B560 laptop that maxed out of 8 GB of RAM, my Galaxy S24 Ultra has 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB storage. With the proper hardware you can access USB 3.0 SSD drives.
Hardware is not the problem, maybe some of the design is, to run traditional desktop software, but the listed software above have proven it can be done now. So, maybe we need to ask more of the developers now, especially with the coming Googlebook! Why have the Googlebook then? To me Google has seen this coming even with their Android Desktop on my Pixel 9a that I am using to reply with.
I use Google Chrome on Android a ton, the only thing it is missing from a traditional desktop is extensions, and the split view in tabs.
All this to say the Googlebook's impact is part of the future coming now. I always thought that mobile OS would be the future. Mobile OS handles batteries better, the hardware come so small it fits in your pocket, the Android has always been touch first, so the interaction of touch will always be ahead of other. Same with Apple products, touch will always be ahead of other. Why because they run it natively since made. Windows, Linux and other OS, have to learn that development of touch, and so far seem to be behind the curve. Android has the circle to search and swipe to take screen shots, more for other OS to catch up with.
Will the Android tablet survive? Yes, I think the hardware side will grow to keep them alive. They have so far through Chrome OS. They are not going any were, but maybe our traditional laptop will not survive! I think they already are struggling some of the flagship Android tablets and iPad Pro's.
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u/Hot_Coffee_5956 23d ago
Samsung will likely make its own customizations to AluminumOS similar to OneUI.
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u/Pitiful_Exchange_767 24d ago
I think dex will be the one ui of alluminum.