Do you have a Pixel 8/8 Pro? Good news, you will soon be able to use it as a mini desktop computer


Stéphane Ficca

Hardware & gaming specialist

March 13, 2024 at 3:21 p.m.

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The Pixel range should soon expand with the Pixel 8a © Nicolas Lafarge-Debeaupuis for Clubic

The Pixel range should soon expand with the Pixel 8a © Nicolas Lafarge-Debeaupuis for Clubic

Very soon, it will be possible to connect your smartphone very simply Google Pixel 8 to an external screen. And it is not essential to buy the next model to come. Explanations.

Indeed, when you connect a Pixel smartphone, regardless of the model, to an external screen or a television using a USB-C/USB-C or USB-C/HDMI cable, nothing happens. pass. This should change very soon, not with a new model, but via a simple update.

A “desktop” mode for Google Pixels!

Indeed, the latest Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update includes a new feature, namely that of duplicating the screen of a Google Pixel to an external screen, using a simple USB cable. To do this, Google simply activated the DisplayPort Alternate Mode function on smartphones.

The latter allows devices to transmit a DisplayPort signal over the pins of their existing USB-C connector. Simple, practical and effective.

But limited to the Pixel 8 range

The only downside, however, is that this same function DisplayPort Alternate Mode is disabled by default, in hardware this time, across the entire Pixel range, with the exception of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. As a result, only the latter are able to take full advantage of the upcoming update (in an “official” way, let’s say it).

The Google Pixel 8 will soon benefit from a mode "Mirror Display" © Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

The Google Pixel 8 will soon benefit from a “Mirror Display” mode © Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

Still, affected users will be able to use their smartphone in a new way, enjoying desktop-like experiences on external screens. The future Android 15 could pave the way for a new optimized office mode.

For Google, it would be a question of competing with Samsung with its DeX mode, which already allows users to use their smartphone like a computer, by connecting their device to an external screen, such as a television or a monitor, using a dedicated cable or wirelessly, via Wireless DeX.

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Source : Android Authority



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