I tried to replace my desktop with a phone for work – 5 frustrating lessons I learned

According to Stat Counter, mobile phones made up 63.07% of the total hardware platform market share in 2024. Simply put, more people use a phone than a desktop or laptop computer. That’s fine for many of us who use our devices mostly for messaging, social media, entertainment, and shopping.

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Sure, my phone is indispensable; When I’m at home, my Pixel 9 Pro is my only source for calls. When I’m away from home, it keeps me connected to the world.

But as viable as modern-day phones are, there are a handful of reasons why they will never be my primary computing device. Here are the main ones.

1. Physical and digital limitations

This is the primary reason mobile devices will never become my default. I’m a writer and am often churning out content for tech sites as well as novels. Unless I’m carrying a wireless keyboard, it’s often too difficult to type as quickly on the phone, but it’s not nearly as accurate, meaning I spend more time correcting myself than not. 

I know some writers who’ve attempted to pen novels on a mobile device, but it takes them exponentially longer than it would on a desktop or laptop.

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But writing isn’t the only thing I need from a computing device. I also create images for various things and create/edit videos — another task I could not do on a phone. For example, services like Adobe Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve are much more robust on desktop than on mobile. In reality, the hand-held form factor is just not conducive to being productive at the level I need.

2. Better security with less risks

Because Android and iOS make up the majority of users across the globe, you can bet those two operating systems will continue to have targets on their backs. Both Google and Apple often struggle to keep up with hackers, which will probably be the case for a long time. This is just a matter of numbers, and as more and more people go mobile-only, you can bet that hacker consortiums will continue to focus on those devices. 

Here’s the thing, though: mobile devices aren’t necessarily less secure than desktops. Case in point: Android uses SELinux, which is one of the security mechanisms used in Linux. The problem is that it’s far easier to use a mobile device improperly than a desktop. Chances are slim that you’re receiving malicious SMS messages on your PC or getting calls from those looking to social engineer their way into your bank accounts. 

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From my experience, it’s much easier to use a phone improperly because apps are easier to install, links are harder for users to verify, and most phone operating systems don’t have firewalls. Finally, most PCs connect to (and stay connected to) a single network, whereas phones are always jumping from Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi as you travel.

3. Customizability

Although Android does offer a bit of flexibility in that you can change the home screen launcher if you like, it doesn’t come near the level of flexibility found in Linux. I’m one of those people who looks at an operating system as a means to allow me to do things the way I want. With Android, that only goes so far, and with iOS, there’s very little in the way of flexibility. For example, I can’t create custom keyboard shortcuts or install a specific kernel (such as a real-time kernel). 

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With Linux, I can even customize my multitasking to better fit my needs. I can add virtual desktops, use Grammarly across all apps, and install apps from the standard repositories, Flathub, Snap Store, AppImages, as a Docker container, or from source. With Android, I can install apps from the Google Play Store (if I want to be safe) or third-party sites (if I don’t care about security and privacy). There’s no comparison between the flexibility found on a desktop and that on a mobile device.

4. Color management

This one isn’t exactly one that most people will get, but I do need color management on my devices. Because I create so many videos, I must ensure the color outuput is accurate. On most desktop operating systems, I can install and use color profiles to get a more accurate representation of the videos I create. On a mobile device, you’re pretty much stuck with what you get. 

Also: Why the wrong color profile can ruin your image edits and how to fix it on MacOS

When I create videos, I watch them on both my iMac (with a correct color profile) and any given Android device, and I’m always shocked at how inaccurate the color is on phones and tablets. I need to be able to work with color profiles, which will not happen anytime soon on a phone or tablet.

5. Peripherals

Printers, touchpads, mice, keyboards, speakers — I don’t use many peripherals, but the ones I do use are necessary. Although I can get Android to print to my network-attached printer, it’s hardly reliable. The truth is, mobile phones and peripherals don’t really go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Sure, you can connect a mouse and keyboard to Android, but you either have to have a docking station or Bluetooth-enabled peripherals. 

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On my desktop, I prefer not to use Bluetooth devices because I don’t find them nearly as reliable, and they tend to be a bit laggy. I do need those peripherals and can’t see either major mobile operating system ever catching up to the desktop in this regard.