If you own a Samsung phone from the past few years or are planning to get a new one before going back to school or college, you may have wondered if Samsung’s DeX productivity feature can replace your tablet or laptop. DeX turns your phone and monitor into a mini computer, and all you have to do is grab a Bluetooth keyboard, because the phone’s screen works as a touchpad, so it’s a reasonable thought.
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Save space and money at the same time? Too good to be true? Let’s talk about whether Samsung DeX can really save you from buying a laptop for college use.
What is DeX?
Samsung calls DeX a multitasking tool, but that’s not enough. When you connect your phone to a TV or monitor, DeX activates a desktop-like experience and lets you do almost anything you’d do on your phone on the big screen. This means you can run apps, watch videos, use Microsoft tools, play games, run presentations, edit photos, hold video meetings, check email and browse the web.
All of this can technically happen without buying any additional products other than having the right phone and a compatible TV or monitor, but the overall experience is enhanced if you treat your phone like a desktop computer. Get a Bluetooth keyboard, and maybe a stylus, and you’ll be very close to eliminating the need for a laptop or tablet, depending on your needs.
Which Samsung phone do you need?
The essential item here is a genuine Samsung smartphone. Depending on which model you have, you’ll be able to run DeX wirelessly or via a cable. To use wired DeX, you need a USB Type-C to HDMI cable and a monitor or TV with an HDMI port. Wired DeX works on all Galaxy Note phones, from the Galaxy Note 8 to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, along with all Galaxy Fold phones, as well as all Galaxy S series phones, from the Galaxy S8 to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. It’s also a feature on some Galaxy tablets, including the Galaxy Tab S4, S5e, and Tab S6.
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The downside of using a wired connection for DeX is that it removes the ability to simultaneously charge your phone with the cable, since the DeX cable uses the phone’s USB Type-C port. The solution is to use the wireless DeX connection on Samsung’s newer phones. If you own a Galaxy Note 20, Note 20 Ultra or any of the latest Galaxy S21 phones, or even the latest Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Z Flip 3, DeX can be used wirelessly with a compatible smart TV. All Samsung TVs made after 2018 work for it, and anyone with screen mirroring or Miracast can also work with DeX.
What accessories do you need?
If you’re going to use your phone and DeX as an alternative to a laptop, you’ll need a Bluetooth keyboard and maybe a mouse, but that doesn’t really matter because your phone’s screen turns into a handy touchpad when DeX is active. Connect your selected Bluetooth keyboard to your phone and that’s it. If you want to use a stylus and don’t have a Galaxy Note but have a Galaxy S21 Ultra, you can also buy an S Pen and use it with DeX.
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Got an older Galaxy phone? Before Wireless DeX came along, Samsung sold the DeX Pad and DeX Station accessories, which acted as wired stations for your phone. The advantage here is the range of ports on the dock. The DeX Station had two USB Type-A ports, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, and a USB Type-C port so you can charge your phone while it’s plugged in.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to get it nowadays. Each dock was only compatible with certain Samsung Galaxy phones, not including the Galaxy S20 or Note 10 or newer, and Samsung has since discontinued them. However, if you already own an older Galaxy phone — from the Galaxy S8 to the Galaxy S10, plus some Note models — and want to use DeX, you can still find one of the docks available through eBay or on the shelf somewhere. It might be worth trying to find one for the ability to charge your phone while using DeX.
Does it really work?
Yes, it really is, but we recommend that you don’t rely on Wireless DeX. Equipped with a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, KeyChron K2 and Keychron K3 Bluetooth keyboards, and Sony Android TV, the setup process stalled when we tried to connect to the TV. Despite the Sony TV having screen mirroring, the phone failed to connect. Based on forum threads around the internet, this is not uncommon and not just a Sony TV problem. But both keyboards easily connect to the Galaxy S21 Ultra via Bluetooth without any problems.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
If you can try DeX with your existing smart TV and it works, great. If you can’t and you plan to buy one, there’s no guarantee that the Wireless DeX will work if it’s not a Samsung model. However, connecting to a TV or monitor from USB Type-C to HDMI works flawlessly, but you are left without the ability to charge your phone. What we found was that the Galaxy S21 Ultra would charge wirelessly when placed on a Qi charger even with DeX active, so there is a way around that. You may want to get a Bluetooth mouse if you intend to use this method.
After connecting to a monitor or TV, DeX works very well. The desktop interface looks and works a bit like Windows, so there’s nothing new to learn, and all your usual phone features are there, including SMS and messaging apps. You can run up to five applications at the same time and there is no noticeable lag when performing general productivity tasks such as using a word processor or Outlook for email. YouTube works in its own window and Chrome is very responsive.
If your requirements are relatively small, then the Samsung DeX is just as usable as an Android tablet for work tasks and could replace your laptop if you’re only doing the basics.
Don’t need to buy a laptop?
A laptop will always be more powerful and versatile than a smartphone connected to a large screen. Good laptops don’t have to cost a fortune either. However, DeX is a good alternative if you’re considering using an Android tablet for productivity. Typing on a Bluetooth keyboard is always better than typing on a keyboard case, for example, and a TV screen will always be larger than a tablet screen.
Even if you’re not going for “full DeX,” it’s wise to know it exists and how it works, and to invest around $18 for a USB Type-C to HDMI cable. The modern Galaxy smartphone has great capabilities in terms of processing and capabilities, and we store everything in our lives on them, from photos to e-mails. The opportunity to hook it up to a bigger screen for very little, if any, extra cash is too good to pass up, even if it’s just with a monitor in the study.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn