amazon Samsung DeX reviews
Users have long enjoyed the idea of having a device that serves both the phone and the computer. Many tech companies like Motozola (ATRIX), Asus (PadFone S), Acer (Liquid Jade Primo) or Microsoft (Lumia 950 with Continuum) have tried to make that wish but so far have failed. But that does not stop Samsung from launching the Samsung DeX, which turns the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8 + into a mobile PC.
Design
The Samsung DeX looks like a teacup or a small black speaker. The dock has a cover that is slightly above the cover, which opens the USB Type C socket to power the dock and also the charging port for the phone. Currently, this accessory only supports the top two Samsung products, the Galaxy S8 and S8 +, which do not support other products of this company as well as other products of the company even with the same strong configuration S8 / S8 + and also USB Type C.
Dex also has fans to make cool the S8 and S8 + plugs, two USB ports for mouse and keyboard, an HDMI port for connecting to a computer monitor or TV, and a LAN port in case you do not use Wi-Fi or cellular networks.
Set up extremely easy
The setup to use DeX for PC functionality is extremely easy. You only need to plug in the USB Type C of DeX, connect DeX with computer monitor or TV via HDMI cable and put the S8 / S8 + into the USB Type C plug of the dock. Then wait about 10-15 seconds, you will see familiar desktop interface as on the computer. DeX currently accepts only Samsung’s S8 / S8 + charger, does not work with third-party chargers, and displays on a full- HD, not 2K as on the phone screen.
After connecting the dock and S8 / S8 + to the monitor, you can plug the keyboard and mouse accessory into the dock via USB Type A or wired network connection via Ethernet port. If the monitor has built-in speakers, you can transfer audio through the screen on the setup. And if the screen does not have speakers then you will have to use speakers of S8 / S8 + because DeX design does not support speakers or headphones. This can be considered a minor limitation in Dex design.
Note that if you use wireless mouse and keyboard, pair S8 / S8 + before placing them in the dock.
DeX Desktop Interface
When you plug the S8 / S8 + into Dex and connect to the monitor (computer or TV), the desktop interface looks familiar. Above the desktop are the basic applications of S8 / S8 + such as browser, map, photo gallery, Facebook, Gmail, Contacts and Phone. You can also see the file manager of Samsung called “Your File” to access the files and images stored on the computer but do not support drag and drop files as on the computer.
At the bottom of the desktop is the taskbar. The left side of the taskbar has an application tray, multitasking, and the Home key to return to the initial desktop, along with the Settings button and the icons for running applications. On the right side of the taskbar looks like a Windows system tray that gives you access to notifications, quick settings, search, keyboards, and volume.
When you open the application tray, you will see a list of Samsung optimized application for DeX. At the time of our experience, the number of applications is not much, there are nearly 20 applications including basic Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Skype). In addition, many of the built-in applications on S8 / S8 + also support DeX.
where can you get a Samsung DeX online
Samsung DeX Station, Desktop Experience for Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, W/ AFC USB-C Wall Charger (US Version with Warranty): Buy it now
Samsung DeX Station, Desktop Experience for Galaxy S8 S8+ MG950 (International Version No Warranty): Buy it now
Samsung DeX Station, Desktop Experience for Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ International Version (Black) – NO WARRANTY: Buy it now
Can I replace the computer?
I used DeX for a few days instead of the computer. DeX can meet a lot of daily computing needs. With office demand, DeX supports Microsoft’s Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint for the Android platform. These Office applications are a little different from the Windows version, so it may take some time to get used to.
Basic image processing including RAW images can be used for applications such as Lightroom, Photoshop Express for Android or the integrated image editor on the S8 / S8 + photo library. Other basic applications such as email, chat, Samsung’s browser … work almost in the computer environment. You can zoom in or out of windows of these applications as you would on a traditional computer environment. Some keyboard shortcuts like Alt-Tab also support for you to move quickly between open applications.
In addition to office demand, the thing that most people care about on Dex is probably whether the browser works fine or not? At this point, it can be said that Samsung did well. By default, Samsung’s Internet browser will open web pages at the desktop interface and also support the blocking of unwanted content and some extensions. The speed of opening, scrolling pages and switching between tabs on the browser is quite fast, the same on the basic computer.
However, Samsung’s browser will not meet the needs of power users because there are not many extensions such as popular browsers Firefox and Chrome. Meanwhile, Chrome works on Dex as on phones. This means that the browser will default to open web pages in the mobile version. You will have to manually switch to the desktop interface with each site and in mobile format, Chrome also does not have the extension as on the desktop.
Besides, there are currently many applications that are not optimized for Dex. Many popular applications like Facebook, Instagram do not support screen magnification, only vertical display as on the mobile. Apps like Gmail and YouTube can be scaled to fit the screen, but the interface does not match the large screen on the desktop. Especially the game board, many non-rotating games have to play along the screen or even games that are not open in Dex environments like the Subway Surfer designed for the touch screen.
While plugging your phone into Dex for computer use, you can still make normal call and messaging with your keyboard and mouse. Calling will be through the phone’s loudspeaker. Also, you can use the iris sensor to unlock the desktop or unlock secure applications on your computer.
In general, Samsung DeX meets a number of basic computing experiences including simple office tasks such as word processing, email, chat, photo editing and web browsing. The processing speed of the machine is quite fast, not less than laptop and desktop configuration. It can be said that DeX is suitable for replacing computers when you do not need too high performance in a short period of time. DeX is also a good choice for S8 / S8 + users who want to buy low-end laptops for occasional use in office work.
For long-term use, DeX can not replace the computer or laptop. This is true for both power users and “power users” due to DeX application and hardware support limitations. However, DeX has also shown the idea of a device for the demand of phones and computers closer to reality.