I’ve been using Samsung DeX as a PC replacement for the past two years. In that time, I’ve learned a lot to like and dislike about Samsung’s Android-based desktop. Here are some of the more interesting points I wish I had known sooner.
Wireless DeX is surprisingly easy to use
Wired is better, but wireless isn’t garbage
To be clear, the best way to use Samsung DeX is to connect your phone directly to an external display. As with everything, a wired connection is more stable and reliable than a wireless connection. However, I was surprised to find that the wireless DeX wasn’t a waste of time. In fact, I often prefer it as the way to do it using my wireless laptop feels more like using a laptop.
Wired connection is awkward. It’s fine on a desk or table, but the dangling of the phone in my lap is barely manageable. I found the wireless DeX to be quite handy for accessing the internet or browsing the web in these situations. There was even a time when I relied on wireless DeX for entire workdays rather than physically connecting to a monitor.
The experience varies depending on the age of your phone. I found the wireless DeX to work better Galaxy Z Fold 6 compared to the previous year Galaxy Z Fold 5. I haven’t had a chance to test the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or the newer Galaxy S26 Ultra, but there’s a chance the wireless dock connection will be even better.
- Brand
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Samsung
- SoC
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Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Screen
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6.9-inch Dynamic Super AMOLED 2X
- RAM
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12 or 16 GB
- Storage
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256GB, 512GB or 1TB
- Battery
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5000mAh
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I could still use most external accessories
All I needed was a USB-C hub
Our smartphones have a USB-C port, for better or for worse. This is because if the USB-C port is connected to an external display, then the rest of the ports are zero.
But phones are not the only devices in this situation. Chances are you have a laptop that only has a few USB-C ports and you need to rely on a specific USB-C accessory when you want to connect everything to your computer.
It turns out that a Samsung phone has the ability to connect to external devices. Therefore, a USB-C hub is the best cheap phone upgrade. With one, you can plug in flash drives, HDMI cables, Ethernet, and full-size SD cards. Just don’t try to use a DVD drive. This won’t work.
Wireless casting is a great replacement for a tablet
The convenience of a phone, but with a bigger screen
We usually talk about DeX as a desktop replacement. After all, it looks like a Windows PC or Chromebook. However, when you pair the DeX with a wireless lapdock, it starts to feel more like a tablet replacement.
I like to put my tablet on the tablet stand and watch YouTube videos while I do the dishes. This same exercise is possible when using DeX with a lapdock. I can place the laptop in tent mode on my kitchen counter and play whatever video I want wirelessly. The upside is that I can keep my phone nearby and use it as a remote. The lapdock can also be used for other tablet tasks, such as reading large PDFs and comics.
Dex is a superior gaming experience
It’s better than playing games directly on your phone
I knew there was nothing stopping me from playing mobile games using DeX. What I didn’t know was how much of an improvement this experience would be.
You see, our phones have built-in displays with very high resolution. Many of us have external monitors with a lower screen resolution than our phones. Especially lapdocks have 1080p screens. The same can be said for most of the older flat screen TVs we own Full HD desktop monitors, which some still prefer More than 4K.
The phones are designed to play mobile games with very high resolution and smooth refresh rate. When connected to an external display, these games run just as smoothly as they do on our phones. But that’s not all. Cloud gaming effectively turns a DeX-equipped phone into a gaming console.
DeX is a convenient way to experience AR
Enjoy before you decide to invest in VR
I’ve played most of game developer Don’t Nod’s game library via NVIDIA GeForce Now and a virtual display. I didn’t need expensive XR headphones. All I used was a Samsung phone connected to the AR glasses.
If you’re not sure if VR is for you, you can buy a significantly cheaper pair of AR glasses and attach them to your Samsung phone. You can then use the desktop as you would otherwise, or sit back and enjoy streaming video on a large virtual display. If you like this taste, then you can think about where you want to invest more money for a better experience Samsung Galaxy XR.
7/10
- Unifying Technology
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DisplayPort over USB-C
- Loudspeakers
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Yes
The RayNeo Air 3s Pro are solid video glasses with limited AR/XR functionality at an affordable price.
Samsung DeX is great, but not perfect.
I no longer use a Samsung phone or DeX as my primary computer. I eventually ended the experiment for the same reason I stopped using Chrome OS – Google made changes to the experience that I didn’t like and there was no way to undo them. Samsung DeX too One UI lost a few features in the 8 updateIt incorporated aspects of Google’s new Android-based desktop (although still not as simple as the Google version). i Not particularly excited about the changes introduced in Googlebookseither. Fortunately, you don’t have to be 100% fully into DeX like I am to take advantage of it.
