If you’ve ever wondered if Smartphones have now gotten so powerful that it could replace the laptop/PC, then you should know that we are almost there. Smartphones are now known to be a powerhouse with lots and lots of capabilities. One of which is a smart phone having 512GB of internal storage along with a dedicated SD Card slot which can also accommodate another 512GB memory Card (ahem, Samsung Galaxy Note 9). We’re looking at over 1TB off storage space on a smartphone which seemed impossible a decade ago but now it’s a reality.
Most flagships and some mid-rangers these days even have 6GB or 8GB of RAM with some reaching as high as 10GB of RAM. Now, a 6GB of RAM smart phone with a capable processor to back it up is more than enough for a smart phone and some might say that an 8GB or 10GB on a smart phone is a bit of an overkill. Well, Samsung has just the perfect reply for them with the Samsung DeX.
You know those extra RAM space or processor speed you ain’t really making use of ? Yeah, Samsung is utilizing those capabilities with the Samsung Dex Station to give you the ‘Desktop Experience” using your Smartphone. Here, we will take a look what Samsung Dex Station is along with it Features.
What is Samsung Dex Station?
Samsung DeX Station can be achieved by using a $150 Samsung device/accessory/dock that lets you connect your supported Samsung device to a Monitor. You can also connect a mouse and keyboard for more precision/efficiency. This literally transforms your Samsung Smartphone into PC, Much like Huawei’s Desktop Mode. Samsung DEx is short for Samsung Desktop Experience; giving you the desktop experience using your Smartphone.
The Samsung Dex Station first came with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ device. However, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Note 9 and Tab S4 now supports it. So if you have any of the aforementioned Samsung device then all you need is the Samsung Dex Accessory, also known as the Samsung Dock Station, A Monitor, Keyboard and a Mouse and you’re one step close to experiencing desktop mode using your Samsung Galaxy smart phone.
The Samsung DEx features a USB Type-C Port, Ethernet and HDMI 2.0 Port along with 2 Micro USB 2.0 Ports. It also has a built-in fan to keep the phone cool while in Dex Mode. Sliding the top lid back will also reveal a USB Type-C connector which is used to dock your device and keep it charged up while you using it. You can also slide the top lid back down when you are done.
What Can I Do With Samsung Dex Station?
You can do most things you can on your PC on Samsung DEx. However, like you would have already guessed, there are some limitations. First, The UI looks really good, minimal and neat. It somewhat looks like the Windows 10 – Battery, Connections etc located at the bottom right side of the screen. Running apps are Located in the bottom middle of the screen and menu Icon is available in the bottom left side. Apps run smoothly like it would on your Smartphone. You can also open Multiple windows and resize some.
While in Dex Mode, you can run Samsung Browser in full screen mode and while in this mode, websites visited also open in desktop Mode. Some other apps have also been optimized for full screen, mostly Samsung stock apps. Third-party apps on the other hand, not so well. Some apps will only open in phone-sized windows when launched and some others will not run at all. It’s a work in progress so things like this are expected. App developers will also start optimising their app for desktop mode as soon as this takes off which will fix this problem.
Conclusion
Now, if you plan on doing some heavy lifting with this then i should probably just tell you right now that you’ll be disappointed. Just the fact that you can get something as close as this via your Smartphone should be considered a win. Moreover, the tech is still in its earlier stages and will definitely improve over time. So coming from a heavy computer/PC user, this might be kind of let down but if you if you keep an opened mind, you’ll be amazed.
