• Samsung DeX Dock: Turn your Galaxy S8 into a full-fledged PC. Samsung DeX Dock Review

    Some actions are easier to perform while working on a computer. But why do you need a computer if now your smart phone can easily handle these tasks...

    Turn your smartphone into a computer!

    Can a smartphone replace a laptop and classic desktop? - Yes, if it is Galaxy S8 / S8+ or Galaxy Note 8 connected to a monitor or TV using the Samsung DeX Portable Dock. Now any place can become a workplace!

    Your smartphone now has all the benefits...

    Turn your smartphone into a computer!

    Can a smartphone replace a laptop and classic desktop? - Yes, if it is a Galaxy S8 / S8+ or Galaxy Note8 connected to a monitor or TV using the Samsung DeX portable docking station. Now any place can become a workplace!

    Your smartphone now has all the benefits of a laptop.

    Samsung DeX gives you everything you value about using a classic PC: working on big screen, full-size keyboard with hotkey support, mouse control. Connect the monitor via HDMI cable, as well as the necessary peripherals and enjoy the usual PC functionality: launch applications, view documents, check notifications - DeX will provide a PC interface and support for multitasking.

    Minimum devices - maximum productivity.

    Some actions are easier to perform while working on a computer. But why do you need a computer if now your smartphone can easily handle these tasks? Connect your Galaxy S8/S8+ or Note8 to the DeX dock and you're good to go! Edit texts, edit videos, make purchases online with one click of the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard.

    • Actual product specifications may vary slightly.
    • For using Microsoft Office license must be purchased.
    • Applications Microsoft Word and Microsoft Powerpoint require downloading to your smartphone.

    The dream is to turn a smartphone into full-fledged computer arose a long time ago, but something always stood in the way of its implementation. The pioneer of this direction can rightfully be considered Motorola, the engineers of this company tried to turn a smartphone into a computer back in the 90s, but every time something prevented them from creating a product that would be approved by marketers. In 2010, when the ATRIX model was created, they released a docking station for connecting to an external monitor via an HDMI connector, as well as a laptop dock, a kind of brainless laptop in which the memory and brains were in the phone itself.


    Marketers won once again, since these devices were in demand only among geeks; the mass consumer did not understand why he needed to buy these accessories if the resulting “computer” was quite weak and did not support the usual programs. Over the past five years, almost a dozen companies have explored the possibility of creating such accessories and each time they came across the fact that customers could not understand what it was and why. The most successful attempt was the introduction of a docking station from Microsoft, with its help a Windows smartphone was connected to a monitor and allowed to work with documents. The success was relative, as a percentage of Windows smartphones sold, of which there were always few, and therefore this experience passed by the mass market and was simply not noticed.

    At the same time, the stars aligned in such a way that Microsoft stopped actively supporting its platform for smartphones and other mobile devices, but felt that they needed a presence on Android platform with basic programs, for example, MS Office, OneDrive, Skype. Samsung became a key partner for the promotion of these programs; these applications appeared on almost all of the company’s devices. Somehow it turns out that Microsoft wants to turn smartphones into full-fledged computers; Samsung has a similar project, but it is stalling because marketers are defeating engineers, as was the case at Motorola before. According to marketers, the market is not ready yet; there are many restrictions for such devices. But Microsoft believes that the time has come and is ready to adapt MS Office for Android running in computer mode. And Samsung thought that this was enough to give the project the green light and create an accessory that would turn the company’s flagship into a full-fledged computer, albeit with a number of reservations. This is how the DeX docking station was born, which can already be called the most successful product in this category, since it sells like hot cakes and the company simply does not have time to produce them.

    The idea behind the DeX dock is simple and straightforward: you connect to the station peripherals and you can use large monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, external drive and much more with your phone. Let's figure out together how it works.

    Connecting the DeX station to the phone, first setup

    The small box contains the docking station and nothing else, and to connect to a monitor or TV you will need a regular HDMI cable, which you will need to buy separately. There will be no problem with this; such cables are sold in most stores.

    The docking station is quite large, it has a sliding lid that hides USB Type C connector, this is where we install the smartphone, in at the moment Only Galaxy S8/S8+ is supported, a new Note will be added later.




    The station is powered through a regular charger, which comes with your phone, a USB Type C connector on the case. The docking station has its own cooling, a built-in fan, it is impossible to call it noisy, even at the most active mode I can't hear him using the phone at all. The presence of cooling is important, since in some modes the phone can heat up, but here overheating is excluded.



    The case has two full USB connectors (USB 2.0), you can connect any peripherals to them, for example, a keyboard, mouse or flash drive, as well as hard drive. As a rule, there is enough food for anyone portable device, which usually works with a laptop or similar equipment. The HDMI connector is needed to connect the docking station to a monitor or TV, and there is no need for any special settings; the phone automatically detects the type of monitor. Unfortunately, there is one problem here - old monitors with 4:3 geometry will work, but the picture is optimized for widescreen displays and TV, as a result, it does not look very good on older devices.

    When you connect for the first time, a picture is displayed on the screen that shows the angles of the image; you can adjust them yourself. On all my TVs and monitors, the picture was initially displayed correctly.





    When you place the phone in the docking station, it automatically starts charging, but the picture on the screen turns off and DeX mode starts working. You can also select the operating mode mirroring pictures from the smartphone screen, then the DeX mode, accordingly, will not be available. This is an old, well-known mode, so I won’t dwell on it in detail, especially since everything Samsung smart TVs support such connection of smartphones via Wi-Fi.

    Unfortunately, the connectors on the docking station are arranged in a semicircle, which is convenient for connecting peripherals, but the wires take up a lot of space on the desk.






    In practice you can connect wireless keyboard to the docking station (you need to install a USB dongle from the keyboard into one of the connectors) or connect the keyboard directly to the phone via Bluetooth. I like the second option much better, since no wires are required and everything works exactly the same.


    In terms of accessories that are supported, I will say that these are almost all mice, keyboards, hard drives and the like. You can connect the printer directly to the station, but why? Easier to set up printing via Android drivers, majority modern models support this option, I have everything configured exactly like this.

    There is also an Ethernet connector on the case, that is, you can connect the docking station to the network directly, this will be valuable for corporate clients, this option is important for them, but less interesting for home use.


    Let's start working with the DeX station - familiar programs on the monitor

    The interface design on the monitor or TV in front of you is very reminiscent of Windows, you have a status bar at the bottom, which contains application shortcuts, on the right side there are status icons, for example, battery charge, icon for screenshots, network signal, and more. On the desktop you can create your own icons, which is extremely convenient.



    It is necessary to understand that the interface has been redesigned for a computer, but we still have the same well-known Android. For example, you can have an unlimited number of open windows, but only those located on the screen remain active, the rest are recalled from memory, they “freeze” in the state in which they were. So don't be surprised by these multitasking capabilities.




    On the screen, you can open multiple applications at the same time and work on them at the same time. It is important that you can file manager drag the file into the mail with the mouse or vice versa, many standard applications support this possibility.

    This makes the DeX mode very similar to a regular computer; there is no addiction as such, you will instantly know what to do and how.

    In the menu you can see applications that work in DeX mode, that’s almost all Android programs, but there are exceptions. So, you can launch toys, but most likely you won’t be able to play, for example, Clash of Clans didn’t work for me with a mouse, but Infinitode works great. But playing games with a mouse is somehow completely inconvenient, although there was a time when we had no other options and this seemed to be the only option.




    All your files are stored in the phone’s memory; for insurance, you can also enable their storage in the cloud. Considering that we have an Android smartphone in front of us, and even a flagship, it can do almost everything that we are trained to do. regular computers. Want to watch the video? No question - you can run any file and enjoy it on the big screen. I had the same experience - I played the Expanse series for my children on a TV with a DeX station connected, and I listened to it on wireless headphones podcast from the same phone (outputting two audio streams at the same time is a great thing about S8/S8+). Moreover, during a call, the phone understands that it needs to be sent to the headset, and not to the TV, and this is very captivating.







    Oddly enough, what attracts me to DeX is the opportunity quick search by SMS, instant messenger messages, mail and other sections that I consider originally telephone, the same list of calls. Everything is in front of you in a convenient form, any information can be copied, by the way, all keyboard combinations work perfectly in this mode (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V and others).














    You can use MS Office to work if you are committed to this program, but you need a subscription to Ms Office 365. The entire package is adapted for this mode of operation, these are full-fledged programs, they are better than regular version for Android. I couldn’t find any difference from a Windows laptop, everything is exactly the same. The same files are opened, saved in the cloud from MS, in a word, work - I don’t want to. And this is not only reading, but also editing, for example, presentations.






    For those who do not want to buy a subscription to MS Office, you can print texts in native app from Samsung, it has text formatting, minimal features text editor. It is convenient for small texts, but it is unlikely to be suitable for the same work of creating a book. It is quite suitable for writing this text, there is no problem here.

    I put off getting acquainted with the DeX station for a long time, since at the presentation everything worked leisurely, if not slowly. I don’t know what was the reason for this, but real life everything is very, very fast. Moreover, you will not notice any slowdowns even when working with heavy, large documents. And this is surprising if you remember that document processing is done by the phone, not the computer.

    And another amazing discovery for me was that the first two hours with DeX were spent trying to work in different applications in the hope that they will not work at all. But this did not happen.

    You can set your own wallpaper for the desktop (specifically for DeX mode). There aren't many phone settings, it's the mouse speed, that's all.





    Use scenarios – who needs a DeX station

    The fact that a modern flagship can run most programs and adapts them to a large screen is not surprising. It is important to think about what previously unavailable scenarios such a combination can implement. For me, this is the scenario of a workplace in a second apartment, where I don’t want to drag my computer with me. I came, connected my phone, and everything is ready - you start working with your files, especially since most of my work files are in the cloud. I am sure that for some this scenario will look attractive, and here the DeX station is fighting with Chromebooks, which can be bought for $100-300 in the USA. Why with Chromebooks? Yes, because they are quite weak, have little memory, but they work with the cloud and have a large screen. They have comfortable keyboard and there is no need to buy external monitor. But for DeX you need such a monitor; another thing is that your TV can become it.

    For corporate users, a DeX station is simply a godsend, especially in companies where they buy Samsung flagships for their employees. You can create workplace anywhere, and given what is supported virtual desk for Windows, you can also work with all your usual documents in another place (you can also run all your Windows programs that are on your regular PC from the desktop, you only need a network connection). In Europe, several large companies have already appreciated this accessory, as it saves them money and time that is spent on maintaining conventional networks. But here we must understand that these are still pioneers, and it is too early to talk about the mass implementation of such solutions.

    My experience using a DeX station suggests that it has a couple of disadvantages. For example, if at some point you forget that there is a phone in front of you, and you are guaranteed to forget, then you begin to remember open player with a movie, large documents and 30-40 bookmarks in Chrome. There is no slowdown in the operation of the interface, but the battery does not have time to charge, the charge freezes at the same point. Therefore, if you want the phone to charge, minimize all applications from the desktop, then their system “freezes”, they do not waste energy.



    Unfortunately, it’s inconvenient to take such a station with you on trips, because in addition to DeX, you will need an HDMI cable, keyboard, mouse, and this all takes up a lot of space; it’s easier to take a laptop with you.


    For example, with the S8+ I use a wireless keyboard from Samsung when traveling, but it’s a compromise for me because it’s inconvenient due to its size. And with DeX I want something big, correct size. This leads to the conclusion: DeX is inconvenient when traveling; it is, after all, a stationary solution.

    Issue price and conclusions

    A dozen similar docking stations have passed through my hands, but it was always a compromise, it is also present here, after all, this is not a full-fledged computer, and the same 1C can only be run on a virtual desktop, and not in regular program(although the client for Android is quite working). Unlike other devices, this has an undoubted advantage: the interface is fast, responsive, and the adaptation of a number of programs, including MS Office, makes DeX unique in many ways, there are no analogues (not counting Microsoft’s own docking station and the de facto dead Windows platform Phone).

    The price of DeX in Russia is 9,990 rubles (in the US $150 plus taxes, in Europe it can be found for 125 euros). Expensive? Perhaps. But for those who need exactly this functionality and have already come up with a use case for the docking station, there are simply no analogues. What sincerely surprised me is that many people buy DeX simply as a docking station for charging a smartphone, they say it’s beautiful and they’ve been waiting for one for a long time. Why not buy wireless charging and not save? The appearance is similar, the charging issue has been resolved.

    The fact that such devices are the future, I am sure, the only question is when this future will become widespread. Sales of DeX prove that it is just around the corner. They are producing much more of this accessory than planned, the plant is at 100% capacity, and this is amazing. Can someone explain why Europeans liked this accessory so much?

    The Samsung DeX docking station allows you to turn your Galaxy S8 or S8+ into almost a full-fledged PC. All that remains is to add a keyboard and mouse with Bluetooth or USB interfaces. This device is definitely worthy of a separate review.

    Externally, DeX looks like a small black cylinder. It weighs only 230 g and easily fits, for example, in a backpack and can be taken on a trip. There is a built-in fan to cool the Galaxy S8.

    Separately, Samsung DeX will cost about $150, but the manufacturer and its partners have not yet announced the official cost of the device. Sales of the accessory in Russia are expected from April 21; pre-orders cannot yet be made.

    Myself Samsung Galaxy S8 connects via USB Type-C, can be charged during operation (the docking station is powered by the standard charger included with the smartphone). Adaptive supported fast charging Adaptive Fast Charging (AFC).

    Samsung DeX interfaces

    • USB Type-C In - for connecting a smartphone
    • USB Type-C Out - for connecting power
    • 2 x USB 2.0 - for mouse, keyboard and other supported devices, such as flash drives
    • HDMI Out - for connecting a monitor and TV
    • Ethernet 1 Gbit - for connecting to a wired network

    System interface

    The Samsung Galaxy S8 firmware includes a deeply customized shell, which is activated only when connected to DeX and simulates a desktop quite well - there is a windowed interface.

    Some “essential” applications are also adapted to run in PC mode:

    • Microsoft Word
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Microsoft PowerPoint
    • OneNote
    • Microsoft OneDrive
    • Skype
    • Adobe Acrobat Reader
    • Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
    • Adobe Photoshop Express
    • Adobe Photoshop Mix
    • Behance
    • Hancom Office
    • Amazon WorkSpaces
    • Citrix Receiver
    • VMware Horizon Client
    • YouTube
    • Gmail
    • Google Drive
    • Chrome Browser - Google
    • Google
    • Google Play Movies & TV
    • Google Play Music
    • Google Photos
    • Play Store
    • AutoCAD Mobile
    • Naver
    • KakaoTalk
    • Lineage 2 Revolution
    • The Tribez

    Some of them are paid. Holders special version A customized version of Outlook is also available for the Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition. Other applications launch from Samsung DeX as standard programs for Android.

    In general, the Galaxy S8 is not the first smartphone from the Korean company that has the ability to “turn” into a PC using a docking station. This was present in the Galaxy Note 2 and later laptops, but the shell differed little from the standard TouchWiz.

    The path of evolution is interesting Android interface if launched in PC mode. If Microsoft makes a desktop Windows version increasingly mobile-like, Samsung went in the opposite direction and introduced support for windowed mode as the main one when working with DeX.

    The system interface in PC mode on the Galaxy S8 resembles a “lung” graphical shells for Linux like XFCE: icons on the desktop, a compact notification bar at the bottom right and a Start menu on the left.

    1. Full multitasking with the ability to open a potentially unlimited number of windows (it all depends on system performance).
    2. "Hot keys" for greater ease of control.
    3. Drag & Drop most elements.
    4. Context menu when clicking the right mouse button.

    Official video presentation of Samsung DeX

    What is DeX from Samsung, I think everyone has already heard? The idea to create a full-fledged workstation Using the resources of a smartphone is not new; moreover, many large manufacturers have their own views on what that “post-PC” era should be like.

    DeX is similar to Microsoft's Display Dock, which was released with Windows 10 Mobile. The new docking station is designed for Samsung flagships Galaxy S8 and S8+. For the magical transformation, you will need DeX itself, which is sold separately, an external monitor, a mouse and a keyboard.

    This is where the questions begin. Let's imagine a situation in which a user might need DeX.

    Situation No. 1: you buy a Samsung Galaxy S8 and a Dex console, and then you realize that it needs some kind of monitor and preferably a good set with wireless mouse and keyboard. Doesn't it seem strange? Many will answer that everyone already has a mouse, keyboard and monitor at home. This leads to situation No. 2: if you have a mouse, keyboard and monitor, then naturally all this is connected to some kind of computer. What can make you turn off all your personal belongings? powerful computer and connect to the DeX set-top box, the capabilities of which cannot be compared with a full-fledged computer?

    I don't have an answer to this question. Of course, we can assume that a person purely by chance has a monitor and all the accessories lying around, but does not have a computer, but such a scenario is difficult to believe.

    Design

    Samsung DeX is a round black accessory that resembles a puck. To connect your smartphone, you just need to place it inside. The opening back acts as a cooler, and inside the station itself there is a USB Type-C connector for power and data transfer. It will be difficult to insert the smartphone by touch; you will have to hold the dock itself and aim.

    DeX is equipped with the following connectors:

    • 2 x USB 2.0
    • 1 x HDMI
    • 1 x Ethernet
    • 1 x USB Type-C

    From the point of view of connectors, this is a full-fledged computer. You can connect a monitor, keyboard, mouse, wired internet and enjoy life.

    Everything works on a plug-n-play basis; no drivers or installations are needed.

    What did I connect?

    In my case they connected easily apple keyboard, Logitech mouse MX Master, Samsung monitor. I tried connecting an LG Ultra Wide monitor, but Dex can't work with it yet widescreen monitors, does not stretch the interface correctly.


    Operating principle

    After connecting the Galaxy S, a desktop similar to Windows will open on the monitor, but it is simply an adapted version of the operating system from Samsung. And it’s from Samsung, since it doesn’t look like the usual Android. Despite access to everyone Google services, most programs are not adapted to work with Dex. Those applications that are launched operate at your own peril and risk. For example, Instagram opens and displays the feed normally, and the Facebook client starts, but there is a problem with the layout and it is impossible to use it. We'll have to wait for updates and adaptation. And if with basic programs If everything is solved and adapted, then the rest of the applications most likely will not.


    A menu similar to “Start” in Windows is available here, while the number open windows and their size is absolutely unlimited. All notifications and smartphone status will be available in the lower right corner. And applications will work smoothly with a keyboard and mouse.


    What happens if they call the phone?

    All incoming notifications are available in the tray and you can immediately respond without having to remove your smartphone from the docking station. By the way, the sound escaping from Samsung speaker Galaxy S8, in combination with Dex, turns out to be very loud, the design of the stand itself imitates the effect of a sink, and the result is almost a universal portable speaker.


    Even though the Samsung Galaxy S8 works with the screen off in a special sleep mode, you can use the smartphone's selfie camera while DeX is running. You've definitely never had such a sophisticated webcam before.

    What about the speed of work?

    I tested a non-commercial sample of the smartphone and DeX itself. During operation, this connection was clearly not working at full strength. It was as if there was a factory limitation. The phone didn't even warm up after 6 hours of use. This may be a precaution against battery overheating.

    There is enough power to solve everyday tasks, such as working with mail, watching videos on YouTube or chatting in instant messengers. If you run more heavy applications, for example graphic editor Adobe Photoshop Mobile and at the same moment open Chrome and several browser tabs, the system interface will begin to “sag” a little. Again, it looks like they simply set a performance limit in the test samples, preventing the hardware from spinning to its maximum and overheating.


    Working with the mouse does not look the same as in full-fledged operating systems Oh. Pointing accuracy is not the same as in Windows, so that your cool gaming mouse turns into a regular “comfortable” mouse.

    What about the games?

    IN mobile games until you play, they don't start in full screen mode. And it’s not very fun to play games designed for touch using a mouse and keyboard. Unless you can play racing games using the keyboard arrows, this scenario works.


    How is it in general?

    The experience of working with DeX was useful; I got the feeling that the logic of a mobile operating system on a large screen was already clearer to me than the logic of standard desktop systems.

    For example, when I need to find a photo, I don't think twice about opening the Gallery app. If you need music - Google Play Music. That is, working with directories and explorers has faded into the background, and this, in my opinion, is the future of operating systems. You have at your fingertips a set of popular applications that solve certain problems.


    Can DeX completely replace a computer? Of course not. And it shouldn't. Samsung feels the path while simultaneously marking the territory. If there is a prospect on the horizon in this direction, Samsung will already have developments.

    Now DeX is an interesting accessory for people who are headlong into the Samsung ecosystem. There are many such people among businessmen. Home dear Samsung TV, at my wife's washing machine Samsung Add Wash, a Gear S3 in your hands, the latest Galaxy in your pocket, a sizzling red-haired secretary at work who sorts everything out routine tasks for you. And Dex stands, just in case, in your office on a huge oak table. Why is it worth it? Well, sometimes you go into your office, put the Galaxy S8 in the Dex console, see incoming letters on the big screen and, like a “white” person, ask the red-haired secretary to sort out this routine, and you open the gallery of your smartphone and look at the photos on the big screen, which you did last week somewhere in the Virgin Islands.

    Read more: