Samsung DeX wants to invade your laptop

One of the underappreciated parts of the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem has always been DeX, the platform for accessing apps and tolls on your Galaxy phone from the comfort of a keyboard/monitor/mouse setup. For its latest iteration in 2019 for the new Note 10 and Note 10+, the focus shifts to working with your PC, instead of trying to replace it. 

The idea has evolved since it was introduced in 2017 as a companion to the Samsung Galaxy S8, but was always based on the idea of connecting your Galaxy phone to a small docking station, which would in turn connect to a monitor and keyboard. From there, a custom OS overlay would take over, giving you desktop-style access to a handful of optimized Android apps reconfigured for largest screens and keyboard/mouse use. 

Starting with the Galaxy Note 10 and 10+, DeX has shed that last vestige of the phone dock idea. Now DeX is entirely software driven, and connects directly to your current laptop (or desktop) PC via a USB-C cable. 

When connected, DeX allows you to share your screen between Windows and Android, giving the Note 10 its own slice of onscreen real estate. That means you can use DeX-optimized apps with your keyboard and mouse, but much more importantly, files can be transferred across the OS divide with a simple drag-and-drop move. 

Samsung has also promised easier access to phone notifications and messages through Windows, but similar schemes have never worked especially well before (except for iMessage and MacOS), so we'll reserve judgment on that until we can test it. 

DeX may have scaled down its ambitions to completely replace your laptop, but you also don't have to buy a $100 docking access anymore. I'd call that a net win. 

Laptops with the best battery life: See the top laptops and two-in-one PCs with the longest battery life. 

Fastest gaming laptops, ranked: All the most powerful gaming laptops tested in the CNET Labs. 

More news and reviews for PC and Mac laptops, tablets and desktops.  

We tested 5G speeds in 13 cities. Here's what we found: Faster speed versus more coverage. That's the most important issue for 5G networks today. We drowned AirPods, Powerbeats Pro and Galaxy Buds: We sprayed them, dunked them and even put them through the wash to find out which one of these three wireless earphones can handle the most water.

Source: Cnet.com

Powered by NewsAPI.org

Keywords:

Samsung DeX • Laptop • Samsung Galaxy • Ecosystem • Mobile app • Mobile phone • Computer keyboard • Computer monitor • Computer mouse • Personal computer • Samsung Galaxy S8 • Mobile phone • Docking station • Computer monitor • Computer keyboard • Operating system • Desktop computer • Android (operating system) • DOS • Computer keyboard • Samsung Galaxy Note series • Dalvik (software) • Mobile phone • Docking station • Idea Cellular • Dalvik (software) • Software • Laptop • Desktop computer • Personal computer • USB-C • Cable television • Dalvik (software) • Computer monitor • Microsoft Windows • Android (operating system) • Disk partitioning • Dalvik (software) • Mobile app • Computer keyboard • Computer mouse • Computer file • Operating system • Drag and drop • Samsung • Mobile phone • Messages (software) • Microsoft Windows • IMessage • MacOS • Dalvik (software) • Laptop • Laptop • Laptop • Personal computer • Battery (electricity) • Video game • Laptop • Video game • Laptop • CNET • News (software) • Personal computer • Macintosh • Laptop • Tablet computer • Desktop computer • AirPods •