The tech world is going through some serious changes. Upgrades are now more frequent than they have ever been, leaving much of our old tech in the dust and forcing developers to work fast and hard to keep up with the changing times. We are going to take a look at Dex so grab your Pinnacle Hemp, or whatever premium CBD you prefer, and let’s take a look at this interesting alternative to traditional setups.
What is DeX?
In August, 2019 Samsung introduced DeX. It is a system in which a user can connect their Samsung smart phone to a screen and use it as a full on computer. It sounds much like the ability to mirror what you are doing on your phone on an external monitor. Mirroring is nothing new and we have seen it for almost a decade now with apple devices.
When you mirror your phone to a screen, the apps and programs are typically not optimized for use in such a way and the results are less than desirable. Apps dont adjust and adapt to the screen and the user-feel leaves you feeling like you’ve been using your phone in an overly complicated way. DeX is a system in which most apps are optimized to fit the screen and act much like they would if you accessed them through your laptop or desktop.
Why It’s Great
There are a bunch of great things about using a DeX setup but a few of them really stand out. Easy customization is one of the huge benefits. When you build your setup around a DeX system you can easily use your phone as a quick replacement for your computer. If you have already dumped a bunch of money into high-quality speakers, and a 4k monitor, then you probably don’t need to buy a second computer. This is one of the places in which DeX really shines. It is a way to quickly and easily access all of the info, pictures, and apps that you have acquired while you were out and about.
Nobody wants to carry their entire desktop around with them, and DeX is the perfect response to this problem. Many Samsung phones have the ability to accept micro SD cards, so you can load that baby up with as much stuff as you want throughout the day, come home, and have instant access to it with all the bells and whistles you are accustomed to with your super sweet desktop setup.
Why It’s Not So Great
DeX is a pretty recent development and there are still some things that make a bit less feasible as a full on laptop replacement. The biggest issue is the amount of cords that you have to carry around. First you have the power cable for your monitor, next you need a high-speed USB-C cable or a USB-C to HDMI cable to connect your phone to the monitor. If you want the ability to use thumb-drives, external SD cards, or a 1/8in audio jack, you’ll need to bring a USB-C dock along with you and connect that in between your phone and the monitor.
All of this ends up being a lot to carry around with you, and while it is nice to wirelessly connect your own portable speaker, it just adds another bit of weight to your already heavy setup. This isn’t the biggest deal as there are speakers on your phone, and often on portable monitors, and carrying around an extra speaker is optional. That being said, there is nothing quite like enjoying your online experience with some high-quality audio.
Possible Improvements
There are two major improvements that will make DeX a more viable option and there are still some tech limitations that are keeping it from reaching its full glory. First, if Samsung can get rid of the wires people will have a much easier time. One of the biggest issues with all of these wires is not their weight or the burden of carrying them around, it is setup time. There is something really nice about being able to whip your laptop out and get to work right away. Having to stop and plug everything in might make it less appealing to get on your computer and get to work.
The second way in which Samsung could improve the DeX experience is to get more apps on board with optimizing for DeX. Samsung has been able to rope in a bunch of different frequently used apps, but not all of them. When DeX becomes one of the standards the developers consider when building their apps, and wireless technology reaches the point where we don’t need 4 different cables to use Dex, then we might just see this become the standard for going back and forth between mobile tech and your at home desktop.