Samsung DeX

Samsung DeX. © Samsung.

Samsung, like Motorola (Atrix) and Microsoft (Continuum) before it, is trying to turn a phone into a PC. Samsung’s Galaxy S8 will pair with a new Samsung Desktop Experience (DeX) dock accessory to morph into a desktop PC-like environment. The specialized dock supports a monitor connection via HDMI, keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth, and two USB 2.0 ports to help expand the Galaxy S8’s capabilities. The whole interface looks a little like Chrome OS, but you’re limited to how well Android apps are supported on bigger screens, and most apps in the Google Play Store simply aren’t optimized for this type of usage. Samsung’s own browser, Microsoft’s Office apps, and Adobe’s mobile creative suite all work fine, but the vast majority will look like stretched phone apps on the big screen.

⇨ The Verge, “Samsung's Galaxy S8 can turn into a PC with its DeX dock.”