SamsungDex 2023 review: Pretty darn good, with limitations

Possible desktop or laptop replacement for some.
That Tab S8 Ultra stand
www.lululook.com/products/magnetic-stand-for-samsung-galaxy-tab-s?rfsn=6999625.5cb85f
That external display (US $150 on AliExpress)
tidd.ly/3yfI23m
TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Intro
00:18 - Bottom line
03:13 - Connection
06:24 - Dex setting
08:26 - Keyboard shortcut
10:21 - App behaviour
12:42 - Vertical apps
15:16 - Main downside
15:56 - Conclusion

[@tevii3514]

Bro, the mouse can go between the external display and the tablet. Go inside Dex settings and enable it

[@DigBickOfaGod]

Good to know!

[@deathr0w1]

settings -> samsung/dex -> mouse-trackpad -> flow pointer

[@TheGreatJafa]

Really glad you did a video on dex. It's been my laptop replacement for about 2 years now on my S7+ and I've had very few issues doing it. However, one correction I wanted to make was at 5:18 where you say the cursor can't go between dex and regular Android. It actually can! If you go into dex settings > mouse and keyboard > there's a setting called "flow pointer to tablet screen". That setting allows you to move the cursor seamlessly between dex and Android. While it still can't carry apps, having the cursor be able to flow back and forth has been really useful to me over the years.

[@AmanAmio]

And the youtube video pausing can be resumed by hitting the play button from the notifications.

[@black.bird.]

I scrolled down to write this.. :)

[@deebzeal8204]

@@AmanAmio For any browsers?

[@abrahamanand5739]

Thanks for this great review! So detailed and thorough!!

[@PhilipHounsham]

Informative stuff 😆 Thank you 👍

[@zimin175]

Thanks for this bro! Genuinely the most useful and insightful video I've seen on Dex hahaha

[@cammiluna]

In 2016, Lenovo released a device called the Yoga Book, that was an android device with a panel that functioned as both a virtual external keyboard and an EMR slate tablet. At the time it was released, they made a custom Android skin that ran like a Windows desktop with play store apps launching as little windows. Back then, graphic apps were even more limited, but it was great for using Google Docs/office software, social media management, email and chat communications, etc with the keyboard shortcuts and everything. What I liked the most about it was that i could close the tablet like a laptop when i need to go somewhere and it wakes super quick to resume work, gets notifications while asleep, and plays music while asleep unlike any of my windows laptops (at the time), so the battery stretched out much longer. Future Yoga Books were Windows only and Lenovo broke their custom OS by letting a stock version of the next Android version install on the devices and getting customer support to revert back to the old custom OS would break the warranty. Lenovo was weird. I tried Samsung Dex now that I have a Galaxy S7, but it doesn't feel the same

[@nickthaskater]

DeX is much, much better than the Android Yoga Book. I had one as well. I loved it at the time, but it was incredibly janky and required a lot of manual workarounds to make it function well.

[@SilvioBritto]

Desktop Modes (Dex until 2023, and Motorola's Ready For nowadays) are my computer for work and personal use since 2019. I don't even have a laptop for about 2 years now.

[@teohontech7141]

What are some things you discovered you cannot do with the phones’s desktop mode?

[@SilvioBritto]

@@teohontech7141 the limitations is the Android ones, like some particular apps. I miss one or two from Windows (an epub editor and a cbr editor). But they could perfectly exist on Android (both exist in Linux versions). For my use (and of many others I'm sure) the capacities of desktop modes are perfectly suited. 98% of my usage involves browser web apps, Google Workspace / Microsoft Office, KZbin and Netflix. And the convergence is superb, unparalleled. Your phone is doing all (and storing all the apps, files and work. You put all in your pocket, all saved in cloud, and go. All right there to be used anywhere). PS: I'm not a gamer, but they run greatly on DeX / Ready For. Also you could access (with any cheap hub) HDs / SSDs, or use memory cards.

[@stevieboi61]

thankyou bro!👍

[@barga.exploring]

Excellent

[@dyong888]

Nice video on the features of DEX. I looked at a numbr of your videos and those of others before finally getting the tab s8 ultra. I however use the tablet differently to you. I use it together with an ultra light Intel i7 windows laptop. The laptop only weighs 1.13kg. For the weight of an external monitor I figured it would be better to have the set up that I have. I get the best of both worlds when I run more beefy apps in windows and use the tablet as a Second Screen. When I need android only apps, I run the tablet on its own or with the laptop on the same table. I am able to switch between both using a bluetooth keyboard. As for sharing files and documents, I use Samsung FLOW. Its an excellent app which allows me to drag and drop files between my windows laptop and samsung tablet. I get the compute power that I need in my i7 ultra light laptop and the note taking ability of a samsung tablet.

[@1MinuteFlipDoc]

i use the LG Gram windows laptop for the same reason. LOL

[@diypapie8428]

Now thats a great vid if people don't buy a tab s8 or 9 after this vid .. really good tips and explanation..

[@uli_zizalove]

Have you tried to open Dex from your phone to the tablet? I mean, so that you can both work from the app on the phone and the tablet without going back and forth to see the phone (tablet display is bigger, obviously)

[@teohontech7141]

If I use Dex with the phone, I will use the phone as a touchpad for the cursor. You can work solely from the external display. Or you can also choose to show the phone homescreen, and you can copy and paste stuff across the two workspace. You can't open the same app twice though.

[@mikeh6286]

Which OneUI version is the pad running? I wonder which are the major updated versions of Dex? I'm using an S20 and can choose many different versions. If I choose the newest maybe the battery life isn't the best so I wonder if there's a major version I can stay at.

[@teohontech7141]

I’m running version 5.1. Battery life seems alright, nothing out of the ordinary

[@black.bird.]

Informative even for experienced users! I'm looking for a way to get bigger screen size when I connect the phone to a projector. What ever I do, it sticks to limited small dimensions :( any help?

[@teohontech7141]

It could the limitation of your phone. Check the phone settings to see which resolutions are available for the external display

[@utunuru]

Hello bro Is it true that if you connect the external monitor and run dex mode, the injection rate of Galaxy Tab is also fixed from 120hz to 60hz? I'm not familiar with English, so I'm sorry to ask you a question with a translator.

[@teohontech7141]

External will run at 60Hz. And right now max resolution is 2560 x 1600 on external displays

[@utunuru]

​@@teohontech7141Thank you for your answer. Then does the Galaxy Tab also work at 60hz?

[@teohontech7141]

The tablet display will be 120Hz

[@elbert5208]

Hi Teoh OnePlus Pad is here and I wonder how their note-taking and art ability will be. So fr no one have not jumped on ship so use this video idea to your advantage

[@FrankMyers3]

Is there a way to arraneg the displays? The external monitor for me is always to the left. I'd like to arrange the external monitor to be on top of the tablet. Any ideas?

[@teohontech7141]

Because these Dex and normal tablet mode are two different workspace, it does not matter where the external display is physically. If you refer to moving the mouse from one display to the other, you can adjust that from Settings > Dex > Mouse

[@ps3301]

U can install an app to turn on 4k on external monitor

[@akagetobimaru1994]

How to do that

[@einjii]

Can you resend the link to the external monitor? I can’t seem to open it

[@jayquilla1227]

Did you manage to make Portrait mode work by rotating the screen?

[@teohontech7141]

Dex does not work in portrait mode

[@kenjiken153]

Where can i get that mini toy thing on your desk that shows time ?

[@teohontech7141]

That display is from the Epomaker RT100 keyboard. It does not always show the correct time and date

[@hearts2368]

Is it possible to run apps on Dex in the external display and other apps in the tablet? Say running KZbin and Chrome app on tablet and running Word app on Dex on external display?

[@teohontech7141]

Yes. Dex and the usual Android home screen are actually two separate spaces.

[@hearts2368]

@@teohontech7141 Thank you for the information. What if I want to copy and paste content from one app to another? Say text from a website on Chrome to Word. In this case, Chrome and Word app should be run in the same space?

[@teohontech7141]

You can paste across different apps, across the two desktops. What you can't do is run the same app on both desktops/space.

[@hearts2368]

@@teohontech7141 Great! Is there an option to also choose audio output, either through external display or the tablet itself?

[@teohontech7141]

@@hearts2368 Yes, you can choose where to output the audio

[@con2mms2000]

Can I turn off the tablet's screen while using the monitor? I think that would be a waste of battery for no reason.

[@EvaKato14]

What's the stand for the external display?

[@teohontech7141]

Lululook stand www.parkablogs.com/content/review-lululook-magnetic-stand-samsung-tab-s7-s7-s7fe-s8-s8

[@DSHoss]

Is there a way to run browser extensions in Dex? I want to be able to run my password generator but can't figure out a way to run extensions.

[@teohontech7141]

Only certain browsers support extensions. Or just use browsers that have password managers built in.

[@dkursada]

1:20 Windows Subsystem for Android sends its regards...

[@deebzeal8204]

I wish ALL Android tablets would have their own Desktop Mode... Doesn't matter what brand they are. So far only the well-known brands such as Samsung, Motorola and Huawei have their own Desktop Mode and a lesser-known Chinese brand called Blackview.

[@JamesSmith-ix5jd]

Most Chinese phones do not support video out over type c.. even very recent phones.

[@deebzeal8204]

@@JamesSmith-ix5jd Doesn't need to have video out. As long as they can support Desktop Mode on the tablet itself should be good enough.

[@plove552]

You can drope and drag

[@rahadyanmuhammad271]

Hi Can you paste the screen capture in Samsung Dex? I cannot do that in my own

[@geelemo]

It should be in your clipboard

[@Patrick1985McMahon]

If it has VS Code then I will have no more need for a full computer anymore. I really want to get to the point where I can just use Dex as my main driver for everything.

[@1MinuteFlipDoc]

you can have a full linux environment in Dex (and use VS Code), but it's complicated.

[@Patrick1985McMahon]

@@1MinuteFlipDoc they need to open Linux in dex

[@iZacq]

1) Can we open 2 Excel Sheet side by side ? 2) How sync contacts to 2 different gmails, if we want to use 2 WhatsApp on Samsung phone

[@teohontech7141]

1. You have to open Excel app and Excel website. 2. You can add multiple Gmail accounts to the Gmail app 3. You can only use one Whatsapp since there's only one SIM slot

[@iZacq]

@@teohontech7141 Thanks

[@RTLtheMan]

What is that keyboard?

[@teohontech7141]

Epomaker RT100 www.parkablogs.com/content/designer-review-epomaker-rt100-wireless-mechanical-keyboard

[@NilsWrase]

Please make a comparison to the desktop mode on honor smartphones.

[@nickthaskater]

It's crap compared to Ready For and DeX. That's about it.

[@splattrick2432]

I own a Dex phone (S22U). I wish I could say I like Dex but it doesn't support output to 4k (it caps at FHD for me and GoodLock is blocked in my country). Furthermore you cannot open multiple windows of the same app (say two windows of Chrome) side by side, and formatting for Office is just weird. Also the extra UI takes up even more space leaving less room for productivity. I guess depending on what apps you rely on for work or tasks, you'll either love it or hate it.

[@teohontech7141]

So far the max resolution is 1440P. There are some who use some sort of hack to get 4K

[@MHPPJdeida]

You can always install good luck even if banned in your country. I did it. Search on KZbin how to do it ...

[@tevii3514]

You can open multiple windows of chrome, even side by side. Click the three dots in chrome then select new window

[@vincwong8498]

​@tevii3514 Would be perfect if it can open multiple words, excel for ppt files in the same time.

[@flyingman358]

DEX doesn't support monitor in portrait mode, mouse right key is not useful...

[@black.bird.]

I believe Windows, MacOS are going to be only for professionals & business in the near future

[@StarNumbers]

So where is the phone??

[@teohontech7141]

There's no phone connected here. SamsungDex is running off the tablet itself.

[@fawnkhawn]

Oneplus pad stylus review?

[@teohontech7141]

Will have to see if that tablet is going to be sold officially in Singapore

[@fawnkhawn]

@@teohontech7141 im sorry if this seems rasict but I thought you were Chinese all this time 😭

[@teohontech7141]

I am Chinese, but I live in Singapore and not China. It's like not all Spanish speakers live in Spain.

[@fawnkhawn]

@@teohontech7141 😂😂😂 nice one. Anyways love your reviews. Keep up the good work 🙏

[@elbert5208]

@Teoh on Tech oh it will soon. If not mid May then early June

[@VaibhavShewale]

well for me samsungdex worked slow maybe cause of my system!

[@jippalippa]

The limitations are only for the present, as it's clear tablet software will eventually become as feature rich as the desktop counterpart. I think davinci resolve on iPad was a trailblazer and I'm sure apple will eventually release Logic and Final Cut on iOS.

[@zuneid375]

For me 90% of the time - DEX 10% of the time - WINDOWS

[@jonathanpaulmusik]

Took me a while to understand "some song/sone" is how he says Samsung

[@Sudarshansridhar]

Actually dex is very is limited and boring. Ideally samsung could have used Ubuntu as os when it is launched in dex mode. Dex doesn't render chrome websites properly. Not that convenient if one wants to use as development environment. Instead of a separate rendering, they could have allowed to use Ubuntu that gives full operating system view.

[@teohontech7141]

Dex is for people with very simple computing needs anyway

[@wikawikaan]

Buy a computer.

[@ljacobs357]

You miss the point. Dex is fine for my needs, but I'm no longer a power user.