By
Rahul Naskar
Published 8 minutes ago
Rahul Naskar has years of experience writing news and features related to Android, phones, and apps. Outside the tech world, he follows global events and developments shaping the world of geopolitics.
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Smartphones are arguably the most numerous computing devices worldwide. For lightweight tasks, a decent mid-range smartphone is enough nowadays in most cases.
However, the likes of Samsung have long been obsessed over the idea of a phone providing "a full desktop experience," especially for mobile-first users.
The fact that Samsung DeX still exists is a testament to the company's continuous belief in the idea. It may be good news for those who love Samsung DeX as a PC replacement, but I couldn't care less about it.
I gave up on Samsung DeX a couple of weeks after I first used it on my Samsung Galaxy S21. Not much has changed since then, and those issues that didn't allow me to ditch my laptop still exist.
You get the PC vibe, but not the PC-like functionality, and at times, it felt worse than using a smartphone.
I would've replaced my laptop with the Samsung DeX immediately had it offered these five features.
A true drag-and-drop support
Samsung DeX performs decently when switching between apps, but so does a smartphone. What sets PCs apart is their ability to allow users to do more that's useful in real-world situations.
Drag-and-drop is one such feature, and the lack of it in Samsung DeX was the first major cause of disappointment. I couldn't send our vacation photos to my partner the way I do from my laptop.
You can select multiple files on DeX, but drag-and-drop makes things easier. It's been years since I first encountered this issue, and it's still there.
I can't drag anything from the file manager to another app while using Samsung DeX, nor can I drag files to the desktop. It might work with certain apps, but it's inconsistent, suggesting it's poorly implemented.
In addition to communication, light photo editing was another area where I really missed drag-and-drop capability.
That's muscle memory from years of using PCs. I don't need to develop anything new unless there is a substantial benefit in doing so. Samsung DeX provides none.
PC-like window snapping
Credit: Microsoft
Drag-and-drop support isn't the only pillar in multitasking. The other one is the freedom to snap multiple windows as on a Windows PC.
I can add only two windows side by side when I connect my Galaxy to a large screen via Samsung DeX. On the other hand, my Windows 11 laptop lets me open more than two windows.
Not only that, but Windows 11 also offers layouts with one window larger and one smaller. This means I don't need to drag the windows manually to adjust their sizes on my screen.
Moreover, I can even trigger this snapping feature using a keyboard shortcut (Win key + Z) or by hovering over the maximize button.
I don't get any of these benefits with Samsung DeX, which means I need to spend more time getting things done. It's fun for an experiment, but I don't have time to waste every day, certainly not when I'm working.
I may have switched if Samsung DeX had gotten at least half of the multitasking part right. Instead, it does the bare minimum, which isn't enough for my workflow.
The fact that sometimes it feels even less than that is even worse.
A true desktop-class file manager
Although inspired by Microsoft's Continuum, the idea of Samsung DeX is strong. Still, the overall experience feels like a chain that's only as strong as its weakest link. As things stand right now, that link is its file manager.
The file manager looks to be similar to the one in a full-fledged desktop OS, but it isn't anywhere close to its PC counterpart in terms of features and performance.
The list of missing features in DeX's file manager is long, but Samsung needed to get only three things right to stop me from complaining about it.
The file manager in DeX doesn't allow you to create multiple tabs as you can on a PC. You can open separate instances of the app, and they all appear as separate windows, which means switching between them isn't as easy as in a tabbed file manager.
Another reason I don't count it as a serious contender is its lack of advanced search features. I don't want to waste several minutes digging deep into the folders to find what you're looking for when I have a better alternative: File Explorer in Windows 11.
Full background app support
Samsung DeX can't replace my laptop, not even for something as simple as consuming content for entertainment. I can listen to songs, watch videos, but only if you don't minimize the apps.
The video will pause when you minimize the app and resume after a few seconds when you maximize it. The app preview in the Taskbar doesn't have playback control, either. However, it doesn't have much meaning when the app stops playing content upon minimizing.
During my time with DeX, I used to use the pop-up view to watch videos in a small, floating window while continuing to use other apps. That is the only easy workaround for this issue. Watching content on a true laptop is a far better experience than this.
Volume mixer
Samsung DeX doesn't have a built-in volume mixer, so you can't control the volume of individual apps from its system tray. I use this feature almost regularly on my Windows 11 laptop.
Windows didn't have this feature at launch. Microsoft added it years later to Windows 11, and I never looked back after using it. However, this wasn't new to PC, as many popular third-party desktop apps like EarTrumpet offered a Volume mixer before Microsoft added it to Windows.
Unlike Microsoft, Samsung doesn't need to look far for inspiration. The Sound Assistant module in Good Lock can bring a true Volume mixer to the system tray. That's extra work for something that should have been there in the first place.
Samsung Galaxy users who use DeX for the first time and love using the Volume mixer may turn away from it if they don't see it in the system tray, just as I did.
I didn't change my opinion even after finding the Good Lock module, because I don't want to install another piece of software for something as simple as this.
Samsung DeX works, but only in certain scenarios
Samsung DeX isn't a laptop replacement, not anywhere close to it. But that doesn't make it a flop show for everyone. It can be a solid backup device for certain tasks.
If my Lenovo Yoga breaks while writing an article, I can always plug my Galaxy S21 into my monitor and complete my work on a large screen.
Samsung DeX is great for similar lightweight tasks if you're willing to compromise on multitasking. But don't expect it to come to the rescue when you need to resume something that requires the power of a PC.
I've been using the Galaxy S21 for more than four years, but I turned to DeX only three times. Each time was to just complete my writing assignments.
You can use DeX for other everyday lightweight tasks such as writing emails, light web browsing, media consumption, and taking notes.
Samsung DeX is nothing but Android on a bigger screen plus a little more, which is enough for certain situations but just not good enough to replace my laptop.
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