Samsung has taken a punt that uses want to use their S8 phones as a laptop on the go.
At its Galaxy S8 launch in New York overnight, it announced a device called a Desktop Experience Station or DeX that lets users connect their S8 or S8+ to a series of outputs including a display and keyboard.
If you use the dock and plug in a display you’ll get an Android-based desktop-like experience, all driven by the electronics inside the phone. This reduces the need to carry multiple computing devices.
Samsung however isn’t the first to try it. Motorola six years ago offered a laptop dock for its Atrix smartphone, while Microsoft Lumia Windows phones can supply a Windows 10 PC environment when connected to a monitor and mouse. Neither seemed to be particularly successful with the concept.
And it’s not something you can pull out and use in the street on the spot. That’s because you still need a separate monitor, and a keyboard, and you won’t be carrying around a display in your pocket. But it’s a neat idea if you want to use your phone as a PC in a hotel room with a monitor.
At its launch event, Samsung demonstrated using the DeX to edit a presentation and to access the files system. Users can access apps, edit documents, browse the web, watch videos, and reply to messages directly from the smartphone on a larger display, with a keyboard and mouse.
“It’s completely redesigned Android UI (user interface) is optimised for use with a keyboard and mouse and includes multiple resizeable windows, contextual menus and a desktop version Web browser,” Samsung says.
It announced collaborations with Microsoft and Adobe to bring their software aboard.
“Key collaborations with Microsoft and Adobe enable Samsung DeX compatibility with Microsoft Office and Adobe mobile apps, including Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile and Lightroom Mobile, allowing desktop-like functionality and a user interface previously unavailable from a smartphone.”
Samsung says DeX also lets users remotely access virtual desktops through partner solutions including Citrix, VMware and Amazon Web Services.
That is a powerful feature, because staff at workplaces using these virtualised systems can login and access their desktop workspace environments using the phone and dock.
The dock has regular USB ports, USB Type-C for charging, HDMI out for linking to a 4K monitor, and a 100 megabit per second Ethernet connection.
“To start working, users simply insert their Samsung smartphone into the DeX Station, which connects the smartphone to an HDMI compatible monitor, and connect to any Bluetooth-enabled, USB or RF-type keyboard and mouse,” Samsung says.
The Korean company says it developed Samsung DeX with the highly mobile worker in mind.
“Our collaboration with key partners such as Adobe and Microsoft was essential in the development of Samsung DeX, as they share our vision for building excellence in mobile productivity.”
It says smartphones and their data are protected by the Samsung Knox security platform.
Reader comments on this site are moderated before publication to promote lively and civil debate. We encourage your comments but submitting one does not guarantee publication. We publish hundreds of comments daily, and if a comment is rejected it is likely because it does not meet with our comment guidelines, which you can read here. No correspondence will be entered into if a comment is declined.
