The ULTIMATE Samsung DeX Setup - Laptop Replacement!

Here is my ultimate Samsung DeX Setup. I've fully replaced my laptop with the S21 Ultra and The Galaxy Tab S7+. You can get a full PC experience and still have all of the portability of a tablet. Would you make the switch?

#SamsungDeX #Tech

FTC Disclaimer: Big thanks to Samsung for sponsoring this episode.

Periscope: @karlconrad

[KarlConrad]

The Samsung DeX experience has gotten so much better in the past couple years. It gives you a full PC like experience, and can match almost every workflow. Has anyone else made the full switch over from a laptop?

I think it is a bit hard to still manage video editing through a mobile experience but it's definitely possible with the right App!

[luvlife]

Dex is the most underrated feature from Samsung

[QLTEQ]

DeX got me through an extended trip no laptop, in hotels with just hotel TVs a few years ago. Now I use it every day with my Note on a screen to the side of my laptop to help with work, and all my phone stuff pops up on that screen too so I don't miss texts&calls. Please sammy drive this home, don't ever stop DeX!!

[The_Calm_Chaos]

One of the real beauties of that keyboard accessory is that you can easily remove the keyboard when you don't need it and still keep the back cover with the stand and pencil cover. I love the versatility of it.

[SudaXzzz]

This is probably the best video I've seen in a while. I think you should do more videos like this where you show how a real integrated tech setup works. Looking at stand alone videos of products and specs doesn't hit the same.

[HenningGu]

We need more exposure about Dex. People knowing and using it absolutely love it but we are a minority.

[WoodyCollins]

I left my laptop at home on this three month trip to the Congo. I use my Note 20 Ultra 5g most of the time. Before leaving, I found one needed app didn't functional on the Note but it worked well on DeX. My setup is a Lepow external monitor, wireless trifold keyboard, wireless mouse, multi port Type C dongle, and HDMI to mini HDMI cable. And it costs less than $200!

[dilanthalakshan]

Waited for this one, need more about DeX.👍

[firpofutbol]

I used Dex to get through a week without a laptop for school. It holds a lot of promise. Not all apps are optimized to work with a mouse like a laptop. In Office products for example, you cannot drag and highlight/select a group of words together, a simple function on a laptop that becomes cumbersome when doing HW with Dex. I did enjoy the overall experience and how you can dock often used apps, ability to split screen between two apps, ability to multitask. One additional important improvement would be to make Chrome browser behave like it does on a chromebook, allowing extensions and full functionality.

[ThreeTwentyTech]

Karl has become my go-to YouTuber for all my tech related reviews. I love his honesty, genuity and simple to understand videos. Keep it up, brother! 💪🏻

[cemreintheskywithdiamonds]

this is EXACTLY what i needed tbh. ive been looking for a tablet/laptop for a while now and i couldn't decide which one to get. but this feture is actually could be the thing what i needed so a genuine thank you.

[nocturnalNinox]

I played with Dex a while ago on a computer and it was ok. But I recently found it again and loving it. They have made many improvements, before it just seemed gimmicky, now it is awesome. I use it with a portable monitor to be able to do some of my school work while on my lunch break at work. Saves me from bring my laptop and quicker setup so more time to knock out my assignments. Still not as powerful as a laptop or desktop as well some of my school stuff doesn't work, but the stuff through a browser works great. I suggest tring out Dex for anyone who has a Samsung. I hope they continue to advance it.

[marks]

I've had my Tab S6 with a keyboard for over a year now (bought it 3 months before Tab S7 series came out). My experience so far:

Only good thing about DeX is that you can resize your apps and have up to 6 apps opened. Otherwise it is just redesigned normal mode marketed to make you buy it. You can run multiple apps just fine in normal mode as well. Most apps on anyone's device, especially Android, are going to be entertainment, so I don't see any use for desktop interface when you don't have to search for 10+ apps. Besides, muscle memory from phones just makes it more convenient to open anything the old way.

Oher things are not so pleasant:
1) the "case" which is the back cover + keyboard isn't so protective at all. It doesn't fix in its place, so if you carry it often in a bus, etc., you'll end up scratching your keyboard and/or screen. Luckily my screen protector is doing it's job, but the keyboard is already quite scratched just from 1 year use.
2) touchpad is just plain useless. I mean, if you have a 10x faster option to use touchscreen to open something why would you waste time to navigate a mouse? It is like using first button phones (touchpad) and modern iPhones (touchscreen). Maybe some people will find a use for it, but tm there is no use for it apart from visual looks.
3) the pins that connect the keyboard to the tablet get dirty often, and because of that the tablet can't recognise the keyboard properly.
4) the connectors themselves also have a tendency to bend if you connect/disconnect often. I already had 2 ocassions when the tablet wouldn't recognise my keyboard because the connectors made bad contact. I almost went to buy a new keyboard, but luckily just twitching the pins a bit fixed a problem for now. But who says that it won't come up again. And when the old keyboard dies just because of this design flaw, do I have to buy a new keyboard for 100$?
5) GPS is just poorly optimized. Normal use gets me around 7 hours of battery (20-80 charging), with navigation + WiFi on - 2 hours is tops you'll get. I know it is not a priority, but they still should work on that.
6) Tablet itself can't seem to open 2 presentations, 2 Excels or 2 Word files in a Microsoft app. When you open a second file it just saves the first and throws you into second one, so I ended up downloading a seperate app just so I could open 2 .doc files.... Come on Samsung...

DeX just doesn't compensate for a lack of real computing power. Yes, you can use it for light essay writing, media scrolling or e-mail responding, but when it comes to something more complicated like FINISHING essays, working with a huge Excel sheet or editing a video. If I need to lets say open 1 pdf file to copy pictures from, 1 Excel file with 10 000 lines of data and 1 word file with 5 pages of text in it, I'd still prefer a PC with a bit more power and a bigger screen. For now, at least for me, it remains just a little cool feature I can use to make my time using the tab a little bit more comfortable. It is in no way near what most Media tech youtubers call "Full PC experience". When, and only when tablets become close to or as powerful as at least laptops, have larger screen (haven't worked with a 12.4 s7+, but 10.5 s6 makes you tired after several hours of usage), have durable keyboard connectors and keyboards and when you get a chance to connect a flash or something into it without needing a seperate adapter or anything, I'd consider saying that DeX is actually a replacement for a laptop.

Just my thoughts, not a Samsung hater, just some points they could perhaps note when designing s8 if I am not the only one who got these issues.

[nigtou]

I have been using Dex for a full year now and I love it. I have not opened my laptop in about 5 months now. I can do all my work and everything on my phone and I hook my phone up to my 65 inch tv and its all right there.

[crystalchaos]

I have this same setup and I love it. I find even though a bunch of apps aren't optimized for tablets, resizing windows in DeX fixes a good chunk of these problems but can still create a few. Although I still have my Windows desktop; the only reason to still use it is to play PC games. Don't forget to turn on DeX's Developer Mode so stubborn apps open and to force window resizing in Labs!

[PeterHughes]

What a great video and reviewer, great to see someone smiling for a change! I was really lucky enough to purchase the Tab S7+, along with the Pro 360, last weekend. Samsung are really lifting their game up now. They are really powerful devices. I thought I might regret buying the combination of laptop and tablet but I don't. They are put to full use for different scenario's.

[WatchNGo_]

Hey! I work from home as Virtual Assistant, been looking for best tablet can replace PCand found this! Awesome!

[ForTheOmnissiah]

I recently bought a Galaxy S7 to use for University work. For that purpose, it has been perfect. I do absolutely everything on it. Take notes, do homework, even write code and connect to the school code server using SSH Android clients. Tablets aren't the gimmicky fun device they used to be, they are legitimate work devices now.

[Ka_ruh]

I just got the A9+!! My first ever Samsung Device!! After discovering Dex!! I’m in love!!

[Macgyver]

I gave away my laptop. I game, create are and short video clips all on my tab S7. I also have the keyboard for email and dex when I need a good multi window setup like watching RC upgrade videos and having the technical pdf on screen.