With a blunder, Samsung ruined the ideal smartphone for distant work.
Back in 2017, Samsung unveiled Dex, a feature that turned your Android smartphone into a full-fledged desktop computer with mouse and keyboard. For many users, it was a game-changer, offering a compelling alternative to established desktop operating systems like Windows, Ubuntu, and MacOS.
Dex can work without a physical connection if you have the right Samsung smartphone, paving the way for what I consider to be the holy grail of hybrid working: a smartphone that can be used in place of a laptop or desktop computer and doesn’t require any physical connections.
I assumed the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 would be that phone, but it turns out that Dex has been removed from this samsung galaxy fold, and the worst thing is that there is no logical justification for the decision. Users of Dex who have jumped on the foldable bandwagon are understandably enraged(opens in new tab), especially because the Fold3’s bigger brother, the Fold3, supports Dex with ease.
What is Dex again?
Dex is, without a doubt, Samsung’s most undervalued feature. It’s a virtual desktop that runs on your smartphone and doesn’t interfere with your ability to use it. You can still make and receive phone calls, send and receive texts, and perform other tasks. However, it does allow for a more desktop-like experience with full support for input peripherals, which radically changes the meaning of productivity on mobile devices.
It entails bringing together and simplifying end clients for businesses. That means you just have to protect (and secure), connect to, and maintain one device. A Samsung smartphone combined with an unlimited 5G business phone plan allows many accounts to cohabit on the device (through Samsung Secure Folder) and provides a seamless transition that rivals traditional PCs.
Why the Flip3 is best hybrid work smartphone?
The Flip 3 combines three characteristics to create the perfect hybrid work smartphone. It features 5G connectivity, wireless charging, and 180-degree rotation. While the flex mode may appear to be a novelty to some, it does offer something no other smartphone does: the ability to adjust the angle of view of the front facing/selfie camera. It accomplishes this without the use of a third-party equipment like a docking station.
This means a better video conference experience, especially considering the phone’s twin speakers and 10-megapixel front-facing camera, which is a big boost over most business laptops.
So there you have it: a phone with the potential to be more, the first true gadget to challenge the dominance of laptops and desktop computers in the workplace while remaining unobtrusive. But it won’t happen because the Flip3 lacks Dex for unknown reasons.
It has nothing to do with the phone’s technology, as it can handle Dex even wirelessly, and with the right hardware and fast Wi-Fi, even 4K is conceivable. It has nothing to do with the foldable form factor, because the Fold3 comes with Dex, as previously stated.
What’s next for Dex?
We can only hope that Samsung will release a Dex-compatible update for the Flip 3 and incorporate Dex into the Flip 4. The majority of Flip 3 smartphones run One UI 4.1, and One UI 5.0 is set to be released as a beta program later this year. Beyond that, the Korean tech behemoth has been tight-lipped about Dex, and its US landing page no longer mentions Windows 11(opens in new tab) and hasn’t been updated in a long time, presumably because it is now viewed as a pure B2B/enterprise solution.
However, a few Dex-friendly accessories have been released, such as the Samsung Smart Keyboard Trio 500 and the Samsung Smart Monitor M8, and we’d be surprised if Samsung abandoned such a promising technology.
Microsoft and Samsung have a long history that may extend beyond simply bundling Microsoft Office apps and OneDrive cloud storage with Samsung Galaxy handsets. We expect Microsoft to strengthen this partnership even further, leveraging Azure’s clout and positioning smartphones as the ultimate thin client for the future hybrid working era.
