
Beyond the alphabet
Beyond the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the tech world inside and outside the confines of Mountain View.
When it comes to tablets and foldables, it’s hard to argue against the idea that Samsung offers the best experience. Samsung’s “everything but the kitchen sink” approach is finally paying off in a big way now that we’re out of the dark days of TouchWiz. And while the company has been improving the software, the Samsung DX remains a key selling point for those who really want an “all-in-one” device, which is why I think it’s the default on tablets. It should be.
DeX flies under the radar, as it’s almost never mentioned whenever a new flagship device is unveiled. However, changes and improvements are regularly made in an effort to turn your device into a portable computer.
The latest change came with the release of One UI 6, which introduced the “New DeX” interface. Rather than being delivered with a completely different home screen and interface, the new DX essentially feels like a supercharged version of what you get out of the box on something like the Galaxy Tab S9.
You might even find it hard to see that you’re even using “NewDX”.
When activated, your home screen remains the same, including your app layout and any widgets you may have added. But, as soon as you open the app, you’ll immediately notice something different. Instead of the app taking up your entire screen, as it did before, it opens in an app window, like if you were using “Classic DeX”.
This is great for people who want to open multiple apps at the same time without having to deal with split screen problems. You still have access to these capabilities, but fundamentally, you’re given much more flexibility than the traditional Android tablet experience. The taskbar also remains constant, but even your notifications and quick settings toggles are accessible by just swiping down.
What I’m hoping is that Samsung will introduce this “NewDX” as the default interface on new tablets and maybe even foldables like the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6. By making it easy to open multiple apps in their own separate windows on the home screen, then, Samsung can shed the “new” and “classic” monikers, giving us access to both.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s actually going to happen. Instead, I’m of the mindset that Samsung is going to kill off the DX that we’ve all come to know and love over the years. “NewDX” will simply become “DX”, while the stock launcher experience will remain unchanged.
If you’re a fan of the “Classic DeX” interface, you might be a little concerned that it’s going away. Thankfully, it’s not, at least for now. Samsung makes it possible to change from “new” to “classic”, but you’ll have to dig a bit.
This new DeX experience doesn’t replicate the desktop experience either, especially if you connect your tablet to an external monitor. For one, the only display settings option is to “mirror tablet screen” or “use screen separately.” Even if you choose the latter, New DeX doesn’t scale the display properly, meaning you’re often left with black bars on either side.
Largely, it automatically enables the “multi-window for all apps” feature already available in the Labs section of the Settings app. There are some other minor differences, such as the taskbar being able to hold more than four recently used apps. But, it’s not really something I would describe as being part of a “DeX” experience.
You may be asking yourself, “Will Samsung really kill the “Classic DX”?” Well, the answer is very simple. Yes, because he likes to make money. Samsung already sells its own lineup of laptops, and if you buy a tablet that basically does the same thing as a laptop but has better battery life, it loses potential sales. Is. That’s especially true of the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra with its 14.6-inch AMOLED display, and when paired with a Book Cover keyboard, it’s as close as it gets to rivaling the Android-powered Surface.
Samsung’s Galaxy Book 4 360 is probably the closest comparison to make, as it’s a 2-in-1 laptop with a touchscreen display. The Intel Core 5 model starts at $1,099, paired with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. There’s also a Core 7 variant, priced at $1,349, but that boosts the RAM to 16GB and comes with either 512GB or 1TB of storage.
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, on the other hand, starts at $1,199 with 256GB of storage, maxing out at $1,619 with 1TB. Then again, you’re looking at another $350 for the Book Cover keyboard, so on the surface, the Book 4 360 is a better deal. But that’s only part of the story, as the Book 4 360 falls short of the Tab S9 Ultra in a few ways.
For one, while the screen is large, it’s also limited to 1080p resolution and limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the Tab S9 Ultra is equipped with a smaller display, making it better for portability, as well as offering a better viewing and gaming experience thanks to the AMOLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate. Not to mention that your Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra’s battery will last for days, while the Book 4 360 Probably Make it in a day, maybe two.
The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra may be expensive, but it’s still a better value than some of Samsung’s best laptops.
I wish I could tell you what the future holds and Samsung would leave the Classic DX alone, other than introducing new features. Sadly, I don’t have a crystal ball and have no idea what Samsung’s long-term plans are with NuDX.
But there’s a reason I barely recommend anything other than a Samsung tablet to people who don’t want an iPad. That’s because the majority of Android tablets are a mixed bag of disappointments. Whether it’s because they lack polish, aren’t updated often, or are just plain bad. Unless something dramatic happens, the Galaxy Tabs will remain my recommendation, even if “Classic DeX” is removed, but it will be tougher.
Samsung, please don’t ruin a good thing, even if your analytics show that DeX isn’t used by the majority of users.