While we’re pretty confident we know nearly everything there is to know about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 20, it turns out it still has the ability to surprise.
That's because a feature first rolled out for Samsung phones back in 2017 is getting a welcome upgrade which might help it live up to its full potential and help it combat the Apple iPhone 12.
The feature is Samsung DeX – a slightly awkward acronym for “Desktop Experience”. In said mode, supporting handsets can be linked up to an external monitor, mouse and keyboard to work as a desktop computer. If this were ever adopted enmasse, you could see it becoming an absolute game changer. Employees would no longer need to lug laptops around with them: just rock up at an office, plug in and carry on.
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But in reality, the feature has felt a little underdone, and it looks like Samsung is taking steps to improve things. According to new documentation spotted by XDA Developers, the feature will soon be available wirelessly, letting you connect to a nearby TV as if you were using Chromecast.
A screen on the Samsung Tips app showing wireless support for DeX
This was included in the Samsung Tips app on both the author’s Galaxy S20 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip. This is especially interesting as the latter doesn’t support DeX, and the former doesn’t support wireless DeX, suggesting updated copy has just been pushed out early. The idea that it may not be a Galaxy Note 20 exclusive is given extra credence by the word “DREAM” in the header – notably, “Dream” was the codename for the Galaxy S10 series.
Being able to broadcast wirelessly to screens would be a very helpful addition, and shows just how far the feature has come in just three short years. When DeX launched with the Galaxy S8 back in 2017, you needed to purchase a $150 dock for it to work. That was replaced with a simple wired connection by the time 2018’s Galaxy Note 9 rolled around – which no doubt made early adopters feel really pleased with their purchase.
With a wireless version potentially letting Samsung flagship owners connect to TVs, maybe the feature is finally ready for mass adoption.
