I’m sure others will chime in to disagree…but Samsung Dex has never been able to replace a laptop for me. Even an 8 year old laptop will do basic tasks better than trying to make the Android desktop experience work. Most apps aren’t designed for this. I’d recommend sticking with your phone and buying a used dirt cheap laptop.
Phones are not at all worth upgrading within 5 years for most people. Laptops and PCs don’t need upgrading in even longer. The cycle of trading in for new devices is a scam that everyone seems to be happy to fall for. The most dysfunctional this gets is where people do this with cars!
But I found it was never really a viable use case to have a desk and monitor and KB+M and USB hub and charger…yet somehow be more inconvenient to have a laptop.
Androids don’t have great performance on desktop mode. It’s noticeably slow and kinda less responsive.
Almost no app is made for KB+M interface and a big screen.
Browser interface isn’t as you expect compared to PCs (context menus, extensions, link handling that might go straight to some app, etc).
It’s hard to describe completely, but it’s just a really poor experience that doesnt work at all for me. If I were going to rely on a portable device with me, then I would just use a Steam Deck to actually have a proper PC. I got a small 13 inch laptop for £150 with an 8th gen Intel and it works infinitely better. The only reason I would connect my phone to a monitor is for emulation gaming.
But I found it was never really a viable use case to have a desk and monitor and KB+M and USB hub and charger…yet somehow be more inconvenient to have a laptop.
You can get something like a NexDock that has all of that built in. Just 1 cable.
Other than that, that’s pretty much just how I already use my laptop.
Androids don’t have great performance on desktop mode. It’s noticeably slow and kinda less responsive.
How would you even know that? Have you used the new desktop experience? It’s not the impression anyone has given me. I am also not purchasing anything today, I am waiting for a stable release + good reviews.
If I were going to rely on a portable device with me, then I would just use a Steam Deck to actually have a proper PC
Steam Deck does not include any of the things I listed above. That’s like, the whole point.
You can get something like a NexDock that has all of that built in. Just 1 cable.
Maybe I’m missing something, but how is this more convenient than a laptop? It has the form factor of one, so you’re already stuck carrying around what is basically a laptop. Wouldn’t a super cheap Chromebook or similar be more convenient since it’s a full desktop experience with all you’d expect from a desktop environment?
Anyway, working entirely on mobile is a thing these days, so if that works for you, keep doing what you’re doing. If all you need is a bigger browser, I’d also recommend a tablet with a detachable keyboard. If you want to keep the experience consistent between devices, honestly I’d suggest an iPhone and iPad (as much as I avoid Apple myself).
Even in that super limited use case - you could just use a tablet for- basic keyboard and mouse interactions can be a problem.
There is the expectation that certain keybinds would work, that you could toggle natural scrolling, set a comfy cursor size, turn off acceleration and such.
I only want to upgrade to get desktop mode on the Pixel and potentially replace my laptop…
I’m sure others will chime in to disagree…but Samsung Dex has never been able to replace a laptop for me. Even an 8 year old laptop will do basic tasks better than trying to make the Android desktop experience work. Most apps aren’t designed for this. I’d recommend sticking with your phone and buying a used dirt cheap laptop.
Phones are not at all worth upgrading within 5 years for most people. Laptops and PCs don’t need upgrading in even longer. The cycle of trading in for new devices is a scam that everyone seems to be happy to fall for. The most dysfunctional this gets is where people do this with cars!
The only caveat to phones is their batteries. Batteries have a limited lifespan, and users can’t easily change the batteries in current phones.
There’s also the risk that the mobile device manufacturer will brick your phone if you try to replace the battery yourself or have a 3rd party do it.
From a hardware spec standpoint, though, most flagship phones could easily last a decade.
I suppose that depends on your usecase? Most everything I do can be done in the browser. My phone already handles webpages with ease.
All I want is a bigger screen and KBM when it’s convenient.
Would you care to elaborate?
It might work for you, give it a shot.
But I found it was never really a viable use case to have a desk and monitor and KB+M and USB hub and charger…yet somehow be more inconvenient to have a laptop.
Androids don’t have great performance on desktop mode. It’s noticeably slow and kinda less responsive.
Almost no app is made for KB+M interface and a big screen.
Browser interface isn’t as you expect compared to PCs (context menus, extensions, link handling that might go straight to some app, etc).
It’s hard to describe completely, but it’s just a really poor experience that doesnt work at all for me. If I were going to rely on a portable device with me, then I would just use a Steam Deck to actually have a proper PC. I got a small 13 inch laptop for £150 with an 8th gen Intel and it works infinitely better. The only reason I would connect my phone to a monitor is for emulation gaming.
You can get something like a NexDock that has all of that built in. Just 1 cable.
Other than that, that’s pretty much just how I already use my laptop.
How would you even know that? Have you used the new desktop experience? It’s not the impression anyone has given me. I am also not purchasing anything today, I am waiting for a stable release + good reviews.
Steam Deck does not include any of the things I listed above. That’s like, the whole point.
Maybe I’m missing something, but how is this more convenient than a laptop? It has the form factor of one, so you’re already stuck carrying around what is basically a laptop. Wouldn’t a super cheap Chromebook or similar be more convenient since it’s a full desktop experience with all you’d expect from a desktop environment?
Anyway, working entirely on mobile is a thing these days, so if that works for you, keep doing what you’re doing. If all you need is a bigger browser, I’d also recommend a tablet with a detachable keyboard. If you want to keep the experience consistent between devices, honestly I’d suggest an iPhone and iPad (as much as I avoid Apple myself).
The point is management. As in managing apps and data. On a single device.
Even in that super limited use case - you could just use a tablet for- basic keyboard and mouse interactions can be a problem.
There is the expectation that certain keybinds would work, that you could toggle natural scrolling, set a comfy cursor size, turn off acceleration and such.
That’s not a limited use case. Lots of people work that way.
I could use a tablet but then…why not just a laptop?
The idea is to only have 1 device to manage.