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The Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy Tab S4 are two of Samsung’s newest gadgets — but they’re also quite different. The Galaxy Note 9 is “the world’s most advanced smartphone,” according to Samsung, while the Galaxy Tab S4 is the best and most high-end 2-in-1 Android tablet that company has ever released. Despite each being impressive on its own — the Note 9 as a smartphone and the Tab S4 as a tablet — I wanted to see how both devices could work as a desktop computer. That’s right, a desktop.
You see, the Note 9 and the Tab S4 are unique devices because, for the first time, they come integrated with Samsung DeX. There’s no extra hardware. It’s just a feature that allows both devices to instantly connect to an external monitor. You can mirror their displays onto the external monitor or utilize a dual screen mode – similar to how I use an external monitor with MacBook Pro. For Samsung DeX to work, all you need is a small USB-C to HDMI adapter, a Note 9 or a Tab S4 and an external monitor. It’s plug and play. The idea is that Samsung wants you to be able to use its smartphone (Note 9) or tablet (Tab S4) more like a desktop computer, thus combining your mobile device with your actual workstation. That said, the Note 9 and the Tab S4 provide a pretty different desktop experience. I tested both.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
The Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 is a true power user’s smartphone phone. In terms of its design, feel, battery life and storage capacity it beats out even iPhone X, in my opinion. Its camera is excellent, too, and the versatility of the S Pen (it can act as a remote trigger for photos and presentations) adds a dimension that makes the Note 9 feel unique, even compared to previous Note smartphones. But Samsung also wants to the Note 9 to be a little pocket computer – and that, of course, relies on DeX mode.
In a nutshell, DeX mode on the Note 9 is pretty simple, but also fairly limited. It enables you to mirror your smartphone’s screen on an external monitor, which is convenient for running apps like Netflix from your phone or presenting documents from Google Spreadsheets and Google Docs. You can use the Note 9 as a trackpad, too, to navigate the screen. The newest and neatest feature of DeX on the Note 9 is that now there’s second-screen mode. This allows you to play a movie or presentation on the external monitor while using your phone normally. The idea is that you’ll be a more productive person, controlling two screens with one device. I watched shows while texting or scrolling through Instagram. So not really “productive,” but still cool.
