Samsung is waving goodbye to its DeX Windows app with the roll-out of the OneUI 7 update. This means users won’t be able to turn their Windows PCs into DeX hubs through their Samsung phones anymore. Although the DeX feature itself will still be around, the specific capability to run it on a Windows PC will vanish starting next year with OneUI 7.
Interestingly enough, Samsung suggests users make the switch to Microsoft Phone Link, a service that offers some overlap in functionality, though it doesn’t mirror the DeX experience. On the Samsung DeX website, there’s a note hinting at this: support for DeX on Windows PC will end with the OneUI 7 update, and users are encouraged to use Microsoft’s Link to Windows instead.
Now, what does Phone Link do? It syncs your phone’s notifications and messages to your PC and even allows you to run phone apps on your Windows 11 desktop. But, it doesn’t offer that seamless DeX interface that some may be seeking. For users looking to keep the full DeX experience, there will be a need to find specific DeX-compatible peripherals. Microsoft and Samsung have a close collaboration on Phone Link, with Samsung devices often getting new features ahead of others.
To be fair, Phone Link on Windows is excellent for what it does, but it’s not a one-to-one DeX substitute since it doesn’t connect directly to the DeX desktop interface. It’s likely that only a niche group of users utilized DeX on Windows PCs anyway, which might have led Samsung to pull the plug on this feature.
That said, Samsung DeX itself isn’t disappearing. The feature will still work if you plug your Samsung phone into a large screen or use devices like the NextDock, which are tailored for DeX-like experiences. In a way, DeX is a spiritual successor to Microsoft’s Continuum, their own ‘PC in your pocket’ concept from the days of Windows Phone.
For those who enjoy keeping up with the latest in tech for Windows and Xbox aficionados, this change signifies a small shift but not the end of a concept. Samsung continues to aim for streamlined interaction between their smartphones and larger screens, just through slightly different routes now.
(Source: Android Authority, The Verge)
