{"id":116851,"date":"2025-08-04T00:12:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T00:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116851\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T00:12:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T00:12:17","slug":"samsung-dex-on-the-galaxy-z-flip-7-is-great-but-ill-never-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116851\/","title":{"rendered":"Samsung DeX on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is great, but I’ll never use it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samsung\u2019s DeX mode is available on the Galaxy Z Flip 7<\/a>, making it the first of Samsung\u2019s compact folding phones to come with the interesting desktop mode.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve given it a try to see how well it works, and also to really understand if I\u2019d ever use it.<\/p>\n

The good news is, it\u2019s an effective and well-designed feature, but I can\u2019t find a strong enough reason to fire it up regularly.<\/p>\n

Setting up DeX<\/p>\n

There\u2019s one Z Flip 7 problem<\/p>\n

\"Use<\/p>\n

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 supports both wired and wireless DeX, but to use the wireless system, it must connect to a device with Miracast support.<\/p>\n

While Miracast (which is often known by different names) isn\u2019t a rare feature, it\u2019s more often found on televisions and streaming devices, which isn\u2019t where I\u2019d want to use a desktop computer alternative.<\/p>\n

Instead, I connected the Z Flip 7 to a monitor using an HDMI-to-USB-C cable. It\u2019s by far the easiest option, and requires absolutely no setup beyond plugging both ends of the cable in.<\/p>\n

Keeping things simple is always good when work is going to be involved, but wireless support is also good to have for situations where you want to connect to a tablet on the move, or potentially a TV in a hotel.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The DeX main screen appears on the monitor instantly, and the Z Flip 7\u2019s screen becomes a multi-function trackpad, ready to control the onscreen pointer.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where some may not enjoy the Z Flip 7 for DeX. You\u2019re going to feel the crease in the open screen a lot.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t notice it much during normal phone use, but my finger naturally goes to the center of the Z Flip 7\u2019s screen when it\u2019s in pointer mode, and the crease is almost all you feel because of it.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s something else to know, too. By default, the Z Flip 7 displays in DeX at 1920 x 1080 (FHD) pixels, and if you want a 3440 x 1440 (UWQHD) resolution, you have to force it in the Good Lock app.<\/p>\n

If you use DeX with the Galaxy Z Fold 7<\/a>, it immediately displays in UWQHD with no additional stages required.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a huge deal, but like getting full screen apps in DeX<\/a> these days, it\u2019s an irritating extra step.<\/p>\n

Working with DeX<\/p>\n

Not one for every day<\/p>\n

\"Samsung<\/p>\n

I love the way DeX looks. The multi-window view, complete with a task bar and a host of quick settings, is immediately usable to anyone with even a vague knowledge of Microsoft Windows.<\/p>\n

Its familiarity extends to the way you control it using the phone\u2019s trackpad view, with most gestures seen on many modern laptop trackpads available.<\/p>\n

It means you fall into using DeX quickly, which is a real benefit. I see it as being an emergency feature, rather than one you rely on regularly, so quick setup and simple controls are essential.<\/p>\n

You can use the Z Flip 7\u2019s onscreen keyboard to type through DeX, which works without a delay, but is not as ergonomically sound as linking a Bluetooth keyboard to your phone and using that instead.<\/p>\n

\"Quick<\/p>\n

I paired my usual Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard to the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and while it certainly makes it feel more like a desktop alternative, there\u2019s a slight pause between keyboard inputs and what appears in apps like Google Docs.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not much, but it\u2019s more than you get when using the Z Flip 7\u2019s own keyboard, or a keyboard on a laptop.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no gap between input and visual confirmation when I use the Logitech keyboard with my Apple Mac Mini M1 either.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m not typing, what else can it do? It does everything you can do on your phone, just on a bigger screen and with a mouse and keyboard.<\/p>\n

Performance is the same as on the Z Flip 7, so the same games you play on it also work with DeX.<\/p>\n

Editing photos in the Gallery app is seamless, right down to the way the touchpad recognizes a long press to adjust the attribute scroll wheels, and I had no speed, smoothness, or heat issues either.<\/p>\n

Its lack of limitations is a considerable benefit.<\/p>\n

DeX is polished and smart<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not for everyone<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

DeX is a great addition to the Galaxy Z Flip 7. It isn\u2019t really a productivity device on its own, so the feature adds another dimension to the phone, potentially making it more useful to more people, more of the time.<\/p>\n

However, while I work on the move a lot, DeX doesn\u2019t appeal to me as much as a tablet, laptop, or reasonably priced Chromebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most of the time, my work involves just a few apps, a web browser, and a word processor like Google Docs.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m going to carry a tablet or small monitor around to use as a screen for DeX, adding a keyboard case instead of a separate Bluetooth keyboard would likely be more space efficient, but also avoid the slightly disconcerting pause when I type in DeX with a Bluetooth keyboard too.<\/p>\n

There are some excellent tablet choices with a keyboard accessory, whether that\u2019s an Apple iPad and Magic Keyboard, the OnePlus Pad 3, or even the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE with its keyboard accessory. All are solid on-the-go work machines.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, if I only want to carry a phone and a mini keyboard around, I\u2019d go for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 instead, and use its excellent multitasking features and the handy Task Bar feature over DeX.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to DeX<\/p>\n

Find what works for you<\/p>\n

\"Samsung<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t find Samsung DeX does anything better than any of these choices, but it\u2019s certainly not worse, and I did enjoy looking at what others use DeX for.<\/p>\n

Browsing the Samsung DeX subreddit<\/a> revealed a host of truly creative and surprisingly complex setups, with many replacing a laptop with their phone and DeX, and others embracing a more tech minimalist lifestyle through it.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in DeX but aren\u2019t sure where to start, or aren\u2019t quite sure of the point, there\u2019s plenty of inspiration<\/a> there.<\/p>\n

The good thing is, because DeX is so well-sorted, if you find a way it works well for you, it\u2019s unlikely to cause a headache or be a pain to set up.<\/p>\n

Give it a try, and I think you\u2019ll be impressed. I know I am every time I use it, but I personally just can\u2019t find a way for it to fit into my life. Using DeX again on the Z Flip 7 showed I\u2019m probably missing out because of it.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSoC<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExynos 2500<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDisplay type<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDynamic AMOLED 2x<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDisplay dimensions<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6.9-inches<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDisplay resolution<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2520 x 1080<\/p>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Samsung\u2019s DeX mode is available on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, making it the first of Samsung\u2019s compact…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":116852,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[611,158,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-116851","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-mobile","9":"tag-technology","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114967605693455643","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116851"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116851\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}