Smartphones are getting extra highly effective yearly, and growing numbers of individuals at the moment are utilizing them for most of the duties we used to depend on our PCs for. Browsing the web, checking emails and messaging family and friends around the globe can now be executed from these helpful little rectangles we supply round in our pockets.
Smartphone producers have been claiming that their gadgets can substitute laptops and PCs for a very long time, however we’re now on the stage the place it lastly looks like the has caught up with these guarantees.
As TechSwitch’s computing editor, I’ve been sceptical about these claims, however with the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which comes with some undeniably spectacular specs, and DeX performance that permits the telephone to be hooked as much as a monitor (and mouse and keyboard) in order that it may be used like a standard desktop PC, I used to be intrigued. Could this be a smartphone that I can use for day-to-day duties quite than my PC?
I made a decision to seek out out by going an entire week utilizing simply the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 as my essential laptop. Would I be capable to write and work utilizing the smartphone, or would I discover myself scurrying again to my PC and booting up Windows 10 after just a few minutes? Read on to seek out out…
The specs
In my line of labor I’m fortunate sufficient to get to make use of highly effective PCs and laptops, and I’ve little persistence for sluggish gadgets that take an age as well up and cargo packages.
With a desktop PC that boasts a 16-core processor, 32GB RAM and a plethora of NVMe SSDs (to not point out two Titan XP graphics playing cards), in addition to a latest Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Pro as laptops, it could take a really highly effective smartphone to get me to even take into account shifting over.
This is the place the Galaxy Note 9 is available in. With an octa-core processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage, it’s a handset that rivals many funds and mid-range laptops when it comes to specs, and there’s additionally a model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of cupboard space for much more energy.
What additionally attracted me to the telephone was the big 6.4-inch display screen, which makes internet shopping, and composing emails, a lot simpler. While not everyone seems to be a fan of super-large telephones (is phablets nonetheless a phrase individuals use? I hope not), after utilizing the Nexus 6 just a few years in the past I simply can’t return to a smaller handset, particularly for productiveness.
The massive measurement additionally permits for a 4,000mAh battery, enabling the Note 9 to undergo an entire work day (and extra) without having a cost. The included S Pen stylus additionally intrigued me, because it meant I might take notes by hand and save them digitally.
However, the Note 9 does include an enormous $1,000 (£899/AU$1,499) price ticket for the 6GB mannequin. That’s a heck of some huge cash for a telephone, and you may get some excellent laptops for that sort of cash.
However – and earlier than I speak myself out of the concept – if you happen to take into account the Note 9 as a telephone and a laptop computer alternative, that value isn’t fairly so daunting, because it means you’re shopping for one gadget, not two.
And as a result of it is a telephone you will have the choice of getting the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 on a contract, which suggests you don’t need to half with fairly a lot cash upfront – ensure you take a look at our Samsung Galaxy Note 9 offers under for the most effective costs.
Using the Note 9 in DeX mode provides you a Windows-like desktop
The software program
What actually made me take the Note 9 severely as a laptop computer alternative is Samsung’s DeX function. This lets you join your Note 9 to a monitor and use a Windows-like desktop to work on apps. While Samsung has been toying round with DeX for some time, earlier smartphones wanted to make use of the DeX Station hub, which was a further expense.
While the Note 9 can use the DeX Station, now you can additionally use the DeX interface by utilizing a USB-C to HDMI cable. With a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse you may then use the Note 9 for a PC-like expertise. It’s a way more reasonably priced method to entry the DeX performance, which is simply as nicely if you happen to’ve spent all of your money on the Note 9.
However, earlier than I attempted that technique I made a decision to strive plugging the Note 9 right into a USB-C Dell hub that I take advantage of at work for my MacGuide Pro. To my delight, it labored, with the Note 9’s display screen showing on my monitor, and my wired mouse and keyboard, that are related to the hub through USB, being acknowledged by the telephone.
So far, I’m fairly impressed with how straightforward it’s to arrange and use the Note 9 as a PC alternative – however might I truly use it for an entire week as an alternative of my trusted PC?
One last be aware concerning the software program. The Samsung Note 9 runs Android, and nowadays just about all functions I run on Windows have an Android app model, and if not, there will probably be another. These may not be as fully-featured as their Windows variations, however for the duties I’ll be utilizing them for – primarily phrase processing, spreadsheets, immediate messaging, emails and picture modifying – they need to be wonderful.
Also, whereas just about each Android app ought to work in DeX mode, there are a selection of apps which can be ‘DeX optimized’, together with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Photoshop Express, Gmail and Chrome. Software-wise, then, I’m fairly certain I might depend on the Note 9 for productiveness.
You can browse information on the telephone very like you’ll on a PC
The DeX expertise
With the Samsung Note 9 related to the USB-C hub, the DeX desktop appeared on my monitor. For anybody who’s used a contemporary desktop working system, equivalent to Windows 10, the look of the DeX desktop will probably be acquainted. A vivid, engaging, desktop wallpaper is used because the background, and there are shortcut icons to My Files, Gallery and Settings.
Clicking on My Files opens up a window just like Windows Explorer, and from there I might see the information and paperwork saved on the Note 9; for individuals used to engaged on a Windows or Mac laptop computer, this can be a good manner of finding your paperwork. You can’t drag and drop information from one folder to a different – you should right-click the file and choose Move. It’s a little bit of a niggle that highlights the restricted nature of the DeX expertise in comparison with a full working system equivalent to Windows 10, however for probably the most half I used to be very impressed with how DeX appeared, and the way easily it ran.
In the bottom-left nook of the desktop is a button that opens up your put in apps – consider it like Windows 10’s Start menu. Double-clicking an app opens it, with the app showing in a window that may be resized and moved on the DeX desktop. Again, for Windows 10 customers, this may really feel very acquainted.
Using apps on the Samsung Note 9 in DeX mode
The icons of open apps additionally seem alongside the underside of the display screen, enabling you to shortly swap between them. I ought to most likely additionally point out right here that my mouse and keyboard labored completely, with no trace of lag as I typed shortly or moved my cursor across the display screen.
Using the Dell hub appeared completely wonderful, though a pop-up on the Note 9 itself instructed utilizing an official Samsung product. I can perceive Samsung’s reasoning (bought to promote extra stuff, in any case), however in my time utilizing the Note 9 I didn’t see a have to buy any further equipment, though often the pop-up recommending Samsung equipment would reappear on the telephone.
Working on the telephone
For my first day of labor utilizing solely the Samsung Note 9 I started writing this text. So, after loading up the Gmail app to examine my emails, and the Slack app to maintain involved with my workforce, I opened the Word app to start writing.
Both Gmail and Slack labored nicely with DeX, and since they have been already put in on my telephone it meant I didn’t have to put in them or sign up. Despite Slack not being a DeX-optimized app it did the job nicely, letting me chat to colleagues a lot because the Windows 10 app does. Being in a position to have my mail and Slack open within the background whereas I work is vitally essential – thus far so good.
I wrote this text on the Note 9
Opening the Word app was after I grew to become severely impressed, nonetheless, because it appeared and behaved nearly precisely just like the desktop Windows program. Over the years, Microsoft Office’s Ribbon consumer interface has grown on me, so its presence is surprisingly comforting and reassuring.
It meant I felt proper at residence, and will start typing away fortunately, with shortcuts and instruments all the place they need to be. Another good function is that because it’s primarily the Word Android app (however with DeX help), the file is synched to OneDrive, so I can stick with it modifying on one other gadget if wanted. Handy, however I actually didn’t really feel the necessity to swap.
Of course, because the Note 9 is an Android gadget Google Docs additionally works very nicely in DeX mode. So, as a desktop alternative, I used to be very impressed certainly. The general DeX interface does job of mimicking a desktop working system, and whereas it doesn’t really feel fairly as easy as Windows 10, for probably the most half it carried out very nicely.
There have been just a few humorous turns, with the Slack app crashing as soon as, however anybody who’s ever used a PC can have skilled an unresponsive app or two.
The Note 9 additionally threw a little bit of a tantrum when somebody phoned me whereas in DeX mode, and I eliminated the telephone from the USB-C hub. I’m guessing it’s a barely extra polished expertise when utilizing an official Samsung DeX hub, however usually I used to be very impressed with the efficiency, and I discovered it straightforward to make use of the Samsung Note 9 as a alternative for a desktop PC for your entire week.
Can it substitute a laptop computer?
What struck me about utilizing the Samsung Note 9 as a alternative for my PC was how nicely it emulated a desktop PC. By plugging it right into a hub and monitor, I used to be in a position to make use of a mouse and keyboard on an enormous display screen at my desk.
However, I additionally recurrently use a laptop computer when touring, so might the Note 9 simply substitute that as nicely? The challenge right here is that when utilizing the Note 9 when touring I’m not going to in a position to make use of a bigger display screen, or a mouse or keyboard, as I do at my desk. Here, the strain is on the Note 9’s itself.
As I discussed earlier, the big display screen of the Note 9 helps with regards to shopping web sites, tapping out emails and watching media, and for many individuals our smartphones have already changed laptops for a lot of of these duties.
But whereas the large-screen Note 9 is okay for these actions, what about for taking down notes and writing articles, which I typically do on my laptop computer at press occasions? The on-screen keyboard is massive sufficient to kind quick articles and emails on simply sufficient, however it may possibly’t compete with a laptop computer keyboard for longer items.
One possibility is to make use of a Bluetooth keyboard, which is one thing I could take into account sooner or later. It’s one other factor to hold round (and preserve charged) although, so I am extra fascinating in how the included S Pen stylus performs.
That indisputable fact that it is saved within the physique of the telephone (and might be ejected with a push), is a very nice function, particularly as I don’t wish to have to hold round extra easily-lost gadgets than I have to. With the pen ejected, a menu seems enabling me to scribble fast notes and save them to the gadget in my terrible handwriting.
It’s useful, and it means I needn’t carry a notepad round with me, but it surely’s not fairly what I’m after – I would like one thing that may flip my scribbled notes into editable textual content that I can open in a phrase processor.
Thankfully, with a little bit of digging round and experimenting, I discovered that the Note 9 can do this as nicely. Opening up the Word app and ensuring the Samsung Keyboard was chosen (I cheekily made Google’s Gboard keyboard the default initially, having come from a Pixel XL), I used to be in a position to write phrases with the stylus, and the Note 9 did an excellent job of changing what I would written into editable textual content and inserting it into the Word doc.
Considering how terrible my handwriting is, I used to be once more impressed. It’s not fairly as fast as typing on a full-size keyboard, however it’s sooner than utilizing the on-screen keyboard. There’s not a large quantity of area wherein to put in writing on the display screen, however the Note 9 converts the textual content shortly, and offers you extra room to put in writing as you go.
You might have to sluggish your tempo of writing down a bit, but it surely labored quick and – most significantly – it was fairly correct. I discovered that not writing joined-up helped, and that the app would often mistake a full cease for a comma, but it surely proved to be a quick and efficient method to take notes, which I might then edit after I returned to my desk.
Unlike utilizing the Note 9 as a desktop alternative, which emulated the expertise of engaged on a desktop PC so nicely that I did not have to alter the way in which I labored, it takes extra time to regulate to utilizing the Note 9 as a laptop computer alternative.
Crucially, although, with the included S Pen stylus and correct handwriting recognition, I didn’t thoughts adapting the way in which I labored.
RIP my PC?
So, after every week of engaged on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, am I able to ditch my PC and laptop computer? Not fairly, particularly with regards to my desktop PC. That’s primarily as a result of I’m all the time going to wish to have a PC to play video games on – and I’m not speaking about cellular video games, though I’m at present hooked on the Lemmings reboot. But for the day-to-day duties of writing, modifying and emailing, I might genuinely see myself fortunately utilizing the Note 9 in DeX mode. I used to be severely impressed.
I’m additionally going to strive sticking with the Note 9 for writing notes after I go to conferences and occasions. It’ll take a short while to regulate with out my laptop computer – and I actually received’t be eliminating that trusty previous workhorse simply but – however the advantages of not having to lug round a laptop computer are very tempting.
So far I’m actually impressed with my time utilizing the Note 9 as a PC alternative. I didn’t suppose that I’d be severely contemplating utilizing the smartphone as my essential work laptop after I began this experiment – however I’m.