This video is brought to you by Brilliant! I believe that the best mobile-to-desk setup
experience - the ability to pull out your compact device other than a laptop to plug
into a monitor and turn into a workstation, lies somewhere in between those two devices
- the iPad Pro and the Samsung Dex. So, let’s check out both on-the-go devices
and see how they stack next to each other, as well as what they are capable of and where
they fall short. By the end of the video, we should have a clear picture of what it
could be if we were to combine the best of both worlds.
First things first…proper monitor support only works on the Pro models of the iPad - 3rd
gen and later on the 12.9 and all the 11-inch models, as well as the 5th gen iPad Air. On
the Galaxy side, pretty much all S and Note models 9 and up should be fine, including
the Z-Fold. Second, in order to use the iPad Pro or the
Samsung Galaxy in a setup, you need to have a display that supports it. For example, the
Apple Studio display works flawlessly on the iPad as expected, but it does not work at
all on the Samsung phone. The BENQ PD3200U, for example, wasn’t able to power up on
the Galaxy Phones. Rest assured, the majority of popular displays should be able to support
both devices; however, the neat part here is running power and charging the device while
using it. For that, a thunderbolt monitor is a way to go, as all you have to worry about
is plugging in a single USB-C cable. I will list some of the monitors I’ve tested with
both devices in the description below. Note that both devices are picky when it comes
to USB-C cables as well…so if you happen to try and connect them and you are not getting
a picture, don’t rush to conclusions. Try other cables first. BTW, if you end up enjoying
this video, subscribe…because WHY NOT?!? Now that we have both devices working with
an external monitor, the third thing to note is the input devices. Thankfully, Apple has
finally caught up with Samsung and now supports pretty much any input device. With that in
mind, while running the tests, I used it the MX Mini and Anywhere combo by Logitech which
is awesome, especially when switching between multiple devices.
So, once we are plugged in and ready to mouse and write, right off the bat, you can notice
that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra does not support 4K. Although it has the potential
and power to do so, this is not an official feature yet…so we are stuck at 3088x1440.
In all fairness, it’s not bad at all. On this 32-inch monitor, things look very good,
and there’s no weird edge pixelization to worry about. Once you plug in the iPad Pro,
though, you can see the contrast in sharpness and even color. The iPad supports HDR, and
things look crazy vivid. In all fairness, for productivity purposes, both do great,
with the iPad being the visually better-looking option.
Once you start using both systems, you’ll realize that they work like Mac and Windows
in terms of shortcuts. On the iPad, you have Command +, while on the Samsung, you have
Control + C, for example. Inverted or natural scrolling is also different. Double tapping
on an app or icon is typical desktop behavior on the Galaxy device, while the iPad treats
pressing on something with the mouse like tapping. If I click on the settings app on
the iPad, for example, it opens right away. If I click on Settings on the S23 Ultra, I
just select it. In terms of Interface, both devices provide
a very good experience. The main menu bar or dock is at the bottom where on the Galaxy
device shines, showing you clearly visualized active app windows. Just like the big OS’
on the Galaxy phone, you have neat features like a notification pane and calendar when
you click on the clock. The iPad, for the most part exists with
just the dock.
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What might confuse you more here is the difference in windows behavior. Where Samsung treats
DeX more like a desktop platform where you have proper window management and support,
the iPad uses Stage Manager to handle all the window positioning and scaling. For example,
on the iPad, when I have a window opened, there is no clear management of it. The 3
dots for resizing, minimizing, and quitting are gone, and all I can use are the 3 dots
in the middle of every window - very cumbersome. I don’t have free window control on the
iPad either. iPadOS uses some sort of grid snapping, which predetermine where my window
snaps in size which is a bit confusing. On the Galaxy phone, I have full control over
the window and then some. I can even change it’s opacity or pin it on top. The biggest
difference between both operating system behaviors are when it comes to the desktop itself. While
Dex treats the desktop as any other desktop, where you can place app icons, folders or
files, iPadOS has no desktop at all. The monitor is just an empty void with the sole purpose
of temporarily storing windows. This is such a missed opportunity and an absolute loss
of potential. If you want to know more about my struggles with the iPad in a desk setup,
you can watch my iPad in a Desk Setup guide at the end of the video. If I have to pick
a clear winner here, it would be the Samsung device, hands down. It’s the closes thing
to Windows, and it has clear support for desktop, window management, and behavior, and so much
more. Not all is sunshine and rainbow, though, and I’ll get to the shortcomings in a moment.
Keeping the device closed, the equivalent of having your laptop in clamshell mode (inactive
and to the side) works great on the Galaxy. The iPad on the other side, needs to always
stays on. If you attempt to close it, it shuts off, essentially not allowing you to use your
monitor as a giant iPad. You can’t really flip it over and shive it to the side because
it’s a vital component of the setup. With that in mind, having the iPad in front
of you, below the monitor in most cases, is best, as you can take advantage of Face ID
whenever you need to authenticate something. You can of course, do that on the S23 Ultra
with fingerprint, yet it’s a lot easier and quicker on the iPad.
The use cases of both physical devices, while they are plugged in, are very different. The
Galaxy phone remains and acts as phone while DeX is running, while the iPad stays as the
primary or secondary display in your setup. Running meetings on the iPad is a lot more
natural, although you can’t take advantage of a monitor’s built-in camera if there
is such. You can, however fire up and use the Monitor’s speakers. Overall, the iPad
is more comfortable than the Ultra since you need to have a dedicated stand for the phone.
It is difficult to just lean somewhere and keep it at an ideal position for a meeting.
One Ace up the Android sleeve is using the phone as a touchpad. I wouldn’t use it as
a primary choice, but I can see how it can come in handy in some situations, especially
if you pull up DeX on a TV, for example. P14 When it comes to App support, things are
again very different, whereas in the world of Apple, everything is much more polished.
Unlike Android, many iOS apps have dedicated iPadOS alternatives which means that you can
expect purpose-built and not re-sized apps on the iPad. On Android side, you have to
quit and re-open apps that are already loaded in order to experience them in Dex, while
on the iPad, they remain intact. Where the Android flexes when it comes to window management
and overall desktop experience, the iPad compensates with App quality. Unfortunately, that makes
both devices equally inadequate in many situations - one is not able to work and multitask properly,
the other one allows you to multitask with baby versions of certain apps.
In terms of overall performance, the iPad also takes the lead, because it’s incredibly
smooth and effortless to use. I ran all the tests with my M2 iPad Pro, and there was ZERO
hesitation which I am sure would be the case with the previous generation. Everything is
buttery smooth, while the S23 Ultra starts to slow down at some point. There would be
keyboard input delays when I write, and things would take a while to take place - like pulling
up the active app window. I don’t think this is hardware related issue, however…I
believe it’s more of a software optimization case.
These are in fact, the main shortcomings of both devices. The iPad has all the power one
might require, alongside the most premium app experience, yet handles everything like
a toddler having a tantrum. The Galaxy, on the other side enters the room dressed in
a suit and tie, like a proper businessman, carrying a suite case full kids' scribbles.
I see the iPad more like a primary device plugged into a monitor EXTENSION while the
Samsung is a phone that turns into a wannabe workstation. You use the iPad with a monitor
to enjoy a larger canvas to read, edit and work, knowing that the actual job gets done
on the tablet itself. On the other hand, the Samsung turns into a surprisingly capable
simple task handler, especially when you know that everything you see on this 32-inch comes
from the phone in your pocket. The ideal mix between the two would be the
iPad power and app support mixed with the desktop approach of DeX - proper window and
multi-tasking management. If Apple were to ditch Stage Manager and just give us the traffic
light buttons on windows, even with all the snapping nonsense, things would be miles better.
On the other hand, if Samsung was to really focus and invest in DeX, they might end up
creating a desktop rival worth talking nonstop about.
What are your thoughts? Which device is better in a desk setup? Let me know in the comments,
and make sure you give this video a like. Subscribe to the channel, as well as my newsletter,
and as always, it’s been an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over & Out!