Samsung may be realizing DeX and budget phones could be a killer combo

Late last year, I wrote an editorial explaining my view on Samsung DeX and what the company should do with its desktop-like environment for mobile devices. Recent signs suggest Samsung may have listened, but I don't want to get too excited yet.

What's this about? Well, I believe Samsung DeX has great potential to empower Galaxy phone buyers who don't have the budget for a premium device. I argued that DeX could have a greater impact if it were available in the budget segment instead of remaining an exclusive feature for buyers of expensive phones.

The assumption is that most premium phone users who need a desktop environment already own a decent PC or Mac, so DeX isn't exactly a game-changer for them. But it could be for budget phone buyers in emerging markets and beyond.

I don't want to celebrate too early, but a recent leak on Samsung's own website in the Czech Republic suggested the upcoming Galaxy A27 supports DeX.

At first glance, that seems like confirmation. What better source than Samsung itself? Nevertheless, because the A27 page was published prematurely and later removed, we can't rule out the possibility that DeX support was listed by mistake.

There's another angle worth considering. The upcoming Galaxy A27 is apparently powered by the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chip, the same one used by the Galaxy A36. The latter doesn't support DeX, because no Galaxy A device does.

But if the A27 gets DeX, does that mean the feature could roll out to older devices, or at least to the Galaxy A37, which shares the same chip?

We'll have to wait and see what Samsung actually has in store for the A27, but I hope this phone marks a major milestone for DeX and the Galaxy A series moving forward.

I previously spent a year using DeX exclusively, and at that time, I probably wouldn't have dreamed for DeX to reach cheaper phones. But budget devices have become more powerful and optimized in recent years, which could make DeX possible.

Would it be viable? Will it really happen? There's no way to know, but the Galaxy A27's launch will shed more light on this. Until then, fingers crossed.