Samsung's Fan Edition smartphones have always walked a fine line between affordability and premium features. You know this if you own an FE phone. These devices cut down on a few flagship-grade elements and employ older high-end chips, but they also boast features you won't find on cheaper mid-range Galaxy A phones.
One of the high-end features the Galaxy S23 FE didn't skip when it launched in October last year was Samsung DeX. Effectively, this makes your Galaxy S23 FE the cheapest Samsung phone with DeX support unless you count the used phone market. Well, realistically, it's almost the cheapest DeX phone, but more on that later.
Assuming you own the Galaxy S23 FE, you may have already tried DeX. If you haven't, here's your quick introduction for you or your friends who may want to get into DeX.
The Galaxy S23 FE is (almost) the cheapest DeX phone
Samsung DeX is a desktop environment that can run on your phone when connected to a screen, such as a TV or a monitor. This software tool is unique to select Samsung devices and lets you use keyboards and mice and turn your phone into a desktop computer powered by One UI and Android apps.
The Galaxy S23 FE supports DeX wired and wirelessly. For wired DeX, you'll need a DeX or HDMI cable or a DeX Station/Pad. However, DeX Pads and DeX Stations are no longer manufactured, so your best bet is a DeX cable (USB-to-HDMI) or an HDMI hub.
You can also use the wireless method, but keep in mind that it is slower than wired, regardless of whether you use the Galaxy S23 FE or a more powerful device to run DeX. For Wireless DeX, you'll need a Samsung TV or Smart Monitor with Wireless DeX compatibility.
Now, assuming you own the Galaxy S23 FE, you likely know all of this already. But what if a friend asks what the cheapest DeX-compatible Samsung phone is? Will you say it is the Fan Edition device? Because you do, that's technically incorrect, albeit it is a sound recommendation nonetheless.
You might be surprised, but the cheapest DeX-compatible phone right now is the Galaxy XCover 6 Pro, released in 2022. It's still available for $599, whereas the Galaxy S23 FE costs $629, so the price gap isn't that great. More importantly, the XCover 6 Pro is an inferior phone to the S23 FE in nearly every aspect, save for its removable battery and rugged MIL-STD-810H build.
So, for all intents and purposes (and non-business customers), the Galaxy S23 FE remains the cheapest DeX-capable mainstream phone you can still buy new or recommend to friends who want a DeX-capable phone. And no, in case you're wondering, the much cheaper Xcover 7, announced in January, doesn't support DeX.
