【female full frontal】

The female full frontalphone as computer companion—or outright replacement—is an idea as old as the smartphone itself. And with today's faster mobile processors, higher local storage levels and direct access to cloud-based work, the dream is finally a reality.

SEE ALSO: Vimeo Brings New Apps to Android, Windows Phone and iPad

Microsoft obviously should’ve owned this corner of the tech market. It certainly gave it its best shot with Windows 10 Continuum, which connected Windows 10 Phones to a special port-filled block to transform your palm-sized phone into a desktop-sized PC—as long as you had a screen to plug it into.

However, with virtually no mobile market share to bolster it, interest in Microsoft’s do-everything platform has all but evaporated.

Samsung, though, knows a good idea when it sees it.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

DeX, short for "Desktop Experience," is Samsung’s new dock specifically designed for the new Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones. When closed, it looks a little like a hockey puck. A top slice slides back and up, revealing the space for the phone and serves as a stand for the phone.

The dock connects to an HD screen via HDMI and to a mouse and keyboard through either USB or Bluetooth. There's also an Ethernet port.

To get started using your new desktop with a mobile brain, you simply unlock the phone, perhaps using the device’s new facial recognition technology.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The combination doesn’t just throw Samsung’s TouchWiz interface up on the big screen: It transforms Android into a mouse-friendly, widescreen interface. Everything from the resolution to the layout of all the elements appear optimized for a desktop display, including the App Tray, Settings and Notifications.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Essentially, the system will work like a desktop, responding to common keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+C and accepting right-clicks of the mouse for access to contextual menus.

Samsung also worked with partners like Adobe and Microsoft to optimize the Android versions of their apps for the desktop. The entire Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, could easily be mistaken for the applications running on a Windows desktop.

Apps that haven’t been optimized for the DeX dock, of which there are many, will still work, but they may be scaled versions and probably won’t offer resizable windows.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The DeX dock will also support the same multitasking already available on Samsung mobile devices.

But DeX has one more trick up its sleeve: Windows 10. Samsung worked with Citrix and VMware to port virtualization tools to the Galaxy S8 and S8+ phones. That means the DeX dock lets you run virtualized versions of Windows 10 while still maintaining full access to the Android subsystem.

During our brief demo, we saw the Windows 10 desktop live with the Android system operating in the background. There were also brief, successful demonstrations of Word and Adobe photo-editing running on the desktop version of Android.

Unfortunately, DeX dock only works with the new Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, at least for now.

DeX will list for $149 for the standard version and $159 for the fast-charge base. Availability has not been set.

Here's a quick look at my hands-on from the Samsung Unpacked 2017 event on Wednesday:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

---

Featured Video For You

---

This ambitious U-shaped skyscraper could soon loop over NYC

---

Topics Samsung

• Life
• Social Good
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Entertainment
• Games
• Deals

• Razer Kishi V2 deal: Snag one for 50% off
• 10 of the most anticipated TV shows to watch in 2021
• Activists hang 'Racism is as American as baseball' banner at Red Sox game
• Fergie and Josh Duhamel have called it quits
• SpaceX lands its first rocket on West Coast ground: Watch
• Apple bans app that promoted secret parties during pandemic
• Here's the name of that underwhelming new Crayola crayon
• Refresh your winter nest with up to 50% off Cost Plus World Market furniture
• Keeping Hope Alive
• Nicki Minaj dropped Seth Rogen’s name in a verse and he lost his mind

• This New York Times tweet about Michelle Obama really pissed off Twitter
• No America, this is not an episode of 'Black Mirror'
• This woman just became the first Somali
• Actual voters scoff at Trump's poll watchers
• Snake 'arrested' after eating a dog and trying to hug its human a bit too tight
• This bizarre Trump impersonator perfectly captures the spirit of Election Day
• Confused senator congratulates Kate McKinnon instead of Hillary Clinton
• Stephen Colbert sets up a screaming booth to help anxious voters
• Party pooper Trump is having a cash bar at his election night party
• Offensive and 'sexist' camper vans to be banned in Australian state

• Skywatching is lit in May, says NASA
• Future MacBooks might have little displays on each key
• MyLife review: The mindfulness app that hooks meditation skeptics
• Phish challenges fans to an online chess game on New Year's Eve 2020
• Amazon Book Sale: Shop early deals now
• 10 video games we can't wait to play in 2021
• Nikon promotes new camera with 32 male photographers, claims no women could make the time
• Love your pet? Why not get their face printed on a swimsuit
• Best soundbar deal: Get $50 off the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus
• Steve Trevor's return in 'Wonder Woman 1984' raises some questions

• AMD Radeon RX 550 + Intel Pentium G4560
• How to set up PS5
• 4 stellar new features to check out in the NASA app
• Another council is stopping its Australia Day celebrations
• One of Android's Easter Eggs is a Flappy Bird
• How to practice gratitude in 2021
• How to force quit on Mac
• These magical white giraffes were seen in the wild
• New panda mom doesn't know she has twins thanks to sneaky zookeepers
• Tesla drivers can set their horn to fart sounds — or record their own