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The Targus Universal USB-C Phone Dock is a to hand dock for any USB-C geared up smartphone providing a desktop enjoy mode, together with the preferred Samsung DeX and Motorola’s Ready For device. But reasonably than simply providing the desktop enjoy on-screen, Targus has long gone the additional step and geared up the dock with more than one USB ports, SD card readers or even an Ethernet port for a extra solid connection.
The query is, is that mixture sufficient to tempt customers from the standard desktop enjoy? While there are definitely obstacles to the mobile-based desktop enjoy, it is usually a viable choice for some.
Design and ports
When it involves the total design of the common USB-C phone dock, Targus has taken a simplistic method.
The puck-shaped dock is small and conveyable sufficient to suit even in small areas – splendid for the ones with restricted table area – however nonetheless manages to supply two viewing angles at 60-degrees and 75-degrees for multi-screen use. The smartphone does should be in portrait orientation despite the fact that, because of the stressed out USB-C connectivity required to be used.
Though designed for the Samsung DeX device, the Targus dock is in truth appropriate with any USB-C alt-mode together with Motorola’s Ready For era at the Moto G100, so the dock used to be constructed with numerous styles and sizes of smartphone in thoughts.
But whilst there are many DeX docks to be had, Targus’ choice is going a step additional within the connectivity division, providing a viable choice to a pc – and even desktop – for the ones at the move.
As neatly as the usual HDMI port that permits you to attach your smartphone to an exterior track at as much as [email protected], you’ll discover a USB-C (v3.2) port with PD 3.0 passthrough that may rate your phone at as much as 18W whilst it’s docked and in use, and the 2 USB-A (v3.2) ports can be utilized to glue further equipment like a stressed out keyboard or mouse when you haven’t were given Bluetooth connectivity in your peripherals.
It doesn’t prevent there despite the fact that; there’s each a microSD and SD card reader with improve for Samsung KNOX on DeX gadgets, in conjunction with an Ethernet port for speedy stressed out connectivity, a three.5mm audio jack and the power to make use of your phone’s entrance or rear-facing cameras as a webcam in video conferencing apps – most probably an enormous soar in high quality in comparison to an ordinary 720p webcam relying at the smartphone you’re the use of.
That’s extra connectivity than you’ll get from some ultra-light laptops, giving customers a viable method to make use of a smartphone as a desktop tool when required with no need to compromise on ports and connectivity.
The desktop enjoy
Of path, the Desktop enjoy is the principle focal point of the Targus USB-C phone dock – the issue is that the total enjoy depends on the smartphone you’re the use of.
As discussed, Targus has labored with Samsung at the dock so it does be offering distinctive options for Samsung gadgets, like KNOX coverage on any SD card plugged into the dock, however you’re loose to make use of some other USB-C-powered desktop enjoy when you like.
That best actually contains Motorola and its competing Ready For device presently, however rumours recommend different manufactures might be operating on construction the tech into upcoming flagship smartphones.
Even when you’ve determined on an alt-mode to make use of – I’m the use of DeX for trying out – the enjoy will nonetheless rely at the smartphone you’re the use of, and the to be had energy.
Once you’ve were given all that attached, the DeX device is rather spectacular. It sports activities a glance now not dissimilar to that of Windows 11, with a Start menu, device tray and taskbar, with conventional Android navigation buttons to make the use of unsupported DeX apps a bit more uncomplicated to make use of – however extra on that during just a little.
There’s an app menu the place you’ll browse from the entire put in apps in your smartphone, operating in a similar fashion to that of Chrome OS and macOS, entire with a seek bar when you’ve were given a selected app in thoughts. You too can create shortcuts in your desktop for simple get entry to to steadily used apps, identical to on a conventional desktop.
When it involves apps, you’re loose to make use of any app these days put in in your smartphone at the giant display screen, however now not all apps are supported and optimised for the DeX device – video games that depend on gyroscope controls, for instance, received’t translate neatly to the DeX desktop enjoy, and it’s a identical tale for swipe-based apps too.
The excellent information is that the majority productiveness apps – together with Microsoft Office, Zoom, Skype, Parallels, Adobe Photoshop Express, Premiere Rush and Chrome – are totally optimised for the device and paintings completely neatly with an ordinary keyboard and mouse. Apps which might be totally optimised may also be resized on display screen, and so they’ll play great with the DeX split-screen features too.
Unsupported apps, alternatively, be offering a hard and fast window with out a measurement adjustment to be had – even supposing you’ll power full-screen by means of DeX Labs. That’s effective for some, however it will now not paintings completely throughout all apps. There is the workaround of the use of internet apps by means of Google Chrome for supported packages, however it’s now not splendid.
Apps apart, the enjoy is cast, even supposing this may occasionally most probably rely on how a lot energy and RAM your smartphone has – the extra robust it’s, the extra apps you’ll be capable to run concurrently with out efficiency problems.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and its mixture of Snapdragon 865 and 8GB of RAM are greater than sufficient for multi-app use in my enjoy, however the ones short of the most productive conceivable enjoy will wish to go for flagship gadgets just like the Exynos 2100/16GB-equipped Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.
The advantage of further USB ports and two SD card readers manner you’ll simply plug in exterior garage containing displays or photographs (splendid for photographers), and the Ethernet connectivity will supply a solid video chat enjoy too. Though it’ll in large part rely at the explicit apps and utilization, there’s surely doable for the Targus dock + Samsung DeX device to exchange a conventional pc setup.
Price
The Targus Universal USB-C Phone Dock is available in at a not-insignificant £109.99/$119.99, however when you’ll employ the connectivity – the USB ports, Ethernet, SD card readers – then it’s a worthy acquire that does are available a lot inexpensive than a pc.
If you wish to have to check the waters of the DeX device with out committing to a dock setup, you should all the time go for a extra inexpensive £29.99/$39 Samsung DeX USB-C to HDMI cable.
If you’re tempted, the Targus Universal USB-C Phone Dock is in the stores from Targus without delay in the United Kingdom and US.
Verdict
The mixture of Targus Universal USB-C Phone Dock and Samsung DeX received’t win over everyone, however for the folks that like the speculation of having the ability to run desktop-style apps at the giant display screen with only a small dock, it’s an intriguing choice bursting with connectivity choices splendid for paintings.
Specs
Targus Universal USB-C Phone Dock: Specs
- 100 x 100 x 25mm
- 300g
- Compatible with maximum USB-C DP Alt Mode (inc. Samsung DeX)
- 1x USB-C (v3.2) port with PD passthrough as much as 18W
- 2x USB-A (v3.2) ports
- SD card reader
- microSD card reader
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- 60-degree and 75-degree viewing angles
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