Samsung's new Microsoft Continuum competitor "DeX" is impressive, but is it enough to really woo consumers? Here is why Samsung faces the same uphill battle that Microsoft does with hybrid devices.

Samsung yesterday announced the Galaxy S8 in a bold attempt to regain ground lost because of its Note 7 battery debacle. For the most part, the company appears to be on the right track. Early hands-on reviews are gushing over the phone's design, feature set, and new abilities. One of those capabilities is DeX, which is a terrible name but also an impressive feature. Samsung's DeX lets Galaxy S8 owners connect to a larger display – with a dock to become a PC ... kind of. That sounds a lot like Microsoft's Continuum, but it addresses a different problem for Samsung: how to move Android to the desktop from mobile. That's the opposite issue that Microsoft is trying to solve. Five things to know about the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the DeX dock Nonetheless, Samsung's DeX, which while very impressive as a 1.0 product, is hardly a sure-fire hit. Here are a few reasons to keep the idea of DeX as a threat to Microsoft Continuum in check. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more Samsung DeX is not cheap When HP's Elite x3 hit the market, many consumers balked at the $799 price tag. However, that amount included the premium HP Desk Dock with multiple USB ports and an Ethernet jack. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S8 retails for $750 with no desk dock, and the S8 Plus is $100 more. Samsung did not announce the pricing and availability of its desk dock, but some earlier reports pegged it at $150 (it also has a fan to cool things down, which is interesting; what happens with a wireless connection, if possible?). The point here is not that Elite x3 is some value proposition, but that at $900 (plus tax) Samsung's S8 and DeX are not priced for your average consumer. And that's not even including the "spare" display monitor needed. Keep in mind, Microsoft's long-term vision of Continuum is for emerging markets where many people will never have a decked-out Core i7 desktop PC. We're still years from that idea as pricing needs to come down, but it is not clear that middle- and upper-class consumers are the most viable target for Continuum or DeX in 2017. Who is DeX for? Microsoft's Continuum always seemed like a neat concept, but even with the Creators Update, it is best described as half-baked. Nonetheless, companies such as HP see real value in the idea — even if it's not fully realized today — for enterprise and specific professional markets where security and management are valued. Those are safe bets for HP due to no expenditure needed for consumer advertising and stocking store shelves. HP's move is smart, too, because as many critics have pointed out in the past, what regular consumer would want or need Continuum today? The technology is expensive, a bit clunky, and slow, especially compared to a laptop or tablet that users already likely own. Those are valid points, and they all apply to Samsung's DeX too, just on a larger scale. It is not only still expensive, it is not clear consumers need or even want an Android desktop solution.

Enterprises and businesses do not want Android due to the complexities of managing its security vulnerabilities. It is also evident that Samsung is not even targeting companies with the Galaxy S8 and DeX, just prosumers. Perhaps the oddest omission by Samsung with DeX is the modality. A lap dock would seem more apropos for consumers in 2017 than a desktop monitor. While nothing precludes Samsung from making such a device later, it is peculiar it did not start there first. Samsung's app gap problem Despite all of Google's success with Android, one area where it has failed is tablets. That's not for a lack of trying. Samsung and many other companies keep trying to win over audiences with Chromebooks and tablets, with little success. Chromebooks are seeing victory in U.S. schools, but that's about it. Part of the problem is that Android apps just do not scale very well. Developers need to do some heavy coding to make the apps tablet-ready, and due to lack of market share as an incentive, many do not bother. Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform (UWP), on the other hand, gives developers Continuum for free. Developers have little, if any, work to do in making a UWP app Continuum-ready. There are some mouse and cursor controls and making sure its elements work well scaled, but if it runs on Windows 10 for PC, it can run on Continuum. It's that simple.