Galaxy Tab S6 Lite Finally Gets Samsung DeX Feature

When Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite last year, it offered most of the 2019 Galaxy Tab S6's goodness in a watered-down and affordable package. Of course, not all features were available to the mid-range tablet and the most notable absence was that of Samsung DeX. It seems, however, that Samsung may have had a change of heart but didn't also make a big fuss about the fact that the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite now supports DeX mode thanks to the recent One UI 3.1 update.

Samsung DeX was originally created for the company's high-end flagship phones that enabled them to be used like portable desktops when connected to an external screen. That feature, however, makes even more sense on a tablet that already has a large screen and can have a keyboard and a mouse easily connected. Samsung did make that feature available on tablets since the Galaxy Tab S4 but strangely left it out from the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite.

It may have been due to hardware restrictions but the Galaxy Tab S5e, also a "lite" model, actually had Samsung DeX from the get-go. Regardless of the reason, Samsung seems to be correcting that now and has silently rolled out Samsung DeX to the mid-tier tablet.

SamMobile does note that with Galaxy Tab S6 Lite's less than premium specs, DeX's performance may not be as good compared to, say, the Galaxy Tab S6. It could still offer a better desktop-like experience when the tablet is used with a keyboard and mouse. That said, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite doesn't have an official Samsung keyboard accessory with a built-in trackpad, unlike the Galaxy Tab S6 and Galaxy Tab S7.

The One UI 3.1 update started rolling out to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite last week, skipping One UI version 3.0 completely. That update also upgraded the tablet to Android 11 and included the March 2021 security patches. And with Samsung DeX now onboard, the tablet just become more attractive to those who have big screen needs but smaller budgets.