A phone transforms into something closer to a desktop environment
Samsung has quietly signaled a shift in how it understands the phone — not as a pocket-sized companion, but as a full instrument of human productivity. With the One UI 8.5 update rolling out to the Galaxy S26 and beyond, the company has restored DeX, its desktop mode, while simultaneously pushing artificial intelligence deeper into older devices that many had assumed were nearing obsolescence. It is a reminder that the tools we already carry may have more to offer than we have yet asked of them.
- DeX, Samsung's desktop mode that transforms a phone into a workstation when connected to an external display, had quietly disappeared from recent software — its return in One UI 8.5 is being treated as a meaningful reversal.
- The update doesn't stop at the Galaxy S26: Samsung is cascading AI features down to older phones and tablets, disrupting the assumption that cutting-edge functionality belongs only to those who buy new hardware.
- A ticking clock looms — Samsung has signaled that some older devices will stop receiving updates after 2026, making this update cycle a closing window for millions of users to access new capabilities.
- The rollout is already underway in Brazil, beginning with the Galaxy S25 lineup, with Samsung's methodical, phased strategy pushing features outward from flagships to the broader ecosystem over time.
Samsung has brought back DeX — the desktop mode that lets a Galaxy phone connect to an external display and behave like a proper computer — with the arrival of One UI 8.5 on the Galaxy S26. The feature's absence from recent software had been noticed, and its return was flagged by multiple tech outlets as significant enough to stand apart from the update's other changes.
Beyond DeX, One UI 8.5 represents a deliberate push to embed artificial intelligence throughout Samsung's ecosystem rather than reserving it for the newest hardware. Older Galaxy phones and tablets are being brought into the fold, receiving AI capabilities that once belonged exclusively to flagship devices. Samsung appears to be treating AI not as a selling point for new buyers, but as a foundational layer of its operating system — something every user deserves access to.
The rollout has already begun in Brazil, starting with the Galaxy S25 lineup and moving outward in stages. There is urgency embedded in this timeline: Samsung has indicated that some older models will stop receiving updates after 2026, meaning the current cycle represents a genuine opportunity for owners of two- or three-year-old devices to gain meaningful new functionality before that window closes.
What distinguishes this update is its implicit acknowledgment that not everyone replaces their phone annually — and that software alone can make older hardware feel current again. The return of DeX, paired with broader AI integration, suggests Samsung is thinking seriously about how people actually use their phones: as tools for work and creation, not merely for communication.
Samsung has brought back DeX, the desktop mode that lets you plug a phone into a monitor and work like you're at a computer, and it's arriving with the One UI 8.5 update rolling out to the Galaxy S26. The feature had been absent from Samsung's recent software iterations, making its return notable enough that multiple tech outlets across Brazil flagged it as worth announcing separately from the broader update.
The One UI 8.5 update represents Samsung's effort to push artificial intelligence deeper into its device ecosystem. Beyond the S26, the company is extending AI capabilities to older Galaxy phones and tablets, broadening the reach of features that were once reserved for flagship hardware. This expansion suggests Samsung sees AI not as a luxury for new buyers but as a foundational layer of its operating system going forward.
DeX itself is a productivity tool with a specific use case: connect your Galaxy S26 to an external display via USB-C or wireless connection, and the phone transforms into something closer to a desktop environment. You get a taskbar, resizable windows, and the ability to run multiple apps simultaneously in ways the phone's native interface doesn't easily support. For people who work on their phones regularly or travel without a laptop, it's genuinely useful. Its return signals that Samsung is doubling down on the idea that a flagship phone can do more than just be a phone.
The broader One UI 8.5 rollout has already begun reaching devices in Brazil, starting with the Galaxy S25 lineup. Samsung's update strategy appears to be methodical—pushing features to current flagships first, then cascading them down to older models over time. The company has indicated that some older devices will stop receiving updates after 2026, which means there's a window for owners of slightly older Galaxy phones to get new functionality before that support window closes.
What makes this update cycle interesting is the deliberate integration of AI across the board rather than gatekeeping it to the newest hardware. Samsung is betting that users with two- or three-year-old phones will still find value in the new features, and that keeping those devices current with AI tools keeps them competitive against the upgrade cycle. It's a strategy that acknowledges the reality that not everyone buys a new phone every year, and that older hardware can still deliver meaningful improvements through software alone.
The reintroduction of DeX alongside these AI expansions suggests Samsung is thinking about how people actually use their phones—not just as communication devices, but as tools for work, creation, and productivity. Whether users will embrace the feature at scale remains to be seen, but its return indicates Samsung believes the market is ready for it again.
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Samsung is extending AI capabilities to older Galaxy phones and tablets, broadening the reach of features that were once reserved for flagship hardware— Samsung's update strategy
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why bring back DeX now, after it's been absent for a while? What changed?
Samsung probably realized that as phones get more powerful and people work more remotely, the ability to turn your phone into a desktop environment becomes genuinely useful. It's not a gimmick if people actually use it.
But most people don't have a monitor sitting around to plug their phone into.
True, but the people who do—remote workers, creatives, people in transit—they're the ones who matter for a feature like this. Samsung isn't trying to make DeX essential for everyone. They're trying to make it available for the people who need it.
What about the AI expansion to older devices? Is that genuine capability or marketing?
It's both. The AI features are real—they do things like enhance photos, summarize text, help with productivity. But Samsung is also using the expansion to older devices as a way to justify keeping those phones in people's hands longer. It's good for the user and good for Samsung's ecosystem lock-in.
So the 2026 cutoff for updates—is that when older phones become obsolete?
Not obsolete, but unsupported. They'll still work, but they won't get new features or security patches. It's a natural lifecycle, but it does create pressure to upgrade eventually.
Does this feel like Samsung is genuinely trying to extend phone lifespans, or just managing the update burden?
Probably both. Extending support to 2026 is longer than many competitors offer, so there's real commitment there. But it's also practical—supporting too many old devices becomes expensive and complicated. Samsung is finding a middle ground.