What you need to know
- Samsung announces Samsung News in the U.S. for select Galaxy device owners.
- It is a revamped version of the existing Samsung Free application.
- The new feature is being rolled out in beta involving major publications as trusted sources.
Samsung News is a new medium to discover news on Galaxy devices. It is yet another attempt from the company to take on Google Discover on the home screen of its devices.
In an announcement blog post, the company stated that Samsung News, which is launching in beta in the U.S., will present consumers with news from trusted news sources involving major outlets like Bloomberg Media, CNN, and Fox News, among others. The rollout is for select Galaxy phones for a start, and while the company did not state which devices will receive it first, we can expect the Galaxy S23 series to be among them.
“We created Samsung News to deliver breaking and premium news to Galaxy users in an easy to access format. Our goal is to support users by letting them curate their ideal news experience,” said Avner Ronen, VP of Product Development at Samsung Electronics.
The added feature redesigns the Samsung Free app, which is accessible from the home screen. Technically speaking, this is a second redesign because it was previously Bixby Home and Samsung Daily.
For those unaware, Samsung Free debuted with One UI 3, based on Android 11. It allowed users to watch Live TV, and free channels, listen to podcasts from top publishers, check on the news through video and text, and play instant games. The latest revamp, however, makes it more convenient by segregating them into fewer sections and primarily focusing on the news segment.
Samsung News will offer consumers the following three easy ways to find news within the app:
- Daily Briefings: Delivered twice a day (Morning Briefing and Evening Briefing), Samsung is working with a team of experienced news editors to bring users the top headlines of the day, all in one place.
- News Feeds: Users can view a feed of news from Samsung’s partners, categorized and organized for easy access, and in the “Following” tab users can update their preferences to customize the news they see.
- Podcasts: Users can listen to their favorite news and entertainment podcasts directly within the Samsung News app.
As mentioned, Samsung News is launching the beta, replacing the current Samsung Free application from the Galaxy Store. And, for those who have the Samsung Free preinstalled on their Galaxy phones, the new Samsung News icon will replace the current one starting April 18.
Many Galaxy device holders are deeply invested in Google’s Discover from the start, which is also a default news aggregator in many Android phones. Samsung Free is also an easily accessible option for many. However, those that don't have Samsung Free on their devices will be able to head to the Galaxy Store to download the Samsung News app and make it their default news aggregator.
