Samsung today announced that it is introducing a “Samsung News” app that gives users access to everyday news from various publications. The app, which will replace the company’s current “Samsung Free” app, will feature customized news feeds, along with morning and evening briefings on the day’s top news.
The company’s current Samsung Free app, which provides access to news articles, podcasts, live TV and games, will be rebranded as Samsung News. Unlike Samsung Free, the new revamped app focuses solely on news and podcasts, just like Apple News.
Samsung News provides access to news content from various news outlets, including Axios, CNN, Fortune, Huffington Post, Newsweek, Reuters, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and more. Samsung says additional newscasts will be added to the app over time.
You can access news within the app through categorized feeds or through a “Following” tab that you can customize based on the news you want to see. Samsung News also includes daily briefings that are delivered twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening. The company says these briefings are conducted by a team of news editors to bring users the most important headlines of the day in one place. There is also the option to listen to podcasts within the app.
Image Credits: Samsung
Once you open the app, you will notice that it is quite similar to the Apple New interface. The app’s home page highlights top stories, and at the bottom of the page you can navigate between “News,” “Podcasts,” and “Following.”
Samsung News is rolling out to US Samsung Galaxy users starting today as an update to Samsung Free. Users who already have the Samsung Free app on their device will see the icon change to Samsung News starting today when their apps are updated. If you don’t already have the free app, you can download the new News app directly from the Samsung Galaxy Store.
“Samsung News is designed to bring the latest and premium news to Galaxy users’ fingertips in an easy-to-access format,” said Avner Ronen, the VP of Product Development at Samsung Electronics, in a press release. “Our goal is to empower consumers by enabling them to create their ideal news consumption experience with a single swipe.”
While Samsung Galaxy users have had quick access to news through the free app in the past, it was hidden and not very well known. And of course Samsung Galaxy users have also had access to Google News, but today’s launch brings Samsung more in line with what Apple offers its users through Apple News.