Samsung photo
April 18, 2023
Samsung is launching a branded news app aimed at giving Galaxy consumers portable access to myriad third-party news organizations.
Launching in beta, Samsung News will be rolled out in the U.S. to Galaxy device users as an update to Samsung Free. Users who already have the “Free” app on their device will see the icon change to Samsung News starting today (April 18), when their apps are updated. All other users will be able to access the app by downloading directly from the Samsung Galaxy Store. At first the feature will be available on select phones, and in the coming weeks, it will roll out to all addressable devices.
The app will initially provide access to news content from a range of partners, including Bloomberg Media, CNN, Fortune, Fox News, Glamour, GQ, HuffPost, Money, Newsweek, New York Post, Parade, Politico, Refinery29, Salon, Slate, Sports Illustrated, The Daily Beast, TheStreet, USA Today, and Vice. Additional news sources will be added to the app over time through Samsung’s syndication partner, upday.
“We created [the app] 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,” Avner Ronen, VP of product development at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.
Samsung News offers users three 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.
“Syndication and strategic partnerships are how we ensure our content reaches far beyond the HuffPost footprint,” said editor-in-chief Danielle Belton.
Caroline Harris, VP, partnerships, Gannett (parent of USA Today), said reaching users on their mobile devices is key.
“Expanding our reach with breaking news and impactful journalism across Samsung’s network further advances our mission to reach millions of readers where they are — on their mobile phones,” Harris said.