Samsung Updates Policy to Eliminate Ads from Certain Pre-installed Apps on Select Devices
Samsung Updates Policy to Eliminate Ads from Certain Pre-installed Apps on Select Devices
After Samsung president TM Roh shared with Korean newspaper Yonhap his plans to reduce ads in some of the company's default pre-installed apps, Samsung has publicly confirmed they will indeed eliminate these promotions later this year.
As reported by Yonhap, during a recent Samsung "town hall" meeting, an employee brought up the topic, resulting in Roh's decision to eliminate ads from several first-party Samsung apps.
After Roh's announcement at the town hall, the company's spokesperson spoke to The Verge and confirmed that elimination of ads will take place later this year, through an upcoming update.
"Samsung has made a decision to stop advertising in proprietary apps such as Samsung Weather, Samsung Pay, and Samsung Theme. Our main goal is to provide our customers with innovative mobile experiences tailored to their needs and preferences. We highly value user feedback and remain committed to improving their experiences through our Galaxy products and services."
Users of Samsung phones will welcome this change, as ads in these apps have prompted complaints from customers, especially in premium devices like the Galaxy S21 Ultra or Samsung's foldable Z-series phones. Although Samsung hasn't set a specific date for the update's arrival, it's likely that it'll feature in Samsung's annual One UI revamp, typically released in late fall over the past few years.
Notifications from apps like Samsung Global Goals can also prove to be somewhat annoying. Screenshot by Sam Rutherford
Though this is an encouraging step, hopefully, it indicates the beginning of a broader effort to reduce ads in other Samsung apps and devices, notably Samsung TVs, which have faced similar criticism for displaying ads in menus on their premium TVs.
Ads in notifications sent to Samsung devices following major product launches, or apps like Samsung Global Goals encouraging users to join its program, are other examples where change is desired.
Ideally, Samsung should eliminate ads from all of its apps and devices, except when users give explicit permission for promotions. This is more acceptable in devices like Amazon's Kindle e-readers, where devices with ads have a lower price tag and are clearly labeled.
Unfortunately, businesses often seek to make the most profit from every possible source, which may make ads in menus an inevitable part of our lives, as observed in cases like the recent Android TV update for the Nvidia Shield.
This tech-driven decision by Samsung to eliminate ads from their default apps is firmly rooted in their vision for the future of technology. Moving forward, users can expect a more streamlined experience with apps like Samsung Weather, Samsung Pay, and Samsung Theme, free from advertisements.