Samsung Free got redesigned and rebranded again in April. Now the content aggregation platform is known as Samsung News, and it looks like the tech giant is preparing to release it in more markets.
Samsung announced the change from Free to News at the beginning of April. Later that month, Samsung News debuted in the USA, but the company made no mention of the platform's availability in other markets. Now, evidence suggests that News should be coming to Europe soon.
The content aggregation platform is clearing regulatory hurdles
A new application at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) confirms that Samsung is getting ready to bring the News aggregation platform to more markets (via Galaxy Club). After the original USA release in April, Europe might be next.
The trademark application is accompanied by the app's new icon design you see above. The “Goods and Services” section describes “computer software for users to share daily information to provide interactive and personalized intelligence.”
For a less vague description, Samsung News offers three ways for users to find content via Daily Briefings, News Feeds, and Podcasts. In the USA, Samsung's platform brings together content from partners such as Bloomberg Media, CNN, Fortune, Fox News, Sports Illustrated, USA TODAY, Vice, and others. However, the recent trademark application doesn't clarify which partners the company may or may not have picked for Samsung News in Europe.
The tech giant has a rich history with its Google Discover competitor/alternative, but whether or not the “News” rebrand and redesign sticks is to be determined. Originally, Samsung released its interactive content aggregation home screen for Galaxy devices under the Bixby Home name. Then, the platform was renamed to Samsung Daily, only to be later known as Samsung Free. Now, it's Samsung News, and if anything, the new moniker should be less confusing and better communicate what the app does.
Time will tell when Samsung News lands in Europe. But whenever Samsung replaces the Free platform with News in more markets, Galaxy phone and tablet users will notice a new app icon and a different layout that offers new ways to discover online content and listen to podcasts.
