Samsung is ready to finally allay consumer concerns and stop showing ads in the pre-installed apps available on Galaxy phones. The default apps that will no longer show ads as a result of an update are Samsung Weather, Samsung Pay, and Samsung Theme. Like some Chinese competitors, including Xiaomi, Samsung shows ads on its phones, even on the high-end models like the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the newly launched Galaxy Z Flip 3. Some customers complained about the unwanted promotional content that despite thousands of rupees ( or hundreds of dollars) on premium phones.
During an internal meeting at the town hall, Samsung’s mobile chief TM Roh said the company had decided to remove ads from its native apps, as reported by South Korean news agency Yonhap. The aim of the new decision is to improve the user experience on Samsung Galaxy phones.
Samsung confirmed the development in a separate statement to The Verge, stressing that the update will reach users later in 2021.
“Samsung has decided to stop advertising on its apps, including Samsung Weather, Samsung Pay and Samsung Theme. The update will be ready later this year,” the company said, as quoted by The Verge.
The Yonhap report mentions that the update will be available through a new One UI release. However, it is currently unclear whether the change will affect all users, including those who have affordable Galaxy phones. The company has also not confirmed whether the update will be available to consumers in India in addition to their counterparts around the world. Gadgets 360 has approached Samsung with questions about both points. This report will be updated as soon as we hear anything.
Last year, some Samsung users complained on Reddit about the unwanted ads appearing on their phones. Some screenshots were shared by users to highlight that the company was showing ads of various sizes, not just text-based ads, but those with images, and even occupy nearly a third of the screen.
While users can switch to some of the alternatives of the preloaded apps to remove ads, this is not a solution one should take or expect after spending a lot of money on a flagship phone.
Samsung isn’t the only one on the market to display ads through the pre-installed apps on phones. Several Chinese companies are notorious for cashing in on their user base by displaying promotional content on their phones. In fact, Samsung’s arch-rival and one of the biggest Chinese suppliers, Xiaomi is notorious for displaying ads even on the interface.
