Samsung’s ‘News’ app launches with custom feeds and daily briefings

Samsung announced today that it’s introducing a “Samsung News” app that gives users access to everyday news from a variety of publications. The app, which will replace the company’s current “Samsung Free” app, includes custom news feeds, along with morning and evening briefings about the top news of the day.

The company’s current Samsung Free app, which offers access to news articles, podcasts, live TV, and games, will be rebranded to Samsung News. Unlike Samsung Free, the new revamped app solely focuses on news and podcasts, just like Apple News.

Samsung News offers access to news content from a variety of news outlets, including Axios, CNN, Fortune, Huffington Post, Newsweek, Reuters, Sports Illustrated, USA Today and more. Samsung says additional news outlets will be added to the app over time.

You can access news within the app through categorized feeds or though a “Following” tab that you can customize with your preferences 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 complied by a team of news editors to bring users the top headlines of the day in one place. There’s also the option to listen to podcasts within the app.

Image Credits: Samsung

Once you open the app, you’ll notice that it looks pretty similar to the Apple New interface. The homepage of the app highlights top stories and the bottom of the page lets you navigate between “News,” “Podcasts” and “Following.”

Samsung News is rolling out to U.S. Samsung Galaxy users as an update to Samsung Free starting today. 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 was designed to deliver breaking and premium news to the fingertips of Galaxy users 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 letting them curate their ideal news consumption experience with a single swipe.”

Although Samsung Galaxy users have had quick access to news via the Free app in the past, it’s been hidden and not that well-known. And of course, Samsung Galaxy users have had access to Google News as well, but today’s launch brings Samsung more in-line with what Apple offers its users through Apple News.

Samsung’s ‘News’ app launches with custom feeds and daily briefings by Aisha Malik originally published on TechCrunch