Regardless of whether agentic AI is the future of the web, the AI-based browser wars are really starting to heat up. Following the launches of AI-focused tools from Perplexity and OpenAI, Samsung is throwing its hat in the ring with the arrival of its Android-based browser on PC.
On Windows, Samsung Internet is more focused on AI than ever before. The company says its new desktop browser includes “early Galaxy AI capabilities” like Browsing Assist, which delivers translation and summarization tools to whatever page you’re currently visiting. That’s a much quieter focus on AI than, say, OpenAI’s Atlas browser on Mac, but don’t expect it to stay that way forever. Samsung says this browser is “built for the future of ambient AI,” and while that undoubtedly sounds like a boring collection of buzzwords, it certainly points to a similar goal as other AI-centric web browsers.
Outside of Galaxy AI, Samsung Internet for PC will include sync support for bookmarks, history, and passwords across any device running the app. It also includes a Privacy Dashboard for viewing trackers, blocking pop-ups, and much more. Presumably, it’ll also include the option to use extensions like ad blockers, and if it’s based on Chromium — like most modern browsers these days — that should open up extension support even further.
Samsung Internet is about as popular a third-party browser as you’ll find on Android these days, thanks to its inclusion on Galaxy devices and, if we’re being honest, that aforementioned ad blocker inclusion. Even outside of those elements, though, there’s a lot to like about Samsung Internet. I made the switch years ago after growing tired of Chrome’s lack of bottom address bar support, and frankly, I haven’t made the switch back even after Google finally made good on that long-standing promise.
Although Samsung says this is the first time its browser has made its way to desktop, that’s not entirely correct. Some users might remember an early, uncelebrated launch in late 2023 on the Microsoft Store, before it was quietly pulled in early 2024. If you’ll indulge in some pure speculation, that timeframe lines up perfectly with the launch of Galaxy AI, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Samsung saw some strategy in waiting for its inclusion before making this desktop-class browser finally official.
Samsung Internet will arrive on Windows-based PCs in beta starting tomorrow, October 30th, for users in the US and South Korea, with additional regions and a stable launch to follow.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Source link
