Browsers: Samsung adds what Google lacks
Samsung Browser now includes features Google Chrome lacks. Ad blockers, customizable toolbars, and Video Assistant for cleaner playback set it apart. The app feels more integrated with OneUI, giving Android users a better browsing experience. Previously, Chrome was preferred for its synchronization across devices, but with the increasing use of Microsoft Edge on desktops and Safari on iPhones, Samsung's browser offers a compelling alternative. Its design aligns more closely with Samsung's user interface, making it feel like a better fit for Galaxy phone users.
Chrome once had the edge for syncing across devices. But with Edge and Safari now more prevalent, Samsung Browser wins by doing more with OneUI. It's not just a different browser—it’s a better one for Galaxy users. Samsung Browser supports tools such as ad blocking, which Chrome lacks, and it opens videos in Samsung's own player with cleaner controls. The ability to rearrange or remove items in the toolbar is another unique feature that enhances user experience. Overall, it offers a more tailored browsing experience under Samsung's software.
Notes: A full-featured alternative to Keep
Samsung Notes does everything a robust note-taking app should. It handles formatting, audio recording, PDF annotations, and even works with Galaxy AI to translate and summarize notes. This is what Google Keep should be. For those who have ever wanted Google Keep to be more than just digital sticky notes, Samsung Notes fills the gap. It can manage substantial content, including audio recordings linked directly to notes, making it ideal for organizing lectures or meetings.
Features like linking notes to specific points in an audio recording make Samsung Notes a standout. It doesn't matter if you don't have an S Pen—the app still feels powerful and complete. With the Note Assist feature from Galaxy AI, users can quickly reformat and translate text. Users without an S Pen may still find most functions accessible and useful. The ability to annotate PDFs within the same app, without needing to switch to an editor, makes it even more convenient.
Gallery: More editing, less cloud dependency
Samsung Gallery avoids forcing cloud storage on users. Generative Edit lets you remove objects and fill in backgrounds directly in the app. This is ideal for people who prefer storing photos locally, like those juggling multiple phones for work and personal use. Unlike Google Photos, which is centered around cloud backup, Samsung Gallery focuses on local storage. This is especially useful for users who manage separate phones for different purposes and want to avoid automatic uploads to the cloud.
While Google Photos excels at cross-device syncing, Samsung Gallery wins for being a standalone app that doesn’t treat cloud storage as a must-have. You can still sync to OneDrive if needed, but it's not the default. The Generative Edit feature is particularly impressive, allowing users to edit photos directly on the device. For those who don’t rely as heavily on cloud storage, this makes Samsung Gallery a more practical option. It still offers integration with external storage like OneDrive, but it prioritizes a local-first approach.
Samsung Calendar is not the reason to switch. It syncs with devices just as well as Google Calendar and works fine with Gmail. But it doesn’t bring new features that would convince users to leave Google's ecosystem. Despite the strong performance of Google Calendar in syncing across devices and integrating with Gmail, Samsung Calendar does not offer new features that would prompt a switch. It functions adequately within the Samsung ecosystem but lacks the innovation needed to stand out from its Google counterpart.