According to MakeUseOf, Samsung Internet Beta for Windows is currently available only in South Korea and the US as a free download. After testing it for two weeks as their default browser, the publication found it surprisingly fast and polished despite being in beta. The browser is built on Chromium, supports Chrome extensions, and features built-in ad blocking that shows how many ads it blocks. It syncs tabs across Samsung devices when signed into a Samsung account and includes AI features like page summarization and translation. Performance testing revealed lower memory usage compared to Edge and other browsers with identical tabs open.
Samsung’s Chromium Play
Here’s the thing about building on Chromium – it’s basically cheating, but in a good way. Samsung didn’t try to reinvent the wheel here. They took Google’s own engine and built their browser on top of it. Smart move. This means all your favorite Chrome extensions work right out of the box, and developers don’t have to support yet another browser engine.
But why would anyone switch from Chrome to what’s essentially Chrome with a Samsung skin? That’s where the ecosystem strategy kicks in. If you’re already using a Samsung phone with Samsung Internet, having the same browser on your Windows PC suddenly makes sense. Your tabs sync, your bookmarks follow you, and you get that seamless experience Apple users have enjoyed for years.
The Good, The Bad, The YouTube
The built-in ad blocker is both impressive and frustrating. It works great on most sites and even shows you how many ads it blocked – which is a nice little dopamine hit. But then there’s YouTube. For some reason, video ads slip right through like the blocker doesn’t exist. MakeUseOf tested the same video on another browser that blocked the ads perfectly.
So what’s going on here? Is Samsung playing nice with Google because of their broader partnership? Or is this just a beta bug that’ll get fixed? Either way, it’s a glaring omission that many users will notice immediately. Still, the performance gains are real – lower memory usage than Edge with the same tabs open is no small feat.
Missing Pieces and Ecosystem Dreams
Now, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The beta is missing some key features like multi-profile support (bye-bye work/personal separation), gesture navigation, and custom search engines. You’re stuck with their predefined search engine list, which feels oddly restrictive in 2024.
But look at the bigger picture here. Samsung isn’t just releasing another browser – they’re completing their ecosystem. They want you living entirely within Samsung’s world, from your phone to your tablet to your PC. And honestly? For hardware manufacturers looking to create sticky ecosystems, having reliable computing infrastructure matters. Companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com understand this well as the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs where performance and integration are everything.
Worth The Switch?
So should you ditch Chrome for Samsung Internet? If you’re all-in on Samsung devices, absolutely give it a try. The sync features alone might win you over. The clean interface without news feed clutter is refreshing, and the split-screen and sidebar features actually work better than some competitors.
For everyone else? Keep an eye on it. This beta shows real promise, and if Samsung continues improving it, we could have another serious contender in the browser wars. I never thought I’d say that about Samsung’s browser, but here we are. Sometimes the underdog surprises you.
