Samsung Internet 6.2 Makes It A Formidable Mobile Web Browser

Samsung has a ton of custom Android apps, some of them duplicating functionality already provided by, for example, Google. And almost all of those have been exclusive to Samsung's Galaxy phones only, sometimes even to certain models only. With the Samsung Internet web browser, Samsung has embarked on a journey outside of its comfort zone, bringing the app to devices outside its domain. And with the version 6.2 release, it may even become a decent alternative, especially for those who juggle multiple Android devices, with one of them being a Galaxy phone.

Unlike Samsung's other apps, Samsung Internet is actually compatible with any Android device running Android 5.0 Lollipop or higher. Of course, that's no reason to immediately jump ship, especially if you've already set up home on other mobile browsers. If you have been using Chrome, however, or use Chrome on your desktop, Samsung Internet makes the transition a bit easier by syncing with Chrome on the desktop via an extension. Of course, you will need to have a free Samsung account to make that work.

New in 6.2 is content and tracking blocking. Browser makers have become more and more conscious of the inappropriate tracking by websites, service providers, and sometimes even themselves. It's definitely encouraging to see Samsung following that trend, especially as it isn't exactly known for best privacy practices. Perhaps to allay concerns, Samsung is somewhat outsourcing the functionality to privacy protection company Disconnect, which may still raise some red flags for some.

Samsung Internet 6.2 also adds Night Mode as well as High Contrast mode. While they sometimes look similar, the two are definitely not the same. While High Contrast, as its name indicates, takes colors to high extremes in order to improve readability for visually impaired users, Night Mode gives it a software light on dark hue that cuts out the blue light as much as possible.

The update also rebases the browser to use version M56 of the Chromium engine and adds support for CSS Grids to be compatible with more sophisticated web page layouts. Users in the US will finally be able to use Samsung Pay from within the browser and will even be able to earn Rewards, as long as you use the browser, of course.

SOURCE: Samsung