Samsung has quietly built an impressive suite of productivity apps and services on Windows, including Samsung Notes, Gallery, SmartThings, Samsung Studio, and Quick Share. But by keeping these apps exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy Book lineup, the company is limiting its potential and missing out on opportunities. In this post, I argue that Samsung needs to embrace a broader audience and release these apps to all Windows devices. This strategic move will benefit Samsung Galaxy mobile phone users and solidify Samsung’s ecosystem and brand presence in the competitive PC market.
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5 Samsung is clearly not a leader in the PC space
Samsung makes great hardware with its Galaxy Book series. Still, the company accounts for a small portion of the global PC market compared to the larger players. The Korean giant has unnecessarily limited its apps and services to the Galaxy Book lineup. After all, Samsung laptops aren’t the natural choice for Galaxy phone users.
Samsung can fill this gap by bringing its apps and services to other Windows devices. Imagine a scenario where a Galaxy S24 Ultra user can seamlessly access Samsung Notes or SmartThings on a Dell or HP laptop. This allows us to provide a consistent user experience to our loyal customer base and encourage them to stay within Samsung’s app ecosystem. If you’re a power user, if your favorite apps (like Samsung Notes) aren’t available on your desktop, you might switch to a cross-platform solution like OneNote or Evernote.
4 Galaxy app is really good
Samsung’s apps are often derided as mediocre copies of Google services on Android. However, this perception is far from the truth. One UI app is enough. Samsung has invested heavily in its software ecosystem, and it shows. These apps are feature-rich, well-designed, and easily compete with Google and Microsoft.
Apps like Samsung Notes, SmartThings, Gallery, Tasks, and Flow deserve more users on Windows. Samsung is doing a disservice to its users and their software by making them exclusive to Galaxy Books.
3 Accelerate app adoption and improvement
Source: Unsplash / Wikimedia Commons
As Samsung apps become more available on Windows devices, more people will use them and generate valuable data about their behaviors, preferences, and pain points. A larger user base generates more feedback, bug reports, and feature requests. This allows Samsung to identify and resolve issues, resulting in shorter development cycles and more frequent updates.
Opening Samsung’s productivity apps and services to the broader Windows market will put it in competition with existing players. This competitive pressure is driving Samsung to innovate and improve its products to stay relevant and attract users. Imagine Samsung Notes borrowing some of OneNote’s top features, or the Gallery app adopting Microsoft Photos’ AI capabilities.
Feedback like this also helps us improve One UI apps on Samsung phones and tablets. This benefits everyone, as Samsung’s apps become more sophisticated, powerful, and feature-rich.
2 Embrace openness and accessibility
We live in a cross-platform world. Even Apple, often criticized for restricting its own apps and services, is exploring rival platforms like Android and Windows. Restricting the app to Galaxy Books creates an artificial barrier that frustrates users and hinders productivity.
Opening up and breaking away from a closed ecosystem will benefit users and enhance Samsung’s image as a leader in innovation and accessibility.
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1 A glimpse into the Galaxy ecosystem
Source: Samsung
Make no mistake! I don’t support Samsung releasing all the great features on rival Windows devices. The Korean giant could smartly release something relevant and keep certain features for Galaxy Book users. Features like Galaxy Buds that perfectly switch between tablet, laptop, and phone, and the ability to receive calls from your laptop may be limited to the Galaxy Book.
Imagine this. A Windows user downloads Samsung Notes and wants to seamlessly sync it with a Samsung phone. They tried SmartThings and realized how easily they could control their smart home devices. This strategy can be powerful. Users get a taste of the Galaxy experience through the app and are captivated by the unique features only available on Galaxy Book.
This is the power of giving you a glimpse into the Galaxy ecosystem. By opening up key apps to Windows users, Samsung could provide a seamless connectivity experience and potentially encourage users to consider the Galaxy Book as their next purchase.
Expand the Galaxy ecosystem
Thanks to its dominant position in the mobile phone and tablet space, Samsung has a unique opportunity to increase its presence in the PC space. The company can take strategic steps to showcase its software capabilities and provide users with a wider range of choices. The company can also display the magic of Galaxy AI on the latest Copilot+ PC.
