Samsung Electronics to join PC browser market

Samsung Electronics Co. will release the Windows PC version of its default Samsung Internet browser that is pre-installed on the flagship Galaxy smartphones.

“Samsung Electronics is preparing the PC version of the Samsung Internet browser,” an unnamed industry official said on Sunday. “A test version has been uploaded to the Microsoft Store, but it is currently unavailable. The official release is expected soon.”

The uploading of the test version was done in November 2023 and by installing the app, users can use the Samsung Internet browser on PCs as well as smartphones.

Samsung Electronics’ decision to release the Samsung Internet for PCs aims to enhance connectivity with PCs to improve consumer convenience. Browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Apple Safari are already integrated on PCs and users can synchronize bookmarks, settings, and browsing history between the mobile and PC platforms.

According to StatCounter, Google Chrome dominates the web browser market when combining desktop, tablet, and mobile usage, with 62.85 percent of the market share as of November 2023. Apple Safari, the default browser on iPhones and MacBooks, accounts for 20.04 percent, followed by Microsoft Corp., who once led the market with Internet Explorer, taking 5.5 percent with its MS Edge browser.

Mozilla Foundation’s Mozilla follows with 3.23 percent, Opera Software’s Opera 3.17 percent, and Samsung Internet 2.44 percent.

Samsung Electronics’ market share is boosted partly by the default web browser on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, particularly in the domestic market where it has a large user base.

When it comes to the local internet browser market, Chrome is in the lead with a 54.1 percent share as of October 2023, followed by Samsung Internet (15.8 percent), Apple Safari (14.8 percent), Naver Whale (7.6 percent), MS Edge (6 percent), and Mozilla Firefox (0.7 percent).

Samsung Internet, like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Naver Whale, is built on the open-source Chromium browser code.

Web browsers are provided as free services and play a crucial role in consumers’ internet activities. Google Chrome’s default use of Google Search contributes to Google’s dominance in the search advertising market. If Samsung Electronics’ browser gains traction in the PC market, it could potentially increase licensing fees.

In Korea, Naver’s Whale browser, introduced in 2017, is also competing in the web browser and search service market.

Browsers also serve as essential means to collect various user internet activity data, gaining importance in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) where data is increasingly valued, and can also expand into the software ecosystem via plugins.

The Chrome Web Store has registered 123,000 extensions and 29,000 themes as of 2022. Many of these include paid services, serving as a means for companies to distribute services and generate revenue.