Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KRX:005930) has made available different ad-blocking features on its mobile phones. The company has included the features in an updated browser that it has made available to its users. According to the company, the new feature is included in browsers that are used on phones based on the Android Lollipop platform. What this means is that users of phones that are based on this platform will be able to enjoy browsing the internet in an environment that is without advertisements.
This development is not new at all. Users of iPhones are able to block advertisements from their browsers. Apple was one of the first smartphone manufacturers to include ad blocking content to its Safari browser that is used in its iPhones.
The manner in which the technology works is simple. Advertisements are said to be responsible for slowing down the time that it takes for web pages to load. When this happens, users tend to experience slower loading times and this makes browsing an unpleasant experience. However, with the development of content blocking software, phone manufacturers can include the software into the browsers that they use in their phones. The software then blocks all advertisement-related content, making it possible for users to experience faster loading times and websites that are free from clutter.
The reason as to why the recent development is welcome is that blocking ads on mobile browsers has not been a common practice. Since Apple made the bold step of making it possible for users of iPhones to block ad-related content from their browsers, there has been little activity in the field. Indicatively, when one looks at how developers of ad-blocking software have been performing on the Apple Store, it is clear that the market has not been intent on having ad-blocking software on its devices.
This state of affairs has given rise to the development of ad-blocking applications by third parties. The applications are created to be compatible with the main browsers that are used on specific smartphones. It is in light of this that Samsung made its Samsung Internet browser compatible with an application known as Adblock Fast. The application can be easily accessed by users of Samsung phones since it can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Therefore, it remains to be seen how popular ad-blocking features that Samsung has made easily available to users of its smartphones are going to be.
