Samsung today announced the launch of Samsung Max, its new Android application for mobile data savings, data usage monitoring, enhanced Wi-Fi security, and application privacy management. Technically, Samsung Max is not a new app, but rather a substantial Samsung branded UI and feature update to the Opera Max app that comes pre-installed on select Galaxy devices.
Available starting February 23 for select Galaxy devices
The new app will come preloaded on all Galaxy A and Galaxy J series smartphones sold in India, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam. Other Samsung users can download the app from Google Play or Galaxy Apps stores starting February 23 for select Galaxy devices (Samsung says the app will be exclusive to its mid-range devices). Those who are using the pre-installed Opera Max will receive an app update from Google Play (already live) or Galaxy Apps store.
Whether this new app has geographical limitations like the previous Opera Max app is not yet clear. Samsung says the new app is part of Samsung’s ‘Make for India’ initiative which aims to develop locally relevant hardware and software for customers in India. Samsung Max relies on ads for revenue to support the service.
The app has two primary features: Data Saving Mode and Privacy Protection Mode. Data Saving Mode is aimed at squeezing more out of the limited data plans. It tracks data usage by various application to spot opportunities for data savings. When activated, it compresses images, videos, music files, and web pages wherever possible to reduce data usage.
Privacy Protection Mode is aimed at offering an additional layer of security when accessing the Internet from the public and untrusted Wi-Fi hotspots. This mode offers one-tap encryption, tracker blocking, and a DNS masking service to make your online activity a bit more private. The Privacy Protection Mode also works on mobile data and offers similar benefits.
The previous Opera Max app used to offer a similar set of features. The new app does have better UI that’s more in line with Samsung’s design language and a few additional features compared to the previous app.
“With Samsung Max, our users in every corner of the globe now have increased autonomy and control over their data usage and privacy in an era of rising security threats, fraudulent apps and user profiling,” said Seounghoon Oh, Vice President Samsung R&D Institute India.
