Samsung almost implicitly aims to be the "the Apple of Android" but I really hope that in this pursuit they do not forget what draws people to Android in the first place-- openness and customization. While Apple seeks to have a polished yet more restrictive user environment in order to craft a very particular experience, Android goes the opposite and gives users and developers more freedom. Samsung, to me, has been a company that takes the freedom of Android and tries to give it an Apple-esque polish. They've balanced making an ecosystem around their own android devices while also not making that ecosystem excessively isolated, maintaining the spirit of Android. So, given this, the route Samsung decided to start in their expansion of Samsung Notes was extremely disappointing.
Samsung's initial decision to restrict Samsung Notes on desktop to it's own devices was a blatantly anti-consumer position. The decision clearly prioritized profits and the sale of the Laptop lineup over Samsung's existing, dedicated user-base. It was followed by a second blow of disappointment seeing the poor implementation of the Samsung to Microsoft Onenote sync. A mistake that I do not entirely fault Samsung for as, I'm sure, Microsoft had a larger role to play in that whole ordeal. Nevertheless, the fact that Samsung allowed its name to be placed behind an implementation this poor was surprising.
Despite all of this, I want to give Samsung their flowers for reversing their decision to restrict Samsung Note sync compatibility to its own line of Laptops. Opening up this system for the rest of Windows Computers is a major QOL/usability improvement for their consumers and a step in the right direction.
That being said I would like to give a simple suggestion as to improve the Samsung Notes App: Please improve the on-boarding for non-samsung windows devices. As is, at least for me running Windows 11, Samsung Notes in the Windows Store does not explicitly tell the user that they need to have the Samsung Account App also installed. Without the Samsung Account App installed, I could download and use the app, but sync was not available as I could not sign in. In order to sign in, I had to download the Samsung Account App, sign-in to that, and that process automatically signed me into Samsung Notes. The best option would be to make the need for the Samsung Account App more apparent to the user or make it possible to sign into Samsung Notes without the additional App.
That's all I have. I appreciate the work the development team has been putting in and I look forward to what is coming next.
