Samsung Hub suite to shut its doors, according to top exec

Samsung Hub suite may get the chop as Google reins in Android manufacturers
Samsung trimming the fat?

The Samsung Hub digital store on the firm's range of smartphones and tablets might be on the way out, according to a top Samsung marketing executive.

The in-house portal offers the firm's range of bespoke applications as well as access to popular content like games, music and movies, making it a competitor to the Google Play Store.

With rumours that Google asked Samsung to stop launching so many 'gimmicky' apps for its Galaxy devices, it appears the company may have taken heed, starting with the annexation of Samsung Hub.

In a Twitter conversation with SamMobile's Anhijeet Mishra, Samsung's Marketing Manager for Technical Media Philip Berne posted "Samsung Hub is going away," without further elaborating.

Groundwork laid

While it's not clear when the company will drop the portal completely, the groundwork was already laid with the recent Galaxy S5 launch. On that handset, Samsung Hub was not present out of the box.

The store's only real use for Galaxy fans is the ability for users to sync content downloads across multiple Samsung devices, but that aside, it's unlikely many users will miss Samsung Hub.

Whether this will mean Samsung will tone down its constant endeavours to separate itself from the rest of the Android pack remains to be seen.

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.