Samsung is said to be working on a new service that shares data about how you use your device with other apps, and app developers for the purpose of enhancing the user experience of said apps. The service is called Context, and according to The Information, Context would share stuff like what sort of data is grabbed by your smartphones sensors, and even what you type, so that data could be used to help developers make their apps better. If your sensor for example is always picking up that you frequent a certain location, an app that specializes in check-ins might be able to suggest certain places to eat or shop. That is just a pure speculation on what could be potentially possible, but you get the idea. So far there is no founded information to back up whether this service will ever see the light of day, but if it did would it really be useful?
Samsung is questioning its usefulness, but not in the same way that we might as consumers and users of smart devices. Although the service is supposedly being worked on and in development, Samsung has allegedly delayed the release of the service because they’re not sure whether or not “Context” would assist them in selling more handsets and mobile devices to consumers. Coming from a users perspective, this isn’t a service I would personally use or care to have embedded in the phone I use, but there could be plenty of people who would be willing to take advantage of it.
The idea of a service like “Context” seems like it might be beneficial to some users, but could also raise privacy concerns for some. Having a service know details like what you type, and how you use your apps, might be information that some users would want to keep private and not have it shared with other companies or app developers. If something like this were to make into future Samsung phones, would you use it or want to turn it off it’s functionality? Would you buy a Samsung device if it were something that couldn’t be removed?