Samsung’s S Note app is now in the Play Store

When it comes to unbundling apps, Google took the lead, and Android manufacturers have followed it closely. The latest one is Samsung, who just uploaded a key app of the Galaxy Note series to the Play Store.

S Note used to be exclusively available on Note devices, but Samsung made it available for other phones and tablets as well. Now it looks like the compatibility of S Note has been extended to include even non-Samsung devices.

Why is Samsung doing this? Because breaking an app off the operating system makes it much easier to update. Instead of having to push a system update over the air, the feature can be updated just like any other app from the Play Store. No more system compatibility checks, carrier certifications, and troublesome OTA rollouts.

Here are the main features of S Note, as per its Play Store description:

• Freehand writing and drawing using S Pen or Finger, with various pre-defined pens and styles
• Insert charts, sketches, pictures, voice notes and set custom background in notes
• Supports up to 500 pages in a single note
• Supports searching of text(handwritten and keypad input) with different filters
• Categorization of notes
• Ability to print, export and share note as spd/image/pdf/text file
• Import and edit pdf files as notes
• Sync notes between multiple devices using Samsung/Evernote account

You can try and see if the S Note app is compatible with your particular device – remember, you don’t need a stylus in order to use it. If you’re denied access, Android Police collected the APK file for you to sideload.