YouTube and Google Maps have been among the most popular applications for Samsung Electronics Co.'s smart TV users, Yonhap news agency quoted the South Korean tech company as saying on Monday.

YouTube was the most downloaded TV app among overseas buyers of Samsung's smart TVs, which merge Internet with a TV viewing experience, Samsung said without disclosing the specific number of downloads.

The company launched the Samsung App store in March last year.

While, Google Maps was the runner-up. The Google Maps app for TV, unlike for smartphones, does not offer location-specific information, which requires a global positioning system (GPS) but offers similar features as the Web version.

In South Korea, Google Maps was the most popular TV application, followed by a gaming app called "Dynamic Bowling" and Twitter, a social networking service that allows exchanging and distributing short messages, Samsung said.

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest supplier of TVs by shipments, is courting software developers and regional content providers to expand the pool of "Samsung Apps," its application store for smart TV buyers, hoping that the wide availability of content will build consumer loyalty.

The company announced earlier this month partnership with Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc., Hulu LLC and Adobe Systems Inc., as it aims to lift smart TV sales to 12 million units this year, from 5 million last year.

Samsung Apps logged 2 million application downloads in about 11 months of its launch, the company added.

source: BERNAMA