Samsung Electronics today unveiled One UI 5 Watch[1] that will be available as part of Galaxy Watch series later this year. The new software is designed to bring an even more personalized and intuitive welness experience and includes enhancements that support better sleep as well as various fitness features.

“Samsung is dedicated to delivering a comprehensive health experience and empowering users to reach their wellness goals. Now more than ever, we believe this starts with getting a good night’s sleep,” said Hon Pak, Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team, MX Business at Samsung Electronics. “The new One UI 5 Watch continues our ongoing commitment to help people improve the quality of their sleep, so they can start each day fully recharged and ready for the day.”

Better Sleep: Essential to Better Wellness

Samsung has focused its efforts on three key elements for better sleep: understanding personal sleep patterns, building better habits, and establishing a sleep-friendly environment. One UI 5 Watch delivers on these elements with an even more complete sleep experience.

The new Sleep Insights UI prominently displays the user’s sleep score to provide a clearer snapshot of the prior night’s rest, followed by related metrics like sleep phases, snoring hours and blood oxygen levels. In addition, Sleep Coaching — tailored around eight different sleep types[2] — also becomes fully accessible directly on Galaxy Watch as well as a paired phone, making for a more convenient and motivational way for users to track their habits at their convenience.  

Creating a comfortable environment can make all the difference in sleep quality and even small distractions can have significant impacts. That’s why Samsung has made it easier to connect Galaxy Watch to a wide range of compatible devices. Once the user’s Galaxy Watch detects that they have fallen asleep, SmartThings lets the user switch off their connected devices to create a more conducive environment for rest. Sleep Mode swiftly mutes notifications and dims the user’s phone and watch screens and One UI 5 Watch builds on this feature by utilizing an infrared sensor rather than a green LED light to further minimize distractions. 

A Smarter Fitness Partner

Personalized Heart Rate Zone has been added to Galaxy Watch’s various tailored running tools — including real-time running analysis and a customized interval training program. This new feature analyzes individual physical capabilities[3] and sets five optimal workout intensity levels (warm-up, fat burn, cardio, hard-training and max. effort). This enables users to set their own goals based on their ability, from burning fat to high-impact cardio.

Outdoor activity enthusiasts can look forward to additional benefits with Galaxy Watch Pro starting with an expanded Route Workout—which now supports running and walking alongside previously available hiking and cycling route options. Galaxy Watch Pro users can also search and access the GPX File Database directly via the Samsung Health app and receive recommendations on new routes based on inputs like location, time, rating or popularity[4]. 

Updates to the SOS feature enable direct communication to an emergency telephone number to relay information on the wearer’s location[5].

One UI 5 Watch will be available first on the upcoming Galaxy Watch series later this year, with further updates to be announced soon.

—

[1] Availability of the features may vary by market, carrier, model and the paired smartphone. Intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. The features are not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any medical condition or disease. Intended for general wellness and fitness purposes only. Users should seek any medical advice from a physician.

[2] For sleep pattern results, user must wear watch while they sleep for at least 7 nights and complete a survey.

[3] After 10 minutes of running, Galaxy Watch calculates Personalized Heart Rate Zone based on VO2max and aerobic/anoxic thresholds.

[4] Available on a paired smartphone. The selected route can be viewed on their watch.

[5] To notify an emergency contact, a network connection is required. GPS accuracy may be affected by obstructions to the satellite signal, such as buildings.

Now available in Canada, Samsung is excited to share details around the latest One UI offering, with new features that offer Galaxy users the freedom to choose their own mobile experience. Read on for a closer look at what to expect from One UI 5.

Match Your Phone to Your Lifestyle

What you need from your device can change throughout the day. The features you utilize for your morning routine to get you up and active might not be the same as what keeps you focused during the working day. With One UI 5’s Routines, you can trigger a sequence of actions on your device based on your activities, and with Modes, you can create customized settings for different parts of your life from sleeping and relaxing to exercising and driving.

For example, while you’re exercising, your priority might be to mute notifications in order to stay in the zone and play music. Alternatively, when it’s time for bed, turning off sounds and turning on Dark mode can help you wind down.

One UI 5 also offers a fresh, new look and feel that makes the user experience more welcoming and seamless. From bolder, simpler app icons to a streamlined color scheme, Samsung has paid attention to intricate details for a more engaging mobile experience.

Samsung also refined the notifications in One UI 5 to be more intuitive, making them effortless to read at a glance, as well as offering more defined answer and decline buttons when receiving a call through the redesigned pop-up call display.

Beyond overall design aspects, personalization and the ability to express oneself are also a key part of the mobile experience. In order to take this to the next level, One UI 5 now supports easy and diverse customization directly within the lock screen. With just a few taps, you can trim a video to transform your most memorable moments into a moving tribute on your phone. You can also make your lock screen feel more personal by changing your wallpaper, clock style, and choosing which notifications pop-up– – all from one screen.

A Mobile Experience Built Around You

In addition to providing you with options to curate a customized look and feel for your device, One UI 5 also offers new features that help you get things done more efficiently. For example, widgets in One UI 5 come with the exciting ability to keep your Home screen neat and tidy with new Stacked widgets. This new feature lets you drag and drop widgets on top of each other and swipe left or right to quickly and easily scroll through each one on order to free up space on your Home screen and use it more efficiently.

In order to help further streamline mobile tasks and activities, One UI 5 also comes with new Smart suggestions for widgets. Based on your usage patterns and the context of your mobile activity, Smart suggestions automatically suggest apps and actions that make the mobile experience more deeply personalized.

In addition, you can easily extract text from images and paste it into a note. Whether it’s quickly capturing event details from a poster you want to send to a friend, or easily saving a phone number from a business card, One UI 5 makes it easier to be productive with smart text extraction.

Furthermore, with One UI 5, you can control all the devices connected to your smartphone in the new Connected devices menu, where you’ll be able to access all features that work with other devices such as Quick Share, Smart View and Samsung DeX. You also now get easy access to the Auto switch Buds menu, which lets you automatically switch your Buds from one device to another for more seamless inter-device operation.

Convenient Security and Peace of Mind

Samsung understands that there is no privacy without security. So, in One UI 5, privacy and security settings have been brought together in one clear, easy-to-navigate dashboard, making it easier for you to keep your device protected and your sensitive information private.

This new Security and privacy dashboard has been designed to make understanding your device’s status as simple as possible. With one glance, you can get a quick overview of your device’s security details, together with suggestions and warnings to enhance security.

To make sure your private information stays private, One UI 5 also features a new notification on the Share Panel^[1] that warns you if you’re about to unwittingly share a photo that contains potentially sensitive information such as an image of your credit or debit card, driver’s license, Social Security card or passport.

For more information on One U1 5 please visit www.samsung.com/ca/one-ui/features/ or, to learn more about the latest Samsung Galaxy offerings, please visit: www.samsung.com/ca/

—

^[1] Enhanced photo share feature is available only when system language is set in English (US) or Korean. In the case of ID, availability may vary depending on language.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. held its annual Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) today in San Francisco, bringing together developers, creators and designers to explore seamless, connected experiences powered by Samsung.

During the event, Samsung shared more about its commitment to creating simplified, game-changing customer experiences, including the company’s updated vision for SmartThings as it evolves from a connectivity platform to an enabler of smarter lifestyles. From deeper integration with Bixby to seamless connectivity with Matter-compatible devices, SmartThings is creating a richer, more open world that empowers all users to streamline their connections and their daily lives.

“At Samsung, we continuously innovate our devices, platforms and services to be simpler and more convenient. I am proud to share the next generation of our work, like SmartThings, to further our collaboration with partners and developers,” said Jong-Hee (JH) Han, Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. “As technologies become more complex, we will always search for ways to make life easier, more connected, and more flexible, so our consumers can focus on what matters most.”

Connecting Platforms and Devices with Calm Technology

Samsung’s vision of seamless connectivity is inspired by the philosophy of Calm Technology – where devices instantly work together, so consumers can save time on setup and get right into the experience. To realize this vision, Samsung reimagined SmartThings and its connected services and partnerships, including Samsung’s Hub Everywhere, extending its capabilities to the entire smart home with audio and visual data as well as SmartThings Energy, SmartThings Pet and SmartThings Cooking. Samsung also partnered with Philips Hue to integrate Philips Hue Sync right into Galaxy devices so smart home lighting can match with music.

The seamless experience will extend beyond Samsung’s ecosystem through SmartThings’ integration with Matter and Samsung’s membership in the Home Connectivity Alliance. Google and Samsung have worked together to enable users to find and link their devices across platforms by building multi-admin feature on Matter devices. The collaboration will bring more devices and users into the connected home in the future.

Bixby has been integrated more deeply with SmartThings, a tool for developers to build more intelligent voice user interface experiences. As Samsung’s representative voice assistant platform, Bixby has evolved to become the on-device AI solution able to control individual Galaxy devices, as well as the cross-device experience throughout the Samsung ecosystem. With the new Bixby Home Studio, developers can now build differentiated, customized experiences for the SmartThings platform. In addition, Bixby will be even more widely available to users with support for Latin American Spanish, starting in November.

As the smart home is becoming more advanced, Samsung is introducing a new security paradigm, enabling Samsung devices to protect each other. Samsung Knox Matrix^[1] is a private blockchain based platform that turns eligible Samsung devices into a shield to protect users’ entire device ecosystem – from Galaxy devices to TVs and home appliances. Plus, users can customize personal privacy settings with the new Security and privacy dashboard, which scans for vulnerabilities, recommends security updates, and gives users data management options to keep privacy and security top of mind.

Personalized Services for Better Experiences

In the past year, Samsung TV Plus — Samsung’s free, ad-supported streaming TV and video (FAST) platform available on Samsung Smart TVs^[2] and mobile devices— reached 100% growth in viewership^[3], and projects three billion hours streamed by the end of the year. To build on this momentum, Samsung TV Plus has expanded its offering by adding partnerships with Lionsgate and Vice Media, providing 8K video on demand. Samsung TV Plus has also gone through a redesign, to reflect its extraordinary variety of content with more than 1,600 channels across 24 countries. Samsung TV Plus is the premium choice for a seamless ad experience, where stream stitching makes ad playback simpler than ever.

After 10 years of service, Samsung’s Tizen operating system (OS) continues to offer best-in-class user experiences. The Samsung Gaming Hub brings better, faster and more convenient access to gaming on Samsung Smart TVs, provided by industry-leading partners, such as Xbox, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Utomik and Amazon Luna. Samsung Gaming Hub bridges expertise in hardware and software to integrate features like AI Upscaling and multitask functions to make gaming on Samsung Smart TVs an immersive, optimized experience.

Tizen OS is also expanding to offer NFTs support with partners like Art Token, laCollection and Nifty Gateway. For B2B customers and developers, Samsung is providing B2B APIs specific to industries and use cases like Syncplay, which allows content to be synchronized and played in multiple signages. Tizen is also introducing SALT, a new content conversion solution to display the highest-quality HDR10+ content on supported TVs.

Your Galaxy, Your Way with One UI 5

By introducing the new One UI 5, Samsung has empowered users to easily customize their device’s look and feel, while enhancing productivity and providing amazing experiences across devices and platforms. One UI 5 brings more personalized experiences with custom-built Modes and Routines, and a Dynamic Lock screen that displays multiple visuals on your phone, your Galaxy Watch and other One UI 5 devices. With the new Bixby Text Call feature, Bixby Voice will answer calls on your behalf and share typed messages with the caller, speaking aloud as if you had answered. One UI 5 also introduces new daily health solutions to help track health and wellness in one place. This includes the Samsung Privileged Health SDK, which enables developers to build apps that leverage the BioActive Sensor on the Galaxy Watch^[4].

Future-Forward Investment and Research

Samsung Research is looking beyond today’s horizon to innovate for a better tomorrow, full of relentless innovation and open collaboration. Samsung Research is making its robot arm manipulation code available on GitHub, enabling academics, researchers and developers to examine new ideas in robotic manipulation.

The team at Samsung Research was also inspired by the new wellness features Samsung has introduced, particularly on the Galaxy Watch5. To find new use-cases leveraging these features, Samsung Research is working with universities and healthcare institutions that will explore areas like heart health, stress, blood pressure, lung health and neuroscience. As a result, Samsung is offering a full stack SDK – the Samsung Health Stack – which will jumpstart research into important health fields and spark new development.

Samsung invites developers, creators, partners and more to join in on its commitment to open collaboration and seamless experiences.

For more information about the Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) 2022, please visit developer.samsung.com.

—

^[1] Starting as early as late 2023, Samsung Knox Matrix will be initially available on selected Samsung devices. Support for other manufacturers’ products will follow later.

^[2] Samsung TV Plus is available for selected Samsung Smart TVs only.

^[3] Comparison between viewership from September 2020 to August 2021 and viewership from September 2021 to August 2022.

^[4] Available on Galaxy Watch4 series and Galaxy Watch5 series.