Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that it has completed development of the industry’s first Graphics Double Data Rate 7 (GDDR7) DRAM. It will first be installed in next-generation systems of key customers for verification this year, driving future growth of the graphics market and further consolidating Samsung’s technological leadership in the field.

Following Samsung’s development of the industry’s first 24Gbps GDDR6 DRAM in 2022, the company’s 16-gigabit (Gb) GDDR7 offering will deliver the industry’s highest speed yet. Innovations in integrated circuit (IC) design and packaging provide added stability despite high-speed operations.

“Our GDDR7 DRAM will help elevate user experiences in areas that require outstanding graphics performance, such as workstations, PCs and game consoles, and is expected to expand into future applications such as AI, high-performance computing (HPC) and automotive vehicles,” said Yongcheol Bae, Executive Vice President of Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics. “The next-generation graphics DRAM will be brought to market in line with industry demand and we plan on continuing our leadership in the space.”

Samsung’s GDDR7 achieves an impressive bandwidth of 1.5-terabytes-per-second (TBps), which is 1.4 times that of GDDR6’s 1.1TBps and features a boosted speed per pin of up to 32Gbps. The enhancements are made possible by the Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM3) signaling method adopted for the new memory standard instead of the Non Return to Zero (NRZ) from previous generations. PAM3 allows 50% more data to be transmitted than NRZ within the same signaling cycle.

Significantly, in comparison with GDDR6, the latest design is 20% more energy efficient with power-saving design technology optimized for high-speed operations. For applications especially mindful of power usage, such as laptops, Samsung offers a low-operating voltage option.

To minimize heat generation, an epoxy molding compound (EMC) with high thermal conductivity is used for the packaging material in addition to IC architecture optimization. These improvements dramatically reduce thermal resistance by 70% in comparison to GDDR6, aiding in stable product performance even in conditions with high-speed operations.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that it has initiated mass production of its new automotive Universal Flash Storage (UFS) 3.1 memory solution optimized for in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems. The new solution offers the industry’s lowest energy consumption, enabling car manufacturers to provide the best mobility experience for consumers.

The UFS 3.1 lineup will come in 128, 256 and 512-gigabyte (GB) variants to meet different needs of customers. The enhanced lineup allows more efficient battery life management to future automotive applications such as electric or autonomous vehicles. The 256GB model, for instance, has reduced its energy consumption by about 33% compared to the previous generation product. The 256GB model also provides a sequential write speed of 700-megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and a sequential read speed of 2,000MB/s.

“Samsung’s new UFS 3.1 solution addresses a wide range of customer needs for optimized IVI systems while pushing forward with next-generation memory trends that require higher ESG standards,” said Hyunduk Cho, Vice President of Memory Product Planning Team at Samsung Electronics. “We aim to expand our presence in the automotive semiconductor market, following the introduction of our UFS 3.1 solution for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).”

The new automotive UFS 3.1 solution satisfies the requirements of AEC-Q100 Grade2, a semiconductor quality standard for vehicles which guarantees stable performance in a wide range of temperatures from negative 40°C to 105°C.

Samsung plans to supply its UFS 3.1 products to global automakers and parts manufacturers by the end of this year.

As Samsung continues to strengthen its automotive memory solution portfolio, the company received an ASPICE Level 2 certification from customers in April, 2023, with its ADAS-oriented UFS 3.1 product. It obtained ASPICE Level 2 certification from C&BIS, a renowned automobile certification agency, with the UFS 3.1 product for ADAS supplied to customers and received verification for the high stability required in automotive semiconductors this month.

Since Samsung first started its automotive memory business in 2015, it has continued to grow rapidly. In 2017, the company introduced the industry’s first UFS for vehicles and has since been providing various memory solutions such as AutoSSD, Auto LPDDR5X and Auto GDDR6. As data storage and computational demands on the automotive sector continue to grow, the company aims to deliver optimized memory solutions for automotive customers and reinforce its development and quality enhancement efforts to accelerate its market leadership.

Samsung Electronics, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, today announced that its latest automotive processor, the Exynos Auto V920, has been selected to power Hyundai Motor Company’s next-generation in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, which are expected to roll out by 2025. This marks Samsung’s first collaboration on automotive semiconductors with Hyundai Motor, a global mobility leader.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Hyundai Motor, a prominent global mobility manufacturer, and we anticipate that this partnership will further solidify our position in the automotive infotainment space,” said Jae Geol Pyee, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, System LSI Business at Samsung Electronics. “Through close collaboration with our global customers and ecosystem partners, we will continue to create state-of-the-art automotive chip solutions that offer a safe and enjoyable mobility experience.”

The Exynos Auto V920 is Samsung’s third-generation automotive processor for advanced IVI systems. With considerable upgrades in CPU, graphics and neural processing performance, the V920 will deliver an optimal in-vehicle experience by enabling real-time display of critical driving information, as well as seamless playback of graphics-rich video content and games on multiple displays.

The V920 CPU packs 10 of Arm’s latest cores optimized for autonomous driving, enabling 1.7 times greater processing performance than the previous generation. With support for LPDDR5 memory’s cutting-edge speed, the V920 can efficiently manage up to six high-resolution displays for dashboard, infotainment and rear seat entertainment systems, and up to 12 camera sensors that capture crucial visual information.

Significant improvements have been made to the processor’s graphics and artificial intelligence (AI) performance, enhancing visual presentation on displays and optimizing driver interaction with in-car information. To provide a rich graphical user interface (GUI), the V920 integrates advanced GPU cores with graphics processing capabilities up to two times faster than its predecessor.

By incorporating the latest computing cores, the neural processing unit (NPU) achieves 2.7 times greater performance than the previous generation. This allows the V920 to support enhanced driver monitoring features to better detect the driver’s state and swiftly assess the surroundings, providing an even safer driving environment.

To further bolster driver safety, the V920’s embedded safety island — compliant with Automotive Safety Integrity Level B (ASIL-B) requirements — detects and manages faults in real-time, keeping the IVI system secure.

For more information about Samsung’s Exynos Auto products, please visit https://semiconductor.samsung.com/processor/automotive-processor/.

* The 5G logo on the previous product image has been removed as of June 8th, 2023, to better represent the product’s specification.

At CES^® 2023, Samsung Electronics is introducing its latest in-vehicle innovation developed jointly with HARMAN: Ready Care. This solution connects the driver’s personal experiences and the driving environment are more organically, wherein the vehicle is able to activate tailored interventions via in-car features according to changes in the driver. Also on the show is Ready Tune, HARMAN’s new car audio technology built with the company’s premium audio performance.

Samsung Newsroom is inviting you to take a tour of the company’s booth at CES to explore how the new In-Cabin eXperience (ICX) is going beyond merely just transportation and is expanding into the lifestyle arena.

Creating the Optimal Driving Environment That Puts the User First

One of the major variables that can determine the driving environment, no matter the trip, is the driver’s condition. Whether you’re distracted by making a mental to-do list for the chores that evening or simply exhausted from a long day’s work, cognitive distraction and drowsiness while driving are directly linked to safety. This is why Samsung’s latest solutions, which determine the condition of the driver and then activate car features correspondingly, have been designed to create a safer automotive environment.

Ready Care is an innovative solution that enables a vehicle to directly recognize the physical and emotional condition of its driver and amend car functionality accordingly thanks to such key features as its Cognitive Load measurement technology and Stress-free Routing.

Detecting and Resolving Driver Cognitive Distraction Through Machine Learning

Ready Care’s Cognitive Load measurement feature detects the driver’s condition through their facial expression, the gaze of their eyes, the way their eyelids open and more thanks to newly-developed machine learning technology. The subsequent key functionality of this solution is that, once the driver’s condition has been comprehensively assessed, features and steps customized to the situation can be applied.

This feature tracks the field of view and cognitive ability of the driver in real-time via in-car cameras and sensors. For example, say a driver has their eyes on the road but in actuality is deep in thought about some key presentation at work, the car’s internal environment will subsequently change in order to bring the driver’s attention back to driving through an alert as well as through changes to the audio volume, lighting and A/C.

Providing A More Comfortable Way Home With Stress-free Routing

In order to provide a stressed driver with the most peaceful way home, the Stress-free Routing feature harnesses the driver’s wearable device to detect their heart rate and, if necessary, will provide alternative routes if the current one being followed includes such stressful scenarios as traffic jams and weather-related issues.

What’s more, thanks to SmartThings connectivity between a driver’s car and their home, the driver can make sure their arrival is as pleasant as possible by remotely setting their devices to Relaxing mode — managing their TV, air purifier, lighting and more. Such inter-connectivity unites the user’s automotive experience with their home life, taking the stress out of the daily commute and allowing the driver to relax, knowing that their home is ready and waiting for them.

Upgrade Your Audio System at the Touch of a Button With Ready Tune

Samsung’s presentation at CES 2023 also features a dedicated booth showcasing HARMAN’s new car audio technology, Ready Tune, which utilizes proprietary acoustic technologies to upgrade base level audio systems for enhanced branded listening experiences at the touch of a button.

Ready Tune enables users to customize immersive, differentiated sound experiences according to their preferences and features Live Mode, which replicates the acoustics of live stadium performances; Talk Mode, which enhances spoken content, such as podcasts, audiobooks and phone conversations, through customized filters; and Club Mode, which provides crisp bass experiences beyond traditional speaker capabilities.

Consumers are growing ever more expectant that their experiences within their cars rival those that they have with their mobile and other IT devices. In order to provide such experiences, Samsung and HARMAN are working hard to develop automotive electronics technologies that provide differentiated ICX experiences to users.

Following their presentation at CES, Samsung plans to focus on continuing to develop technologies that make their users’ lives even more convenient by organically connecting their in-car experiences with their at-home and daily lifestyle ones. HARMAN is similarly set on solidifying its presence within the automotive electronic solution market through the digital cockpit, the key to providing such convenient services.

To learn more about the future-forward ICX being introduced at this year’s CES, take a look at the video below.

Nicknamed “Samsung city”, the company’s booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center is packed with innovations that bring its “Together for tomorrow” vision to life. From new Bespoke Home appliances to lifestyle-catered displays, to the latest addition to the Galaxy family, there’s just so much to see in Samsung city.

Check out the photos below for a peek at the exciting future that Samsung is showcasing.

Welcome to Samsung City

Samsung’s CES 2022 booth showcases products, technologies and initiatives that are helping the company realize its “Together for tomorrow” vision.

Before heading inside, CES attendees register to enter Samsung’s booth at designated kiosks.

Taking Connected Home Experiences to the Next Level

An exhibit demonstrates how seamless connectivity enables Samsung devices to team up to simplify home management.

Screens Everywhere, Screens for All

CES attendees admire MICRO LED’s best-in-class picture quality, made possible thanks to 25 million micrometer-sized LEDs that individually produce both light and color.

Samsung’s newest MICRO LED is available in a choice of three sizes: 89, 101 and 110 inches.

Samsung’s 2022 Neo QLED lights up the booth with vibrant visuals – and attracts a crowd in the process.

Samsung’s new portable screen, The Freestyle, was designed to allow users to transform any space into a screen.

The Freestyle hangs over a dining table, projecting playful animations in which tiny characters rush to deliver 2D meals to 3D plates.

“Game on”: An exhibit invites attendees to experience how The Odyssey Ark, a new 55-inch curved gaming screen, takes immersion to the next level.

A cardboard tree and other creations highlight the expansion of Samsung’s award-winning Eco-Packaging program.

Make Your Home Your Own With Bespoke

Samsung’s Bespoke lineup of home appliances now features a wider variety of customizable devices, including French Door refrigerators, ranges, and over-the-range microwaves.

The Bespoke Home lineup also includes vacuum cleaners and air purifiers.

Adding More Choices and Colors to the Galaxy Lineup

Visitors to Samsung’s booth take a closer look at the company’s latest mobile innovations.

The newest addition to the Galaxy family: the Galaxy S21 FE.

Attendees view a demonstration of how the Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition is customized.

Transforming Cars Into Multipurpose Spaces

An interactive exhibit showcases Samsung’s new vision for in-vehicle experiences.

The demo showcases a scenario in which information on road conditions and other factors is presented to drivers and passengers in real time.

Attendees observe how the vehicle analyzes information on the surrounding area and connects to various services to make the driving experience more enjoyable.

An attendee tests out a technology that monitors a driver’s condition and helps them relax to ensure that they have a pleasant ride.

Personalized & Intelligent Future Home

Samsung’s booth also includes a live demonstration of the new Samsung Bot i and Samsung Bot Handy.

The Samsung Bot i is an interactive robot that simplifies tasks like video conferencing.

The Samsung Bot Handy is a manipulation robot that can assist with a variety of household chores.

The video below introduces viewers to Samsung’s booth at CES 2022. At the booth, the company showcases a scenario in which information on road conditions and other factors is presented to the driver of a vehicle in real time.

In the scenario, the vehicle uses cameras and sensors to analyze its surroundings, then harnesses augmented reality to present road conditions and other information to the driver within their field of view. The driver is then able to make use of that overlaid information to ensure they enjoy a drive that is both convenient and safe.

In the enactment, the driver not only gets details on the vehicle’s speed and status, but is also provided with an arrow-based navigation service, forward collision warning icons and blind spot alerts when switching lanes. Directions, icons and insights are projected directly onto the road, as well as onto surrounding vehicles and lanes, to allow the driver to clearly and conveniently view the important information.

The vehicle in the scenario also analyzes information on the surrounding area and connects to a range of services to make the driving experience both straightforward and enjoyable. For example, if passengers want to grab a coffee, the vehicle utilizes map information and AR to inform them of where there are cafés nearby. The passenger is then given the option to navigate through the menu and place their order from the comfort of their car. The vehicle in the enactment also adds a realistic element to virtual calls by allowing users to manage their meetings with AR.

Check out the video below to learn more about what the future of in-vehicle experiences holds.

“With the recent proliferation of electric vehicles and the rapid advancement of infotainment and autonomous driving systems, the semiconductor automotive platform is facing a paradigm shift. What used to be a seven to eight-year replacement cycle is now being compressed into a three to four-year cycle, and at the same time, performance and capacity requirements are advancing to levels commonly found in servers,” said Jinman Han, Executive Vice President and Head of Memory Global Sales & Marketing at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s reinforced lineup of memory solutions will act as a major catalyst in further accelerating the shift toward the ‘Server on Wheels’ era.”

Advanced features in infotainment systems such as high-definition maps, video streaming and 3D gaming, together with the growing use of autonomous driving systems, have been driving the demand for high-capacity, high-performance SSDs and graphics DRAM throughout the automotive industry.

In 2017, Samsung was the first in the industry to introduce UFS solutions for automotive applications. Today, the company is well-positioned to provide a total memory solution with the new automotive SSD and GDDR6 DRAM.

Samsung’s 256GB BGA SSD controller and firmware are developed in-house for optimized performance, offering a sequential read speed of 2,100 megabytes per second (MB/s) and a sequential write speed of 300MB/s, which are seven and two times faster than today’s eMMC, respectively. Furthermore, the 2GB GDDR6 DRAM features up to a 14 gigabit-per-second (Gbps) data rate per pin. Such exceptional speeds and bandwidth will support complex processing of various multimedia applications as well as large amounts of autonomous driving data, contributing to a safer, more dynamic and more convenient driving experience.

In addition, Samsung’s new automotive solutions meet the AEC-Q100 qualification — the global automotive reliability standard — allowing them to operate stably in extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +105°C, which is an especially crucial requirement for automotive semiconductors.

Recently, sensor deployment in autonomous vehicles to continuously monitor immediate surroundings has been increasing, and high-speed processing to interpret and predict this data for safer driving is becoming critically important. By introducing automotive memory solutions previously championed in servers and AI accelerators, Samsung is helping to pave the way for safer autonomous driving.

Having already completed customer evaluations, the new automotive memory products are currently in mass production.

According to the Best Global Brands list announced by the global consulting firm Interbrand on October 20 (local time), Samsung ranked fifth with a brand value of USD 74.6 billion, a 20% increase compared to last year. On the back of its strong financial performance, which has recovered to reach pre-pandemic levels, the company’s brand value surged by 20% this year, twice the average brand value growth rate among the top 100 brands in 2021.

Since entering the top five for the first time last year, Samsung has maintained its position for two consecutive years with its largest increase in brand value since 2013.

According to Interbrand, major factors that played a critical role in Samsung’s growth include:

• Its transition to a customer-centric management system, highlighted by the establishment of a new CX (customer experience) team dedicated to prioritizing customer experience and values
• Its ongoing efforts for sustainable development, including various campaigns guided by its CSR vision, ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,’ as well as company-wide initiatives that promote sustainability, such as the use of eco-packaging for TVs and the Galaxy Upcycling program
• The launches of innovative products including the Galaxy Z Flip3, Neo QLEDs and the Bespoke lineup of home appliances
• Technology leadership as a solid number one in the Memory market and the launches of innovative System LSI products
• Leading the development of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, automotive and robotics through consistent investment

“It is very encouraging to see Samsung Electronics reach the top five in the world last year and then achieve enormous double-digit growth this year — our biggest leap in brand value since 2013,” said YH Lee, CMO of Samsung Electronics. “We promise to leverage our customer-centric management model to keep listening to our customers. This is how we will repay the massive support we have received from customers around the globe.”

Interbrand evaluates businesses’ brand value based on a comprehensive analysis of multiple factors including financial performance, brand influence on purchase and brand competitiveness.

Meanwhile, on October 12, Samsung was also ranked No.1 by Forbes as the World’s Best Employers 2021 for the second consecutive year. As a global organization with employees and businesses around the world, Samsung has, once again, been chosen as the number one employer.

Each year, Forbes surveys around 150,000 employees from 58 countries working for businesses with operations in multiple nations or regions, and this year asked respondents to rank their satisfaction with their employers’ COVID-19 responses and score their employers on image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility.

※ Reference: Samsung Electronics’ growth in brand value (Interbrand)

Samsung has designed a number of safety solutions for driving that can be incorporated into various kinds of vehicles in the near future. As seen in the video above, detecting cars, pedestrians and traffic signals in front of the school bus, the Front Facing Camera alerts the driver to any hazards on the road and prompts them to proceed with caution and care. The monitoring systems can identify students whenever they hop on and off the bus, showing the driver who is safely aboard.

*This video is for the purpose of describing the concept and use cases of C-V2X technology.
The simulated use cases may be different in operation of actual vehicle.

C-V2X technology offers the next level in automotive telecommunications. Harnessing Samsung’s unique technologies for smartphone and network areas, C-V2X works via the vehicle’s Telematics Control Unit (TCU). The TCU connects the car to its surroundings and provides real-time information about unexpected variables and potential hazards beyond the driver’s line of sight, thus offering up exciting possibilities for safety when driving.

AI-based automation will play a central role in the introduction of new services in the 5G era, such as industrial Internet of Things (IoT) and connected cars, as carriers will require automated solutions and network analytics beyond what was possible in previous generations. AI-based transformation can be used to analyze user traffic, classify application being used, and improve overall service quality, as such needs can no longer be addressed by existing solutions.

“5G will enable unprecedented services attributed to the generation of exponential data traffic, for which automated and intelligent network analytics tools are vital,” said Youngky Kim, President and Head of Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “The acquisition of Zhilabs will help Samsung meet these demands to assure each subscriber receives the best possible service.”

“5G technology will disrupt the communications landscape for the better, but it will only be successful if the quality of the networks transferring the information can be measured and improved to provide a best-in-class experience,” said Joan Raventós, CEO at Zhilabs. “We are delighted to be joining the Samsung Electronics family and adding a contribution with our software products and technology to the existing end-to-end solutions that the company offers its customers.”

Zhilabs, fully owned by Samsung, will operate independently under its own management. Samsung is looking forward to joint capabilities to create new cutting-edge technology in the transformation from 4G to 5G.

In addition to the acquisition, Samsung will continue to strengthen its automation solutions that measure the quality of each user service and can also automatically optimize service quality without human intervention. The company will also explore and invest in other business opportunities powered by the emerging technologies.

In August, Samsung announced plans to boost investments in businesses that will drive its future growth, committing to a KRW 25 trillion investment over the next three years in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, automotive electronics components and biopharmaceuticals.

For further information, please click here.

Samsung Newsroom spoke with Wonsik Lee, Senior Vice President, R&D Strategy Group of Samsung Electronics’ Automotive Electronics Business, and Dr. Mike Peters, President of the Connected Car Division, HARMAN, about what to look forward to in the automotive industry, including the new Digital Cockpit platform that is being demonstrated at CES 2018.

Q. What is the purpose of the Digital Cockpit, the new automotive electronics platform that was unveiled by HARMAN and Samsung at CES 2018?

Wonsik Lee (Lee): Through our CES exhibition, Samsung is planning to introduce AI and IoT experiences to visitors, where they can easily use and control our inter-connected products and services. In order to expand Samsung’s AI and IoT platform from home appliances and mobile phones to other ‘things’ including automobiles, we developed the Digital Cockpit by infusing Samsung’s mobile, IT and display technologies with Harman’s automotive technologies. Through the Digital Cockpit showcase, we will demonstrate the new lifestyles offered by next-generation mobility, and lead innovations for the connected car business.

Since Samsung acquired Harman last March, a combined Samsung-HARMAN team has been forged to boost our competitiveness in the next-generation connected car business by seeking ways to apply Samsung’s components, products and services to automotive products. It is remarkable that we were able to jointly develop a concept for the Digital Cockpit by converging Samsung’s technologies applicable to the automotive industry with HARMAN’s technologies for the first time.

Mike Peters (Peters): With the Digital Cockpit, we wanted to bring together several previously distinct computing domains into one platform. The former infotainment system, the instrument cluster, audio and lighting controls, and connected ADAS features are brought together in a single hardware and software package. This allows the OEM to bring a much more intuitive, easy-to-use and visually-integrated approach to cockpit design.

Q. What were the insights and thinking that helped you create the Digital Cockpit?

Peters: Consumer demand is dictating that the car become an extension of the connected lifestyle rather than being a product of a siloed industry. This means in-car technology needs to replicate the smartphones and smart audio experiences people enjoy at home or the office. By integrating this into the Digital Cockpit and creating more “hands-free” tools like voice activation, haptic controls and smartphone projection, HARMAN can help OEMs meet this demand while still keeping drivers safe and focused on the road ahead.

Lee: Specifically speaking, Samsung’s mobile, IT and display product development experiences can contribute significantly to increasing the consumer value of the Digital Cockpit. As the same UX that was applied to Samsung Galaxy smartphones was incorporated into the Digital Cockpit, users can easily operate our cockpit with no learning curve. Additionally, we are going to showcase a differentiated design by merging both digital and analog aspects and applying the signature, circular design of the Samsung Gear S to the three configurable knobs. The invaluable UX experiences that Samsung has accumulated from its mobile business have been a foundation for the design of the Digital Cockpit.

Q. How will the Digital Cockpit connect with other IoT devices? How important was it to incorporate this level of connectivity from the outset?

Peters: The Digital Cockpit can connect to devices, such as a driver’s smartphone, seamlessly. In a premium configuration, it weaves together a driver’s entire connected lifestyle across the Internet of Things through a multi-display layout that leverages HARMAN’s Ignite Platform.

Lee: For example, when someone gets into their car, it recognizes them and shows a welcome message on the display monitor. The driver can then select a video from his mobile phone to be played on the car infotainment systems, or control home appliances such as their refrigerator or air conditioner through SmartThings while driving. Moreover, with Bixby, the driver can easily and safely control the car’s air conditioning, audio volume, brightness settings and more with just his voice.

Peters: This means the in-car user experience can be personalized for the driver and passenger via services such as virtual personal assistants, portable profiles, augmented reality and more. This also allows for Android to be integrated on four displays – a first for the industry. Having an agnostic platform was important to us as the collaboration between OEMs and suppliers is the only way future mobility will be successful.

Q. What are the strengths of the HARMAN-Samsung automotive electronics business?

Lee: Along with rich and diverse development experiences, Samsung owns a vast range of leading technologies in the areas of mobile, IT and components including wireless communications, UI/UX, displays and semiconductors. HARMAN, meanwhile, retains proven automotive technologies, development expertise and affluent business experiences with car makers.

Peters: Indeed, the synergies between HARMAN and Samsung have astounded me. Becoming part of Samsung has accelerated the depth and breadth of resources for innovation and synergy across all of HARMAN’s business: from the car to home and everything in between. What I admire most about our relationship with Samsung is the balance our companies offer each another. Together, we increase innovation through scale, resources and competencies, leveraging Samsung’s global scale, R&D and distribution channels, and HARMAN’s deep heritage in automotive technology.

Integration is our secret weapon, and an open ecosystem encourages collaboration to accelerate innovation and bridge ecosystems. At CES this year, we’re showing that while the in-car experience is fueled by technology, it’s ultimately human at heart. With this mantra driving our mission, we’re becoming the leader in connectivity and autonomous driving.

Q. What are the challenges you need to overcome?

Lee: Automotive electronics is relatively new to Samsung compared with other sectors that we have been focusing on, leaving a lot of room for us to grow. Especially, since it is critical that the automobile and auto components industries meet the safety standards and comply with a wide variety of different regulations in different countries, close cooperation between car makers and suppliers is essential.

Peters: The automotive technology market is also a crowded one, and with the excitement of autonomy on the horizon, there’s even more clutter to cut through. We’re no longer just in competition with other automotive suppliers, but are part of a future of mobility revolution, along with suppliers, OEMs, tech companies and even rideshare startups fighting for a piece of the pie. In order to drive innovation and lead the pack, we’re forging partnerships and harnessing our best technologies and global scale to better serve the needs of automakers in this rapidly-evolving automotive market.

Q. How do you foresee the future of connected cars combined with 5G technology, AI and autonomous vehicles?

Lee: It is expected that cars will become more than just a means of transportation in the future. Cars will gradually evolve to be our living and working space. If lesser burden is put on drivers with the advent of autonomous driving technology, users will be able to enjoy more value while on the go.

Peters: That’s true. Autonomous vehicles will create a paradigm shift in how people operate cars and many drivers will transition into passengers. 5G technology and AI will play a pivotal role in this evolution to ensure autonomous vehicles have the situational awareness needed to navigate a wide variety of environments safely. This is why HARMAN is building the industry’s first automotive-grade, 5G-ready connectivity solution that automakers can use to start building telematics solutions that will handle today’s requirements, but also be flexible in the future when 5G becomes more ubiquitous.

Lee: Connected car technology is moving beyond simply converging automobiles with IT. Cars will become a part of IoT, and be connected to all infrastructure including houses and offices. Therefore, connected cars will help us not only control appliances inside the home but also enhance road safety by data transmission among cars on the roads, and will eventually lead us to develop intelligent transportation systems that could minimize traffic congestion. With the implementation of self-driving technologies, people won’t have to drive and thus they will come to enjoy the car as a living and working space, which is essentially the ultimate goal of connected cars. This means that drivers can relax, enjoy movies, search the internet or write an email inside the moving car. This will bring about fundamental changes in our life. Furthermore, this will create new business opportunities such as real-time navigation services based on traffic data in the IT service industry, location-based services in the content industry and insurance premium discounts based on driving behavior in the insurance industry, among others.

Q. How do Samsung and HARMAN plan to lead the future automotive electronics industry?

Peters: Our collective mission is to become the architects of experience and the leaders in connectivity and autonomous driving: connecting the lives of people, whether at home, on the go or together in the car. HARMAN plays the role of expert in the automotive field while Samsung’s global scale, R&D capabilities, dominance in mobile/TV/semiconductors and distribution channels will help accelerate innovation and drive fast growth. Through the HARMAN-Samsung relationship, we can now provide a true chip-to-cloud, fully-integrated offering.

Lee: Samsung and HARMAN will continue to cooperate closely and through our close collaboration, we will reinforce our position in the connected car industry and drive innovation across the business.

Consumers’ needs have changed greatly when it comes to automotive technology. While both drivers and passengers have always needed ease of use, personalization and safety, more than ever, they need their devices to be able to connect to each other and to offer simpler controls. The Digital Cockpit meets these needs and more by providing infotainment and IoT services across a suite of OLED and QLED screens.

The Digital Cockpit consists of three displays and three knobs that can all be customized according to driver and passenger tastes.

The Cluster Display in front of the driver uses a 12.3-inch OLED and provides driving information such as speed and RPM. Infotainment is handled by a 28-inch QLED Central Information Display (CID) and Passenger Display, using the integrated solutions for multiple displays running on a single chip. Below these displays is the Control Display, a 12.4-inch curved OLED that enables control of other features such as air conditioning.

The Digital Cockpit’s three knobs have a circular display akin to Samsung’s Gear S watch, so users can directly and intuitively use them. The customizable knobs can be set to functions most frequently used by the driver, such as clock, temperature, volume and Bixby.

The Cluster Display (left) for information and the Center Information Display/Passenger Display (right) for infotainment

The Digital Cockpit really sets itself apart in the way users can interact with it. For instance, the system includes a gesture sensor in the back seat so that passengers can use motions to control music or the radio. It also uses Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant, which offers automotive-optimized control functions such as moving the QLED display or changing the colors of ambient lighting. But it isn’t just the in-car settings you can control with the Digital Cockpit. It also uses Bixby and SmartThings to control a number of IoT devices not even in the car. So you can check the inside of your fridge to see if you have enough milk before you get home, for example, or can start up your washing machine or vacuum cleaner from within your vehicle.

Turn on your vehicle’s air conditioner using only your voice with Bixby.

Additional features ensure that driving is safer than ever. The Mirror Replacement Vision System provides a front/back HD camera and display system instead of physical side and rear-view mirrors. It gives three-split-view for key moments such as changing lanes or parking. It can even detect moving objects and sound an alarm if things get too close.

The Mirror Replacement Vision System replaced with side- and rear-view mirrors

All this is on display at the Samsung and HARMAN booth at CES. Since Samsung acquired HARMAN last year, the two companies have focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets. Leveraging Samsung’s mobile and IT technology as well as HARMAN’s automotive expertise to create a unique platform, the Digital Cockpit has set the industry standard for integrated and advanced display technology.

The future will see the car becoming a mobile living space. It will literally become a home away from home. This will require new levels of comfort and also added safety and connectivity to all aspects of life. The Digital Cockpit showcases this level of connectivity, and also paves the way for further innovations in the future. Based on Samsung’s technology and state-of-the-art IoT platform, the company continues to lead the way into the era of the autonomous car.