Samsung Electronics today unveiled the world’s first selfie sent to space, captured by actor, model and philanthropist Cara Delevingne and shown for the first time during a celebrity-filled event at the newly-opened Samsung KX experience space. The selfie is the first of many that Samsung will lift into the stratosphere this month as part of SpaceSelfie, a mission to give everyone the chance to get their face in space.

The event was hosted by Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo who introduced Cara as she revealed her playful first SpaceSelfie – captured on her Samsung S10+ – with Cara holding up a peace sign and wearing an astronaut helmet. The moment was also commemorated with an epic group selfie, taken by Cara herself, and featured A-list event attendees including; Italian rapper, singer and songwriter Fedez, best known as a judge on the Italian X Factor and his 2019 hit ‘Holding Out For You’ featuring Zara Larsson.

Cara Delevingne said, “I’m honored to be Samsung’s SpaceSelfie pioneer! To celebrate, I wanted to take the first group selfie to go to space. I can’t wait for my fans to join us in space and get their hands on a SpaceSelfie of their own.”

About SpaceSelfie

In 2014, the world’s most famous selfie taken by Ellen DeGeneres at the Oscars was taken on a Samsung Galaxy Note3. Five years later, Samsung has taken it one step further with this first SpaceSelfie, captured on Delevingne’s Galaxy S10.

SpaceSelfie gives consumers the chance to join Cara in space by uploading a photo to Samsung’s ‘Mission Control’ website: www.samsung.com/spaceselfie.

Images will then be selected at random, displayed on Galaxy S10 5G’s 6.7-inch screen and captured using a unique view of planet earth as the backdrop. This photo will be sent back down to earth for its owner to share on social media.

“Tonight, we made history by unveiling the first selfie sent into space. Our relentless pioneering spirit continues to show that amazing things happen on a Samsung screens – even from the stratosphere.” says Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Europe. “Our ethos is Do What You Can’t and the Samsung SpaceSelfie is just that. We continually break the boundaries of what is possible with innovation and tonight’s SpaceSelfie launch is no different.”

Visit www.samsung.com/spaceselfie for further information.

In the spirit of this approach, Samsung is launching its own brand campaign to kick off a year that will both celebrate the 10th anniversary of Galaxy smartphones and set the foundation for the next decade of new, innovative and groundbreaking products.

The campaign flips the carefree lyrics of the classic song on its head by juxtaposing them with Samsung’s bold leadership stance: What we create today empowers you to create the future. The campaign builds on Samsung’s “Do What You Can’t” philosophy in a video that highlights potential breakthrough technologies – including seamless multi-device experiences, artificial intelligence, and radical new displays – and teases Samsung’s 5G products and foldable display technology to be launched later this year.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, fashion designer or mobile gamer, Samsung is blazing the trail for change by bringing innovation to a wide variety of industries. Check out the video below to see how Samsung is reshaping the future for its users.

The Samsung Olympic Showcases are specifically designed to celebrate the excitement of the Youth Olympic Games, enabling visitors to create, capture and share their own experiences through activities that help spread #DoWhatYouCant to a young audience.

Over 5,000 daily visitors visited the two Samsung Olympic Showcases, which opened to the public in Buenos Aires – one at the Youth Olympic Park and the other at Abasto Mall – enabling everyone to establish meaningful connections through different experiences, and interact with Samsung’s latest technology, including Galaxy S9 and S9+, Galaxy Tab S4 and Gear IconX – paired with Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Candelaria Costa, a local student from Buenos Aires, said, “The Samsung Olympic Showcase has a lot of fun activities that keep everyone entertained. I just finished the Galaxy Fitness Cycling Challenge against my friend, and I liked it a lot. I also experienced virtual reality for the first time and now I’m a big fan!”

Young Olympic fans race each other at the Galaxy Fitness Cycling Challenge while visiting the Samsung Olympic Showcase at the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires during the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.

Young Olympic fans receive Samsung-themed eco bags and participate in the Samsung Pin promotion by completing a variety of interactive experiences while visiting the Samsung Olympic Showcase at the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires during the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.

Young Olympic fans participate in the Super Slow-mo Football Challenge and embrace the Olympic Spirit while visiting the Samsung Olympic Showcase at the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires during the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.

Young Olympic fans are all smiles as they experience the high-speed thrill of Winter Ride 4D motion virtual reality at the Samsung Olympic Showcase at the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires during the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. The film is displayed through the Samsung Galaxy smartphone and compatible Gear VR.

Young Olympic fans stop by the Samsung Olympic Showcase during their visit to the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires during the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. In collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Samsung sponsored the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Pass giving the public free access to all competitions as well as more than 1,200 cultural activities.

Young Olympic fans learn more about Samsung’s mobile technology at the Interactive Table at the Samsung Olympic Showcase at the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires during the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.

Young Olympic fans show off their soccer skills as they experience Shoot-out motion virtual reality at the Samsung Olympic Showcase at the Olympic Park in Buenos Aires during the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018. The experience is displayed through the Samsung Galaxy smartphone and compatible Gear VR.

About the Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are an international multi-sport event for young athletes between 15 and 18 years old of an educational and cultural nature, with the objective of promoting Olympic values ​​in Youth. The celebration of the event, which takes place every four years (in its two editions, winter and summer, which take place alternately every two years), is promoted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 will take place between October 6 and 18 and will involve 4,000 athletes from 206 countries.

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games

Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of Olympic Games Seoul 1988. Beginning with Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998, the company extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, providing its proprietary wireless communications platform and mobile devices. These innovative mobile technologies provide the Olympic Community, athletes and fans around the world with interactive communications and information services. Samsung hosts various Olympic campaigns to share the excitement of the Olympic Games with people around the world and enable everyone to participate in the Games through its innovative mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner continues through to Tokyo 2020 in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category.

“The belief that the world holds endless possibilities begins at a young age, which makes it even more important that we support the youth of today who are pushing the limits to #DoWhatYouCant,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is committed to the Olympic Movement and we’re looking forward to providing exciting experiences powered by our latest technology to young fans at Buenos Aires 2018.”

To celebrate the Youth Olympic Games, Samsung is offering immersive and interactive visitor experiences at the Samsung Olympic Showcases, which highlight the latest wireless communications products and technologies, including Galaxy S9 and S9+, Gear IconX – paired with Galaxy S9 and S9+ and Galaxy Tab S4. For twelve days, two showcases will be open to the public in Buenos Aires – one at the Youth Olympic Park and the other at Abasto Mall–enabling everyone to participate in the Youth Olympic Games through Samsung’s innovative mobile technology.

Samsung Olympic Showcase located in Youth Olympic Park (left) and Samsung Olympic Showcase located in Abasto Mall

During the Youth Olympic Games, fans, athletes and visitors of the Samsung Olympic Showcases will be able to interact with Samsung’s latest technology and establish meaningful connections through a variety of activities, including:

• Experiential Activations: Fans and consumers will be exposed to comprehensive and accessible experiences powered by Samsung technology such as the Interactive Table, My Emoji Gallery, Super Slow-mo Football Challenge, and Galaxy Fitness.
• Immersive VR Experience: Unique 4D VR offerings powered by Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be available where fans can step outside their comfort zones with exhilarating Kayaking, Rowing, and Winter Ride experiences.
• Mobile Products and Accessories Experiences: The Samsung Olympic Showcases will provide opportunities to test out Samsung products including the Galaxy S9 and S9+, Gear IconX – paired with Galaxy S9 and S9+, and Galaxy Tab S4.

At the Samsung Olympic Showcases, fans will also have a chance to celebrate the Olympic Spirit, and participate in the Samsung Pin promotion by completing a variety of interactive experiences, and collect up to 7 specially designed sport and culture themed pins.

As part of its goal to spread the Olympic Spirit and to help fans participate in the biggest multisport and cultural celebration in the world, Samsung is distributing the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Pass at designated Samsung Stores. With the Pass, the public has access to the four Youth Olympic Parks and the competition stadiums, as well as more than 1,200 cultural activities free of charge. Nearly 600,000 requests for the Pass, which comes in the form of an electronic bracelet, have already been processed.

“Samsung’s many activations at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 will allow all visitors to capture their unique experiences and share the Olympic Spirit around the world,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “By bringing its innovative technology to young athletes and fans from across the globe, Samsung is celebrating the power of sport.”

Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of the Olympic Games Seoul 1988, and extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as a Worldwide Olympic Partner at the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998. Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires2018 will be held October 6-18, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

For more information on Samsung’s latest products, please visit news.samsung.com/global and www.samsungmobilepress.com.

About the Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are an international multi-sport event for young athletes between 15 and 18 years old of an educational and cultural nature, with the objective of promoting Olympic values ​​in Youth. The celebration of the event, which takes place every four years (in its two editions, winter and summer, which take place alternately every two years), is promoted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 will take place between October 6 and 18 and will involve 4,000 athletes from 206 countries.

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Olympic Games

Samsung began its Olympic Games involvement as a local sponsor of Olympic Games Seoul 1988. Beginning with Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998, the company extended its commitment to the Olympic Movement as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, providing its proprietary wireless communications platform and mobile devices. These innovative mobile technologies provide the Olympic Community, athletes and fans around the world with interactive communications and information services. Samsung hosts various Olympic campaigns to share the excitement of the Olympic Games with people around the world and enable everyone to participate in the Games through its innovative mobile technology. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Olympic Partner continues through to Tokyo 2020 in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category.

Technology is dramatically changing our world. As we are in the midst of the digital transformation, mobile and smart devices have become an inextricable part of our lives.

As CMO of Samsung Electronics, I am often asked what technology means for the future of marketing and creativity. Behind this question I believe lies a deep-rooted concern – how will technology transform creativity? Will technology be the downfall or saviour of creativity? The rise in data engineered campaigns has the capability to remove the human connections we all need.

Embracing Change

Technology is, and always was, about change. And change brings challenges. I know this, not just because of my role, but through my personal experiences.

Before joining Samsung, I worked in the beauty industry. Without any background in technology, it felt like I had landed in a foreign country when I made the change from cosmetics to tech 11 years ago.

My role is to use what I have learned to help transform Samsung from a technology-focused, to consumer-centric company. Features and specs, of course, are important. But they only tell part of the story. No matter how fast or powerful a processor is, it only becomes meaningful when its capabilities are weaved into people’s lives.

Creative Catalyst

Samsung’s Relúmĭno is a case in point. Harnessing the capabilities of the smartphone camera and VR devices, the application helps visually impaired people see the world with clarity. With the potential to transform lives, Relúmĭno shows how technology can give voice to millions around the world to narrate their own stories.

When we look at innovations through a humanistic lens, technology can become a powerful catalyst for creativity.

Take 5G for example. With the speed of data transfer that 5G can bring to us, I believe 5G technology could drive an exponential change to our world. 5G will fuel the fourth industrial revolution. When we speak about how 5G will change the way we live, work and play, the story suddenly becomes even more inspiring.

A Brand-New Era

As a marketer at Samsung, I see that technology is writing new rules for creativity on a micro, as well as macro, scale. Brands are changing the way they communicate as new cultural values emerge with technological innovations.

With the proliferation of technology, brands are no longer bystanders in society. They can now make a difference at scale. Samsung’s DYTECTIVE, an app designed to diagnose dyslexia quickly and for free, shows that a simple idea can produce profound results.

As people are better informed and entertained than ever before, they are seeking much more than material comforts, which drives brands to create experiences with a deeper meaning.

Greater connectivity and mobility has also turned consumers from viewers and bystanders, into active participants. This opens a whole new level of relationship between brands and people, in other words, a new dimension of creativity for brands and marketers.

Do What You Can’t

Technology will transform creativity, for the better, by inspiring all of us to achieve the impossible.

When we aspire to enact change and stand by values that seem improbable, we are compelled to find solutions that are truly transformational.

At Samsung, it’s part of our DNA to enact change and stand by values that seem improbable.

Do What You Can’t is more than a slogan. It’s a call to action.

* This editorial is based on YH Lee’s address at Cannes Lions 2018.

But the Galaxy S9/S9+ is taking it up a notch with an all-new variety of intelligent and personalized emojis, which means you may never want to send plain text messages again. AR Emoji is designed to bring your unique facial expressions and add more fun to the emoji experience. But how did this AR-based feature come to life? Get a look behind Samsung’s lab doors for a close-up view.

01. The Problem

Regular emojis add more color to the conversation and are a fun way to communicate, but we recognized there are a lot of times when the existing set of emojis just don’t cut it. These lack personality – one smile looks no different from another. So we started looking for ways to bring out more character and personality in emojis.

02. The Goal

We thought in an ideal world, you would be able to teleport yourself and share how you feel with others then and there. So we wanted to come up with a way to replicate that experience but with the simplest tools possible, having seen so many people use messaging apps to communicate even with people right next to them and rely heavily on emojis rather than text. The focus quickly became how to create an image of the user and deliver multiple facial expressions and emotions along with that.

03. The Idea

To accomplish this, we decided to leverage the Galaxy S9/S9+’s camera technology. We thought, if users could take a selfie and transform it into a custom avatar and emoji, it would add something unique to the fun of communicating. In addition, we wanted to find a way to track people’s actual expressions so that they would have at their fingertips emojis that actually felt like their own. It was also important that we give users the best tools to express themselves however they want to look.

04. The Solution

The first step toward this was to use augmented reality to generate an avatar. With facial recognition technology, the Galaxy S9/S9+’s camera starts by producing an initial 3D rendering, using a data-based machine learning algorithm. Next, the camera analyzes the 2D image of the user and pulls information from its deep learning database to create the user’s facial features on the final 3D AR Emoji. To bring people’s unique expressions to life, we decided to include Face Tracking Technology, which tracks over 100 facial features and allows us to capture individual emotions on the spot.

In addition to this, Blend Shape technology helps deliver an even greater range of different facial expressions. Based on 75 basic facial expressions, Blend Shape allows us to reflect a wider set of user emotions by blending multiple expressions together. This is also the technology that has made our Disney emoji offerings possible. Another major step we took was to go through numerous sampling tests. From our labs, we conducted at least 100 tests on a weekly basis to make sure the new feature included enough data to appeal to users regardless of their tastes.

05. The Result

The end product of this is AR Emoji, which among other features offers a realistic or cartoon-like option for creating your own personalized My Emoji. These can be transformed into a set of 18 different expressions – gradually to expand to 54 – which were carefully created as universal visual representations of human emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. We wanted to offer emojis that would be able to deliver the same emotions across the world and went through a lot of research to understand how certain emotions are categorized and expressed on a fundamental level. In addition to the variety of emotions, AR Emoji also comes with a lot of versatility, allowing you to create the 3D avatars, either as a GIF, video or PNG file. Through updates and other developments, we’re continually looking for ways to help you simply be you. Check out some of the latest changes we made on April 23* and keep an eye out for additional improvements throughout the year that will include more hairstyles and other options.

06. A Simple How-to Guide

*Software update availability, functionality, features and schedule may differ by each market and its conditions, and are subject to change without notice or obligation.

Samsung has embraced this transformation in Galaxy S9/S9+ with a touch of Disney magic and GIPHY fun. With the roll-out of these all-new AR Emojis – and a range of other new messaging innovations – the Galaxy S9/S9+ makes chatting with friends more fun than ever before. Along with improved hardware, the AR Emojis have turned the camera into a dashboard that makes creating and remixing your shareable moments even easier.

Bring Disney Magic to Life

Have you ever wanted to meet the most famous mouse in the world? Samsung’s latest partnership with Disney is bringing your favorite characters to life with an all-new set of Disney-themed AR Emojis.

Users can now use Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, or Donald Duck AR Emojis by downloading the Disney characters from their camera and hitting record. The new Disney characters add to the variety of AR Emojis already available including your own personal My Emoji avatar and other cartoon characters.

AR Emojis use deep learning and facial recognition technology to map more than 100 facial features to produce a 3D replica, allowing users to create fun, customized messages to send to friends. So, whether you want to make your friends laugh as a silly rabbit, or tell them you love them as Mickey Mouse, there are more options than ever before on the Galaxy S9/S9+. Samsung and Disney plan to continue releasing more classic characters throughout the year, including favorites from The Incredibles, Frozen, and Zootopia.

Share More, Share Easier

Nothing captures a sarcastic quip or reaction like a good emoji or GIF. In fact, they are so good at capturing our emotions we send over 1 billion GIFs every day. With the Galaxy S9/S9+, Samsung has made them more customizable and shareable than ever before. The My Emoji feature automatically generates 18 emotions and saves them as custom stickers that are easily accessible from your Samsung Keyboard, along with other pre-loaded emojis and stickers. For now, there are 18 different custom stickers, but new updates will bring the total to 54. Since they use the AGIF format, you can share them with anyone, no matter what kind of smartphone they have.

Third-party applications also support My Emoji stickers through use of the Samsung Keyboard, so no matter the platform you use, you can send any of your custom emojis to friends and family. Besides the wide variety AR Emoji brings to your chats, Samsung has partnered with GIPHY so that sending your GIFs is even easier. So, if you’re just chatting with friends, or making a sarcastic quip to mom and dad, now you can send GIFs right from your Samsung Keyboard.

The new Samsung Keyboard features 30 categories of GIFs to choose from including happy, fun, thumbs up, and OMG. Whether you’re sassy, silly, or sarcastic, there is a GIF for you.

Choose from More Emojis Than Ever

While the Face with Tears of Joy may have captured the comedic highs and tragic lows of a generation, the time to update our emoji repertoire has come. Samsung has answered that call by adding more than 200 new emojis to the Samsung Keyboard.

In addition to the new emojis, Samsung has also opted for a redesign of the classic icons already available.

Whether you want to cheer up a friend, say “hello” to mom, or reach out to a lost connection, the Galaxy S9/S9+ brings you a plethora of options to express yourself, proving once again that it is built for the way we communicate today.

Lock Screen and AOD

The lock screen is the part of the smartphone we interact with the most. It’s often one of the first things we see when we wake up and check throughout the day. Galaxy S9 and S9+’s lock screen features give you the best platform to tell your own story every day. With the video wallpaper function, you can customize the lock screen to play your favorite images to keep you inspired all day long. The feature even lets you transform your treasured Super Slow-mo videos into lock screen wallpapers. You can also try making the notification bars on the lock screen transparent to see all the things that matter to you more clearly.

Set your favorite Super Slow-mo moment as video wallpaper

Adjust the transparency of notifications in Lock Screen and Security under Settings

Whenever you need to read the time precisely, simply tap the clock on the lock screen and it will tell you the seconds as well as minutes and hours.

Change lock screen time format

Want to keep something that makes you smile close by? Pin one of 20 pre-loaded animated GIFs on your Always on Display so you can be greeted with a dash of delight whenever you check your phone.

How to pin animated GIFs on Always on Display

Edge

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to find an app quickly only to forget which folder it’s in. The Edge function on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ solves this problem by giving you the option to store your favorite apps and contacts on the side of the Super AMOLED screen. Samsung has improved the function to facilitate quicker access. Simply drag and drop an icon from Apps Edge to a designated box for a pop-up view. The Edge function on Galaxy S9 and S9+ also allows you to quickly reply to messages in a pop-up window.

Drag and drop icons from Apps Edge for pop-up view

You can now switch between Apps Edge, People Edge and Smart Select with a simple swipe. People Edge allows you to easily call or message your frequent contacts, while Smart Select lets you capture an area of your screen as an image or animation.

Swipe to access Apps Edge, People Edge, and Smart Select

App Pair

We’ve all been there. Switching back and forth between different documents and apps to gather all the information while writing an email on the go. The time spent navigating multiple apps could make writing a simple message feel like running a marathon. With App Pair on Galaxy S9 and S9+, you’ll never find yourself in such a situation again. With just one touch, the function launches two apps simultaneously in Multi-Window mode. You can even place the customized App Pair icon on the home screen to ensure easy access all the time.

Create App Pair icons with these simple steps and place App Pair icons on home screen for quick access

Landscape Mode

Most multimedia contents are best experienced in landscape on the smartphone. Using the entirety of the screen, the experience becomes more immersive. But switching from a video stream to other tasks can be cumbersome at times, as the home screen is usually fixed in portrait – until now. The home screen of Galaxy S9 and S9+ can rotate to landscape automatically, which means you don’t have to physically change the phone’s position whenever you transition between multimedia contents and other tasks.

How to enable Landscape Mode

Dedicated Fingerprint

Our phones often hold highly personal information. While it’s important to have such data locked away securely, efficient authentication is equally crucial. Galaxy S9 and S9+ strike the perfect balance between security and usability with Dedicated Fingerprint. The function lets you register two fingerprints to unlock the phone. Your normal fingerprint takes you to the home screen while your dedicated fingerprint gives you access to the Secure Folder directly from the lock screen.

Use Dedicated Fingerprint to securely access personal information

“For six consecutive Paralympic Games, Samsung has displayed commitment to its partnership with the IPC with accessible technology that creates a more inclusive and exciting experience for all,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics. “At PyeongChang 2018, we will continue to leverage our technological advancements to inspire the #DoWhatYouCant spirit and motivate more people to be involved in the Paralympic Movement.”

For PyeongChang 2018, Samsung will continue to provide innovative platforms that allow more people to become connected, engaged and involved in the Paralympic Winter Games through the following activations:

Providing Exclusive Galaxy Note8 Pack to All Paralympians

The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games marks the first time all Paralympians will receive Samsung smartphones – allowing them to capture and share their experiences and to further generate excitement for the Paralympic Movement amongst fans around the world.  Each Paralympian will receive a Galaxy Note8 as part of an exclusive pack that features a fast-charging battery pack as well as a special case that incorporates a Paralympic Winter Games interface once attached to the phone.

Accessible Experiences for All at Samsung Paralympic Showcases

Samsung will highlight its dedication to the Paralympic Movement by revamping and renaming Samsung Olympic Showcases as Samsung Paralympic Showcases. Popular features that attracted over 430,000 people during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 will continue to entertain visitors, including 4D VR experiences powered by the Galaxy Note8 such as ‘The Mission to Space VR: A Moon for All Mankind,’ as well as snowboarding and other winter sports. Exclusively for the Paralympic Winter Games, visitors will be able to experience how the vision-enhancing Relúmĭno application works in conjunction with Samsung Gear VR to help those with low vision see the world more clearly. Wheelchair accessible ramps and lifts will ensure all athletes and fans are able to participate in a variety of interactive experiences.

New Storytelling Through the Eyes of Samsung Paralympic Blogger Program

Samsung will once again partner with the IPC to share behind-the-scenes Games-Time experiences with fans around the world through the Samsung Paralympic Bloggers Program. For PyeongChang 2018, 25 Paralympians, team officials and reporters were selected to use their creativity to share unique content and their own #DoWhatYouCant stories, which will be uploaded on various digital platforms including the IPC’s official YouTube channel, Twitter and Facebook, as well as bloggers’ respective social media accounts.

Adapting the PyeongChang 2018 App to Deliver a Better Paralympic Games Experience

Samsung is once again powering the custom mobile application, as an effort to further enhance the PyeongChang 2018 experience for all, ensuring smarter communications and smoother wireless operations during the Paralympic Winter Games. The all-in-one app, created in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG), received more than 1,280,000 downloads during the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 period, and has been updated to provide the official Paralympic Games schedule, venue and event information, results, medal counts, and more real-time updates during the Paralympic Games.

The app is available for free in Samsung Galaxy Apps, Google Play Store and iOS App Store.

“With a shared vision to inspire athletes and fans to #DoWhatYouCant, Samsung has brought meaningful technology to the Paralympic Games and prompted discussion about seeing ability over disability,” said IPC President, Andrew Parsons. “We are excited to see Samsung’s innovations come to life in a way that is inclusive and promotes accessibility for those living with an impairment.”

About Samsung’s Involvement in the Paralympic Games

Samsung is a Worldwide Partner of the IPC in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category. Starting from Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games, Samsung has supported 6 consecutive Paralympic Games, and is proud to be an official worldwide partner of PyeongChang 2018. Samsung hosts various Paralympic Games campaigns that aim to enable athletes and fans around the world to participate in the Paralympic Movement and to spread the excitement and inspiration of the Games through its wireless communication technologies. Samsung’s commitment as a Worldwide Partner continues through PyeongChang 2018 and Tokyo 2020.

Samsung Electronics, Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment category, saw connectivity and digital interactions taken to the next level for athletes and fans during Rio 2016 Olympic Games. With Samsung Galaxy Studios spread throughout the Olympic Games footprint and beyond in Brazil, athletes and fans were able to demo the most advanced mobile technologies and stay connected with friends and family back home. Samsung today announced numerous metrics that proved Rio 2016 was one of the most connected Olympic Games in history.

Standing out was Samsung’s #DoWhatYouCant campaign, which achieved more than 1.6 billion social impressions and engaged almost 121 million fans. Based on the philosophy that the Olympic Games has never only been about sports, #DoWhatYouCant celebrates those who defy barriers to do the extraordinary, inside and outside of sports. Through its heralded documentary “A Fighting Chance,” along with advertisements and content like “The Chant” and “The Anthem,” the campaign tells the stories of those who push the limits to overcome obstacles, helping fans across the globe connect with what it means to “Do What You Can’t.”

Samsung reached many other milestones at Rio 2016, helping the brand achieve top marks. By the numbers, Samsung’s milestones included:

• 8,447 calls made from Samsung Galaxy Studio in Olympic Village via Samsung’s free call service for athletes; 42,236 minutes
• 6,035,434 downloads of official “Rio 2016 App”, developed by Samsung in collaboration with the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee
• 58,783 mentions of Samsung’s Rio 2016 #DoWhatYouCant
• 125,359,837 total campaign engagements
• 1,647,594,349 impressions via #DoWhatYouCant
• 330,350 fans who enjoyed VR experience through Samsung Galaxy smartphones at the Galaxy Studios throughout Brazil
• 1,040,860 visitors to 13 Olympic Games-themed Samsung Galaxy Studios throughout Brazil

Samsung’s free call service at its Galaxy Studio in the Olympic Village proved to be a hit for athletes, helping them connect with their families back home as they prepared for competition. VR experiences were also immensely popular for both athletes and fans – with many of Samsung’s 13 Olympic Games-themed Galaxy Studios throughout Brazil offering SporTV’s VR livestream of events for thousands of fans.

To help make this Olympic Games more connected than ever, Samsung – in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – presented 12,500 Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Games Limited Edition mobile phones to athletes competing in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The commemorative smartphones were meant to help Olympians enhance their experiences in Rio and communicate with friends and family around the world more conveniently.

And with the help of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, Samsung also developed the official application of Rio 2016, “The Rio 2016 App,” that provides athletes, fans and consumers 24/7 updates on all of the latest Olympic Games news. And to have a home base for all of the digital interactions at the Olympic Games, Samsung last week opened its main Samsung Galaxy Studio Olympic Park right in the heart of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where fans and consumers can demo Samsung’s latest wireless communications products and immersive technologies.

“As a continuous contribution to the Olympic Games, Samsung creates immersive programs that unite the world through our mobile technology helping fans across the globe have access and enjoy,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Rio 2016 has proven to be a digitally connected Olympic Games. We are delighted to see the great connections of the athletes and fans, which we look forward to continuing into the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.”

For more information about Samsung’s involvement in the Olympic Games, please visit www.samsungmobilepress.com/Olympics/