Samsung Electronics today announced the global launch of its 32-inch Color E-Paper (EM32DX model), expanding its portfolio of energy-efficient digital signage solutions. Featuring advanced digital ink technology, this latest model delivers ultra-low power consumption, high visibility and a lightweight design. As such, it is a more sustainable and flexible display alternative for businesses.

“Samsung is committed to pushing the boundaries of display innovation with solutions that enhance engagement while reducing energy consumption,” said Hoon Chung, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display (VD) Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s Color E-Paper empowers businesses with highly efficient, customizable signage solutions that combine sustainability and performance.”

Energy-Efficient Digital Signage With Vivid Color

The new 32-inch Samsung Color E-Paper operates at 0.00W¹ when displaying static content. With a fully charged integrated battery, users have the ability to install and use Color E-Paper freely² without being connected to a power source. During content updates, the display still uses significantly less energy than the conventional digital signage, which helps reduce costs.

Equipped with QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution, it leverages Samsung’s advanced color imaging algorithm to optimize color accuracy and readability. This optimization softens the edges of the image while creating smoother and more vibrant colors for an eye-catching display resembling traditional paper posters and retail promotional stands. For businesses, Color E-Paper enables a seamless transition from printed materials to enhanced digital displays.

Slim, Lightweight and Easy To Deploy

Weighing only 2.5kg³ and measuring 17.9mm thick, the display has a paper-thin design that allows for versatile placement on walls, tables and ceilings using the hanging accessories that come with it.⁴ With 13.9mm bezels on all sides, the display provides high usability in both landscape and portrait modes, while its VESA⁵ mount compatibility further expands installation options and enhances convenience for businesses. With two USB-C ports, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and 8GB of onboard storage, the display offers seamless integration for businesses to manage their content with ease.

Smart Content Management for Businesses

Available on Android and iOS mobile devices,⁶ the dedicated Samsung E-Paper app allows users easy control to directly create content, schedule display times and set up content on Color E-Paper devices. Additionally, the Samsung VXT⁷ (Visual eXperience Transformation) platform — which provides real-time remote control and intuitive content management of devices and effortless content creation — is now compatible with Color E-Paper. This allows for centralized device management and smooth integration with existing supported signage products. Samsung VXT also includes a feature uniquely tailored for Color E-Paper to optimize content visibility and a preview function to ensure colors are accurate before deployment.

For enterprises, Samsung VXT also supports real-time monitoring⁸ and centralized device management, streamlining content deployment across multiple locations. Powered by Samsung Tizen 8.0, businesses can integrate the display seamlessly into existing systems via Tizen Enterprise APIs.

Additionally, as part of Samsung’s broader commitment to sustainability, the Color E-Paper features a cover made from 55% recycled plastic material and comes in fully paper-based packaging — reflecting the brand’s efforts to reduce environmental impact.

Continued Leadership in the Global Digital Signage Market

Samsung has reaffirmed its position as the world’s leading digital signage manufacturer, holding the top spot for the 16th consecutive year since first reaching number one in 2009.⁹

In 2024, Samsung achieved a record market share of 34.6% in global digital signage sales by volume.¹⁰

For more information about Samsung Color E-Paper, please visit www.samsung.com/business.

¹ The power measurement is based on IEC62301 standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission. According to the standards, an average power below 0.005W is indicated as 0.00W.
² The estimation is based on Samsung’s internal testing under conditions that protect panel cells, using Samsung’s official 25W EM32DX charger and the provided 4600mAh battery. Actual time may vary depending on usage patterns and other factors.
³ Color E-Paper weight of 2.5kg measured with battery included.
⁴ The EMDX series’ packaging includes rear holders (2) and hanging brackets (2).
⁵ Video Electronics Standards Association.
⁶ Samsung E-Paper app is available for Android devices running version 10 or later, and iOS devices running version 15 or later.
⁷ Samsung VXT must be purchased separately.
⁸ Network connection required.
⁹ Omdia Q4 2024 Public Display Report; Based on sales volume. Note: consumer TVs are excluded.
¹⁰ Omdia Q4 2024 Public Display Report; Based on sales volume. Note: consumer TVs are excluded.

163 zettabytes (ZB) is the amount of data expected to be generated worldwide by 2025, according to market research firm IDC. Within the span of just a decade, data produced by humankind will see a tenfold increase, which means we will see more data created in the next couple of years than has been accumulated over the past decades.

As more and more data is collected, we are able to access the information we want and enjoy high-quality content anytime, anywhere. Advancements in 5G, AI and 8K technologies, in particular, are further enriching people’s lives, resulting in the generation of a colossal amount of data on a daily basis.

Energy-Efficient DRAM and SSD

Most electronic data is stored in data centers which are often called “archives of human knowledge”. Data centers consist of a massive network of servers and are the epitome of cutting-edge information technology. The operation of data centers, naturally, requires a massive amount of electricity, and this is where the potential for the future of energy-efficient memory technology lies.

HDD or SSD is where data actually gets stored on servers. SSD is a NAND flash memory-based storage device and it delivers higher performance than disk-based HDD while using 50% less energy. With recent developments in technologies, DRAM needed for computing has also been optimized to perform better and consume less electricity.

Replacing HDDs with SSDs across all data center servers released in 2020 can be translated into saving 3 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy per year. Upgrading server DRAM  from DDR4 to the new DDR5 has the effect of saving 1TWh. These power savings amount to 4TWh, which is large enough to light all the street lights in Korea for an entire year, or power all homes in the country for a month.

Furthermore, additional electricity is required to cool down the tens of thousands of servers hard at work. That is why many data centers are located in Finland, Sweden or Ireland, to give them access to the cooler air and sea water needed for cooling. The less energy used in data center operation by adopting more SSDs and DDR5, the less heat generated, which ultimately leads to less electricity being needed for the cooling process. A total of 3TWh of electricity can be saved per year by following this process. A combined energy saving of 7TWh is enough electricity to replace 2.5 coal-fired power plants. The growing demand for servers driven by rapid growth in data and continued semiconductor innovation are placing a heightened importance on energy-efficient memory solutions.

Our Vision for a Sustainable Future                                               

When the Paris Agreement was signed to fight climate change in 2015, an international environmental organization singled out electricity as the main culprit of global warming in its report, claiming that the energy sector is responsible for 72.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. They urged the IT industry to join its efforts in reducing energy consumption given that energy consumption in data centers and networks was forecast to soar.

Samsung Electronics has long been aware of the value and potential of energy-efficient memory. Since it launched its “Green Memory Campaign” in 2009, it has been introducing memory solutions with maximized energy efficiency year after year as a part of its commitment to contribute to environmental protection.

In addition, our various sustainability initiatives across manufacturing processes and site operations have been recognized. Samsung Electronics became the first company in the semiconductor industry to earn a number of environmental certifications, including the Carbon Footprint and Water Footprint Certifications and the Zero Waste to Landfill Validation of Gold Level.

The path ahead for Samsung Memory is clear: to produce high-performing and energy-efficient products, and in turn, to empower all users to take part in saving the planet.

As a decades-long global IT leader, Samsung Electronics will continue to work for a more sustainable future as we explore new and innovative approaches to protect our planet.

Today’s mobile devices may come in all shapes and sizes, but they share one crucial thing in common: they all need to charge.

Yes, as powerful as they’ve become, most mobile devices still require charging every day. To help prevent this daily ritual from becoming a drain on the planet, Samsung Electronics has spent the last few decades refining its charger technology to make the process as environmentally conscious as possible. This not only includes prioritizing various power-saving technologies, but also reducing the use of potentially harmful substances in the manufacturing process.

Under the belief that small adjustments to our daily routines add up to big benefits for the environment, Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business constantly explores ways to make the world a greener place. Let’s take a look at how the team is reimagining smartphone charging technology.

Engineers Pranveer Singh Rathore (left) and Wonseok Kang, from Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business

Tackling the Standby Issue

While many may think that once plugged-in electronics and appliances are switched off, they instantly stop consuming power, in truth, they simply enter standby mode so they can spring back to action as soon as they’re switched back on.

The same goes for our mobile devices’ chargers. Once you disconnect your device, your charger will continue to consume a considerable amount of electricity unless you unplug it from its outlet or shut down your power strip.

Standby power consumption is considered to be a major contributor to the pressing problem of power waste. In an effort to address this issue, in 2012, Samsung successfully reduced the standby power consumption of its flagship Galaxy devices’ chargers to 20mW.¹ In the years since, the company has applied this environmentally conscious enhancement to the chargers of devices throughout its product range.²

Engineer Wonseok Kang, a member of the Mobile Communications Business’s Power Solution Group, summed up both the purpose of the technology and the benefits it presents.

“In order to supply a smartphone with power as soon as it’s connected, a charger must always be ‘running,’” said Kang. “In the past, we simply kept the charger running without regulation. Now, we’ve packed software into the charger that puts it to sleep when a device is unplugged – reducing power consumption to a more environmentally conscious voltage level – and wakes the charger up when a device is connected. It’s an energy-efficient cycle of sorts.”

Efficiency Is Everything

Like standby power consumption, charging efficiency is a key determinant of just how environmentally conscious a charging technology will be. Under perfect conditions, a charger would output 100 percent of the power it receives, achieving 100-percent energy efficiency. Galaxy smartphones’ chargers offer an energy efficiency rating of over 80 percent, which meets the European Union’s standard for Level VI ErP (Energy-Related Products) certification.

Samsung’s developers went to great lengths to enhance the energy efficiency of its chargers, analyzing even the tiniest of components in an effort to maximize functionality. “We focused mainly on improving the circuits of the semiconductors that are used to convert energy,” said Kang. “In the end, we were able to reduce the cumulative electric charge by minimizing energy loss.”

The process of ensuring a consistent level of energy efficiency was challenging, to say the least. “As mobile devices evolve and battery capacities increase, charger specifications have to increase as well,” Kang explained. “From 15 watts to 25, to 45 and beyond, higher specifications require greater functionality. This inevitably leads to a decrease in average energy efficiency. However, our commitment to designing the most efficient chargers possible enabled us to deliver a high level of efficiency with likewise high specs.”

Making Galaxy smartphone chargers environmentally conscious has paid dividends for the environment, resulting in approximately 13 million kilowatts (kW) of energy savings since 2014. That’s equivalent to the energy output of 4.5 hydroelectric power plants!³

Save Plastic, Save the Planet

Today, the world has become so overwhelmed with plastic that the World Economic Forum (WEF) has predicted that the oceans will contain more plastic waste (by weight) than fish by the year 2050. To help tackle pollution and preserve the planet, Samsung has committed to making its innovations more sustainable, which includes maximizing the amount of recycled materials that are used to produce its smartphones’ chargers.

Galaxy smartphone chargers are produced, in part, using environmentally conscious post-consumer materials (PCM).⁴ Created by recycling the resources of previously owned products, PCM helps reduce the amount of potentially harmful substances that are created during the plastic production process. As of 2019, approximately 5,000 tons of PCM have been used to manufacture Galaxy smartphone chargers.⁵

Samsung’s developers worked hard to ensure that adding PCM to charger designs wouldn’t compromise the overall quality of the final products. “Adding PCM can affect a product’s durability or performance,” said Pranveer Singh Rathore, a fellow engineer and colleague of Kang’s from Samsung’s Advanced CMF Lab. “However, after numerous attempts, we managed to make our designs both aesthetically pleasing and satisfyingly durable, while preserving the intrinsic properties of the substance.”

Because they directly receive electric currents, chargers are sensitive to heat, and must therefore be adequately flame retardant. As Rathore explained, “Prioritizing recycled materials and satisfying strict flame-retardancy standards at the same time was quite a challenge. However, by collaborating with various divisions and departments, we were able to come up with a method to increase the product’s quality and prevent the physical properties of the material itself from deteriorating.”

“It is never easy to go beyond the existing legal standards and design products that consider the environment – especially when other companies aren’t doing the same,” Rathore continued. “Nevertheless, I am confident that Samsung’s efforts will positively affect green initiatives going forward.”

Like his colleague, Kang sees a bright future ahead for the development of environmentally conscious mobile devices. “Raising awareness of things like smartphone chargers’ power consumption may eventually lead consumers to consider energy efficiency as an important factor when choosing a new device,” said Kang.

For those out there who are finding environmentally conscious lifestyle changes to be difficult and inconvenient, Samsung encourages you to reconsider, and hopes that efforts like these will help inspire you to do your part to make the world a greener place.

¹ Based on 15W and 25W Galaxy smartphone chargers

² Availability of 20mW chargers may vary depending on markets’ national energy standards and policies.

³ The 540 million 15W and 25W Galaxy smartphone chargers sold from 2014 to 2019 saved approximately 350 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy (compared to the 100mW Level VI standard of Europe’s ErP and the United States’ Department of Energy), which is equivalent to the combined energy output of 4.5 hydroelectric power plants (13 million kWh-class).

⁴ Galaxy smartphone chargers are currently manufactured using an average of approximately 20% PCM. Samsung continues to explore ways to increase its devices’ use of recycled materials.

⁵ Samsung has incorporated recycled PCM into Galaxy smartphone chargers since 2017.