Starting with the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3, the software update will include the Galaxy S21 series,¹ Galaxy A series and Tab S7 FE. The update will extend to even more Galaxy devices, including the S20 series,² Z Fold,³ Z Flip,⁴ Note series,⁵ S10 series,⁶ A series and Tab S series.

Read on to learn more about One UI 4.1 and some of the new features Galaxy users can enjoy.

Collaborate and Connect From Anywhere With Google Duo Live Sharing

No matter where you are in the world, you can stay connected with the Google Duo⁷ app on your Galaxy device. With Google Duo live sharing feature, you can share your screen with friends to view photos in Gallery together and relive your cherished memories, even when you’re far apart.⁸ You can also share your browser screen and collaborate on Samsung Notes while you’re on a video call — great for planning a trip with your friends or for taking productive notes during that important meeting.⁹

Make Every Photo a Masterpiece With Expert RAW

Galaxy S21 Ultra and S22 series¹⁰ users who want to make the most of their smartphone camera can now transform images into magazine-worthy masterpieces with the Expert RAW photo editing app. This DSLR-like experience means you can edit both photos and videos with total precision, satisfying your eye for detail using a comprehensive suite of in-camera editing tools. Plus, the app allows you to save files in both JPG and DNG format, so you can truly edit like a pro. Expert RAW gives you complete creative freedom, from brightening or darkening photos with ISO controls to choosing between multiple lenses to capture any subject or scene.

Reclaim Control of Your Images With Object Eraser

Sometimes, a great photo can be ruined by background objects, people, shadows or reflections, but you might not realize until after the picture is taken. With the more enhanced Object eraser, you can now easily remove not only distracting objects in the background, but also shadows thrown on the subject or even reflections on the windows. Simply tap the ‘Erase shadows’ or ‘Erase reflections’ button when you want to remove them from a photo, and Object eraser will handle the rest.¹¹

Streamline Your Photo Sharing

We know Galaxy users love to share their content as much as they love to create it. That’s why the latest update brings users a more simplified and streamlined photo sharing experience. By automatically optimizing your photos — whether it’s cropping out unwanted sections of screenshots or automatically adjusting the tilt — you can ensure that whatever you send is exactly what you intended. Simply select an image to share and an icon will alert you if your device detects potential improvements. Click on the icon and watch as the image is automatically adjusted, rotated or cropped before it’s shared.

As part of the update, users can also enjoy Quick Share, a feature that allows you to instantly send multiple photos, videos and files at once. Just click the ‘Share’ button and select the desired recipient to transfer anything with ease.

Write Confidently With a Grammarly-Powered Keyboard

Whether you’re chatting with friends or typing up an important email, every word counts. That’s why Samsung teamed up with Grammarly to create a smarter keyboard that goes beyond simply picking up typos. With Grammarly seamlessly integrated into Samsung Keyboard, you’ll automatically receive expert writing improvements as you type to ensure you feel confident every time you press send. You will also have the opportunity to get more advanced suggestions — such as ideas to improve sentence clarity, find compelling synonyms, write with fluency and more — to take your writing to the next level.¹²

¹ Galaxy S21 5G, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G and S21 FE 5G.

² Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, S20 FE 5G.

³ Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Fold 5G, Fold.

⁴ Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Z Flip.

⁵ Galaxy Note20, Note20 Ultra, Note10+ 5G, Note10+.

⁶ Galaxy S10e, S10, S10+, S10 5G.

⁷ Google Duo is a trademark of Google LLC. Live sharing host is available to Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy Tab S8 series users at time of launch and will be provided to other Galaxy device users with Android 12 OS at a later date. Participants may need to upgrade to the latest Google Duo app to use live sharing. Google Duo app availability may vary by market. Requires optimal network connection.

⁸ Current sharable apps during Google Duo video calls are Google Arts & Culture, Google Maps, Jamboard, Samsung Notes, Samsung Gallery and YouTube.

⁹ Google Duo supports QHD resolution for up to 4 people connected simultaneously.

¹⁰ Expert RAW app availability is currently limited to S21 Ultra and S22 series. Samsung Members notified Expert RAW will become available on Galaxy Z Fold3 in April 2022 and Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy Note20 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold2 later in this year.

¹¹ The ‘Erase shadows’ and ‘Erase reflections’ features are only supported on Galaxy S10 series and the newer devices. Even if both shadows and reflections are detected in a photo, only one eraser effect can be applied.

¹² Eligible users can try Grammarly Premium free for 90 days.

Part one of this two-part series focused on Samsung’s latest home appliances and displays. Here, Junghoe Kim of Samsung Research’s Robot Center¹ and Hoseong Kang from Samsung’s Mobile eXperience Business offer exclusive insights on the company’s latest robots and the new Galaxy S21 FE.

Robotics: Reimagining Robots as Life Companions

▲ Junghoe Kim of Samsung Research’s Robot Center stands alongside the Samsung Bot i interactive robot.

Q: What is the theme for Samsung Research’s showcase at CES 2022?

The overall concept for Samsung Research at CES 2022 is “Digital, Meet Physical”. We’ve gone to great lengths to show how the personalized experiences that millennials and zoomers value can be seamlessly connected to the digital world.

To that end, the ‘house’ that we set up at CES was designed to resemble a digital world like a metaverse. Our AI ​​Avatar was created to identify users’ locations in the real world using UWB (Ultra Wide Band) location recognition technology, and interact with them through the nearest smart home product.

At this year’s CES, two types of companion robots will be introduced: the Samsung Bot i, an interactive robot, and the Samsung Bot Handy, a manipulation robot that can assist with household chores. They can help users by arranging a video conference for an urgent meeting, or by setting the table for a meal. Our CES 2022 booth demonstrates how AI and robots can come together to introduce innovative user experiences to the home of the future.

Q: What are some of the Samsung Bot i and Samsung Bot Handy’s most innovative features and technologies?

The Samsung Bot i is an interactive robot that utilizes balance control technology. It moves like a living being, making dynamic and life-like movements. When it’s next to the user, it moves alongside them and offers various forms of support. When it’s away from the user, it manages various tasks for them using its telepresence² function.

The Samsung Bot Handy is a robot that helps out with various household chores using manipulation³ technology. This enables the robot to recognize objects at home and skillfully pick them up. Whereas at last year’s CES, we showcased a technology that could pick up a single object based on learning, this year, we will introduce a scenario called “tableware handling”. This technology enables the robot to pick items up after recognizing multiple objects and analyzing the surrounding environment.

▲ (From left) The Samsung Bot Handy, an AI Avatar and the Samsung Bot i

Q: How would you summarize Samsung Research’s R&D philosophy when it comes to robots, and where is the company’s research heading?

Samsung Research’s Robot Center is conducting research in various areas under the vision, “Samsung Bot, Touching Your Daily Life.” We strive to make our robots companions that help users in their daily lives by closely interacting with them and making their lives happier and more convenient. To achieve this, we’re taking core robot technologies like mobility and manipulation a step further by creating platforms based on our extensive expertise in AI, and we’re developing various robots based on research in those areas.

The Galaxy S21 FE: A Smartphone for Fans, by Fans

▲ Mobile eXperience team member Hoseong Kang holds up the Galaxy S21 FE, the newest S series smartphone, designed with feedback from Galaxy fans

Q: Which features of the newly unveiled Galaxy S21 FE should people pay special attention to?

The goal of the Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) is to offer the Galaxy S series experience to even more users. It was created by combining the most beloved features of the Galaxy S21. What makes the S21 FE so special is that it makes the S21 series’ flagship experience available to more people while offering the same iconic contour-cut design, outstanding AI-powered camera, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and flagship performance.

The camera is a crucially important part of the smartphone. Millennials and zoomers (members of Gen Z) in particular make use of the front-facing camera in a range of different ways. That’s why we equipped the S21 FE with a high-resolution, 32MP front camera that lets you take high-quality photos anytime, anywhere.

Q: Galaxy FE devices are designed to allow more people to enjoy the core flagship features that Galaxy users love. How are users’ opinions gathered on functions, and what insights have you gained through that research?

When planning FE devices, we collect feedback on the Galaxy series from thousands of fans. Through that research, we’ve been able to identify which aspects of the Galaxy S series fans love the most.

We listen closely to their feedback and identify the common perceptions about Galaxy devices that transcend regional and cultural boundaries. One of the insights that has come up repeatedly in our research is that many fans associate Galaxy devices with the idea of constant innovation. This is something that Galaxy devices have earned by driving innovation in the mobile space for more than a decade. It’s also the core philosophy that the FE line, and other future products, must live up to.

▲ The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE empowers fans to express themselves with four unique new colors

Q: Why is Samsung continuously expanding the Galaxy S series lineup? What is the ultimate goal?

When it comes to innovating with the mobile experience, Samsung is at the forefront. We have always been one step ahead of market demand, and we’ve been able to use the Galaxy brand to bring users new and innovative mobile experiences. The Galaxy S21 FE is the latest product of our approach to innovation. With its unique colors and design, it offers users a broader range of choices, helping them express themselves.

¹ Samsung Electronics’ advanced R&D hub, which leads the development of future technologies for its Device eXperience division

² Refers to a virtual video conferencing system that makes participants feel as if they are in the same room.

³ Refers to the skillful manipulation of objects with hands. This includes picking objects up.

To find out more about what exactly the Galaxy S21 FE 5G is bringing to the equation, check out the new device’s specs in the infographic below.

For more information, including images and videos of the products Samsung is announcing at CES 2022, please visit news.samsung.com/global/ces-2022.

“At Samsung, we are focused on bringing the latest mobile innovations to even more people,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ MX (Mobile eXperience) Business. “We saw an incredible response to Galaxy S20 FE and Galaxy S21 lineup. So we applied the same approach with S21 FE 5G, equipping it with the premium features that matter most to our loyal Galaxy fans — because we’re focused on delivering a smartphone that meets their most important needs.”

More Ways for Users To Express Themselves

The S21 FE 5G continues the Galaxy S21 legacy with a premium, signature design. It all starts with the iconic, fan-favorite Contour-Cut frame that seamlessly integrates with S21 FE 5G’s camera housing for a stylish, unified look. Samsung is giving consumers even more ways to express themselves with four new, fashionable color options — Olive, Lavender, White or Graphite — all of which include a stylish haze finish. And the S21 FE 5G features a sleek and slim 7.9mm-thick body, so it can easily slip into a pocket to keep up with any on-the-go lifestyle.

Power for When Fans Need It Most

Samsung users said power and display are critical to keeping up in today’s 24/7 world. That’s why S21 FE 5G comes equipped with Galaxy’s latest, super-fast application processor — the same powerful processor used in the S21 series. Dedicated gamers and streamers will be wowed by the S21 FE 5G’s ultra-crisp, high-quality graphics and picture quality, and the S21 FE 5G’s new 240Hz touch response rate takes all their favorite games to new heights with lightning-fast reaction capabilities.¹ And those games will look incredibly smooth thanks to S21 FE 5G’s 120Hz refresh rate, which provides the highest resolution on a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display.

Long-lasting batteries are also a top priority for busy, on-the-go Galaxy users; so S21 FE 5G is outfitted with an all-day battery built to last from work to home and everywhere in between. S21 FE 5G’s powerful battery is reinforced with 25W Super fast charging capabilities so you can charge your battery by more than 50% in just 30 minutes,^{2, 3} and enjoy the S21 FE 5G’s brilliant high-speed performance without interruption.

Photo Favorites for the Galaxy Fan

The Galaxy S21 is renowned for its industry-leading camera, and S21 FE 5G is equipped with the same pro-grade setup used to capture the world’s most vivid photos. Photography amateurs and pros-alike can effortlessly edit, post and share scroll-stopping content. It also includes an improved Night Mode setting compared to S20 FE. Now, users can enhance low-light shots while out with friends at night and capture super-clear photos in the darkest conditions. And when you want to get everyone in the shot, S21 FE 5G provides Samsung’s best selfie experience yet. Use S21 FE 5G’s advanced 32MP front camera to snap a high-quality selfie of all your best friends. Then let its enhanced AI Face Restoration capabilities make you all look your best. Plus, with Dual Recording, you can stay on top of the action in front of and behind you — just start recording, and your camera captures views from both lenses at the same time.

Truly Tailored and Secure Mobile Experience

Thanks to Samsung’s intuitive One UI 4, you can design your ideal mobile experience — one that’s uniquely suited to your needs and allows you to express who you are, securely. Packed with deeper customization options and stronger privacy controls, you get to call the shots. With expanded capabilities, your home screens, icons, notifications, wallpapers,⁴ and more can all be reimagined. Take for instance, widgets, which have been redesigned and upgraded to offer deep personalization options. Samsung believes a truly tailored experience goes beyond just look and feel. To ensure peace of mind, S21 FE 5G is built with a new privacy dashboard that brings security and privacy controls into one convenient place, making the experience of One UI 4 on the Galaxy S21 FE 5G as seamless as it is secure.

Official Launch

Starting on January 11, 2022, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G will be widely available through Samsung.com, carriers and retailers online. Availability will vary by market.

For more information about the Galaxy S21 FE 5G, please visit www.samsung.com/galaxy-s21-fe-5g/, or samsungmobilepress.com.

For more information, including images and videos of the products Samsung is announcing at CES 2022, please visit news.samsung.com/global/ces-2022.

¹ Available in 120Hz display setting and in the Game Mode.

² Charging with 25W Super fast charger from 0 to 50%. Charger is sold separately.

³ Typical value tested under third-party laboratory condition. Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. Rated (minimum) capacity is 4,370mAh for Galaxy S21 FE. Actual battery life may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns and other factors.

⁴ Some may cost extra money.

⁵ Measured diagonally, Galaxy S21 FE 5G’s screen size is 6.4-inch in the full rectangle and 6.3-inch with accounting for the rounded corners; actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and camera hole

⁶ Available in 120Hz display and in the Game Mode.

⁷ Available in 120Hz display setting and in the Game Mode.

⁸ May vary by market and carrier.

⁹ Storage availability may differ by country, model or carrier. Actual storage space availability may vary depending on pre-installed software and by country, model, file size and format.

¹⁰ Typical value tested under third-party laboratory condition. Typical value is the estimated average value considering the deviation in battery capacity among the battery samples tested under IEC 61960 standard. Rated (minimum) capacity is 4,370mAh for Galaxy S21 FE. Actual battery life may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns and other factors.

¹¹ Charger is sold separately.

¹² Available in select markets. Payment solutions and available features may vary depending on market, carrier and service providers.

¹³ Consistent with IPX8 rating, water resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Rinse residue/dry after wet.

Once a common sight in areas all around the world, tigers have unfortunately now become a first-class endangered species, with the habitats they once thrived in and the ecosystems they once dominated increasingly at risk, too.

In order to raise awareness of the pressing need to protect tigers, as well as their habitats, Samsung Electronics teamed up with Discovery and Project C.A.T. (Conserving Acres for Tigers) to produce a documentary called ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ shot using the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Taking Initiative To Protect the Tiger’s Habitat

Tigers are the top predators of their food chain. They play a key role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, but due to illegal hunting and extensive habitat destruction, these majestic creatures are now being threatened with the danger of becoming extinct – a loss that stands to affect entire ecosystems.

Project C.A.T, started by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Discovery, is an initiative that promotes the preservation of remaining tiger populations’ natural habitats. This project currently supports nearly six million acres of tiger habitat across India, Bhutan and Russia, as well as providing support to local economies and climate justice for these marginalized communities. Understanding the importance of Project C.A.T.’s mission, Samsung has joined hands with Discovery to help raise awareness of this meaningful initiative.

As part of their partnership, Samsung and Discovery worked together with passionate local filmmakers to produce the remarkable collaborative documentary ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ in order to bring these astounding creatures to viewers all over the world and shine a spotlight on the work these organizations are doing.

Eye to Eye With a Tiger, Captured by the Galaxy S21 Ultra

‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ was shot in Jaipur, India, and throughout the course of the documentary we follow wildlife photographer Yashas Narayan as he sets out on his journey to capture the most elusive big cat on the planet – the tiger. The documentary follows Narayan as he puts his experience in tracking and photographing tigers to use with help from his Galaxy S21 Ultra as he ventures deep into the wilderness of Ranthambore National Park in order to catch sight of this elusive creature – and provide viewers with some top tips for wildlife photography along the way.

Narayan, one of India’s foremost wildlife photographers, is not only united with the documentary’s award-winning director Vikram Singh through their passion for capturing their native country’s beauty, but also in their passions for nature, conservation and connecting with people. As showcased in the documentary, the pair enthusiastically took on the challenge of tracking tigers in Ranthambore National Park – notoriously a time-extensive process – harnessing the Galaxy S21 Ultra to capture some of the other brilliant wildlife they encountered along the way.

The documentary comes to a close as the pair finally manage to encounter a wild tiger and capture it in all its glory using the Galaxy S21 Ultra, an experience that is well worth all the challenges tracking the animal bring about. As well as being a fascinating look into tigers in the wild, ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ not only showcases the quality camera experiences and flexibility offered to the filmmakers by the Galaxy S21 Ultra as they went about their journey, but also the scarcity of tigers in the wild these days, and the need to protect these creatures and the habitats they occupy.

Master Shooting Like a Pro With the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Camera

Eagle-eyed viewers will be quick to spot that, throughout the course of the documentary, Narayan’s Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G comes in extra helpful for capturing not only the beauty of the tigers the team manage to encounter, but the other wildlife they come across along the way, too.

Not only is the Galaxy S21 Ultra a smartphone capable of capturing high-quality videos, such as the ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ documentary, but is also the perfect tool for capturing those special moments in everyday life – in top quality.

Take a look at some of the top tips for subject photography as showcased in the ‘Eye to Eye With a Tiger’ film below.

1. Bring Faraway Subjects Right in Front of Your Eyes: Dual-tele Zoom & Space Zoom

With the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s powerful zoom functionality, you can zoom in on your subject to get that close-up shot either 3x, 10x or even 100x,¹ meaning that you’ll never miss a detail even when capturing objects in the distance.

2. Never Miss a Moment When Recording: 8K Video Snap

Thanks to the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 8K Video Snap feature, you can make sure that unmissable moment you’re recording is captured in both video and picture film for ultimate shareability. While recording, 8K Video Snap lets you capture the scene in front of you in both video and ultra-high-definition photo formats.

3. Adjust Every Detail Your Way: Pro Mode

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s next-level camera comes with a function that helps even the most amateur of photographers produce high-quality shots – Pro Mode. Pro Mode lets you calibrate your camera’s shutter speed, contrast, saturation, ISO value and more manually, meaning that you can capture near-professional-level photos, all without the need for any external professional help or other equipment.

4. Capture Quality Video Like the Pros – With Just a Smartphone: Pro Video Mode

Not only does the Galaxy S21 Ultra offer a Pro Mode to those looking to capture high-quality photos, it also features the Pro Video function. Pro Video lets you adjust your camera’s resolution to a stunning 8K, as well as manage the camera’s focus to be on your desired subject when shooting and even choose which direction you are recording sound from as you go, so you can be sure that your video recording is as high-quality as Narayan’s during his journey to document the glorious tiger.

¹ 100X Space Zoom includes 10x Hybrid Optic Zoom and 100x digital zoom with AI Super Resolution technology. Zooming in past 10x may cause some image deterioration.

“We are committed to giving everyone access to the best mobile experiences possible, as soon as possible,” said Janghyun Yoon, Executive Vice President and Head of Software Platform Team at Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “One UI 4 delivers on that promise, equipping Galaxy smartphone users with the latest customization and privacy features. But we won’t stop there. Soon, other smartphone and tablet users will also be able to benefit from this software update, enabling a more seamless experience across our entire ecosystem.”

Your Galaxy, Your Way

One UI 4 enables you to create a customized mobile experience to meet your unique needs and express your individuality. With a whole host of new Color Palettes to choose from, you can alter the look and feel of everything from your home screen to icons, menu, button and background. And with reimagined widgets that offer even deeper customization, it’s never been easier to put your own personal stamp on your smartphone experience. You can even more effortlessly express yourself with a wider variety of emoji features, GIFs and stickers available directly from your keyboard.

Protect What Matters Most

There’s no privacy without strong security. That’s why, with One UI 4, Samsung is bringing the latest privacy and security features, so you can choose exactly what you want to share or keep private. From alerting you to when an app is attempting to access your camera or microphone, to a new privacy dashboard that brings all your settings and controls into one convenient place, with One UI 4, monitoring and controlling your privacy settings is simple.

Connecting You to an Extended Ecosystem

One UI 4 helps you to get the most out of Samsung’s incredible extended ecosystem of devices and third-party apps, unlocking a more powerful mobile experience.

Samsung’s partnerships with other industry-leaders, like Google, ensure seamless experience when using your favorite third-party apps and services. This means you can enjoy apps like Google Duo, which provides high-quality video calls with friends and family.

And whether you’re using a Galaxy Z Series, Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Tab, you’ll get the uniformed look and feel across your devices, and will be able to seamlessly sync them.

Availability

One UI 4 will be available on the Galaxy S21 series starting November 15^th and will soon become available on previous Galaxy S and Note series as well as Galaxy Z series, A series and tablets.¹ This announcement comes alongside a new software update for the Galaxy Watch series² that, starting today, enables users to enjoy enhanced health features and new watch faces.

¹ At a later date the update will also be available on the Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, S20 FE, Note20, Note20 Ultra, S10, S10e, S10+, S10 5G, Note10, Note 10+, Galaxy Fold, Z Fold3, Z Flip3, Z Fold2, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G, Galaxy A82 5G, A72, A52, A52 5G, A52s 5G, A42 5G, and Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab S7+. Availability may vary by region.

² Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Watch Active2 and Galaxy Watch3

Capturing Magic #withGalaxy

To kick off the campaign, world-renowned director Joe Wright known for Pride and Prejudice and Atonement partnered with Samsung to create Princess & Peppernose, the tale of a princess in search of love who defies convention to pursue her own desires. The heartwarming musical uses puppetry and live-action choreography to tell a unique story captured entirely with a Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G smartphone.

“My parents ran and founded the first dedicated puppet theater in the UK, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to get back to my roots,” Wright said. “What surprised me the most throughout this process was how quick and easy it was to get right in there and be present with the characters and the story. The camera is always ready, and all you need to do is point and shoot.”

During the creation of Princess & Peppernose, Wright and his crew took full advantage of the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 13mm Ultra-Wide lens to capture the full view of every scene.

“We chose to embrace the wider lens, something we’d never done before,” a cinematographer said. “Moving in for close-ups with the same lens we used for wider shots gave the film a very specific look and feel, a kind of ghostly, hallucinatory quality and took us back to the times shooting with a Super8.”

Fans can find an official trailer of the film by visiting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6wUp-xmoAk.

Celebrating Stories From Around the World, Filmed #withGalaxy

Following Wright’s film, Samsung will release additional Filmed #withGalaxy stories from respected directors around the world, including China’s up-and-coming director Sha Mo, known for Love Will Tear Us Apart and My Huckleberry Friends.

Sha Mo used the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to capture footage for his new film Kids of Paradise, a poetic look at conflicts between children in a small school by the countryside. To capture the story, Sha Mo relied on Director’s Mode of the Galaxy S21 Ultra to record three different shots at once for an intuitive, almost professional-like filming experience.

“Working with Samsung, I discovered that anyone with a desire to express themselves or tell a story already has the equipment needed in their hand,” Sha Mo said. “The Galaxy S21 Ultra allowed me to capture angles and movements that I simply can’t get with a larger camera. Once I started filming, I was so excited to discover the story and the characters, that I almost forgot I was shooting with a mobile device and the ideas just kept flowing.”

Princess & Peppernose and Kids of Paradise will be unveiled at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in October.

“Filming is one of the most powerful storytelling tools, and one of the best ways to connect emotionally with your audience,” said Stephanie Choi, Head of Marketing for Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business. “With this series, we want to show people that they really don’t need fancy studio equipment or big budgets to create amazing films — all they need is a little imagination and the Galaxy device in their pocket.”

Stay tuned for more exciting content from some of the world’s best filmmakers and learn how to use these same tricks to get your own story out there.

“One UI 4 helps users create their own, optimized mobile experience because Samsung recognizes that, everyone wants to meet their unique needs and preferences,” said Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business. “As we’ve done with every iteration of our One UI, we’ve listened to our users to understand the tools and innovations needed to create a better, more reliable, and enhanced overall user experience.”

One UI 4 Beta Launch

The One UI 4 Beta Program allows users to try out One UI 4’s upgraded features ahead of its official release. Samsung Galaxy S21 series¹ owners in select markets² can register for the beta program via the Samsung Members app on their devices. Participants will be able to preview the One UI 4 design and new features³ and submit feedbacks. Samsung will use the information gathered from the beta program to fine-tune the One UI 4 user experience before delivering a final, optimized upgrade later this year.

Delightful Experiences, Designed by You

Samsung’s One UI user interface brings a unified mobile experience to Galaxy smartphones through simplified and streamlined interactions and a clean and elegant design.

One UI 4 beta participants will be able to experience comprehensive customization capabilities and privacy controls that empower them to design their ideal mobile experience — one that’s uniquely suited to their individual needs and allows them to express who they are.

The Look You Want

With One UI 4, users get customization options at every turn. A wealth of theme options let the users adjust the look and functionality of their device, giving them tools to configure their home screens, icons, notifications, wallpapers and much more. Plus, redesigned, upgraded widgets offer deep customization — from visibility to appearance. Users also get convenient access to a more robust and diverse array of emojis all in one place, so they can effortlessly navigate their options to enjoy richer communication experiences.

Empowering Privacy Options, Total Protection

The new One UI 4 also brings enhanced privacy and protection functions that make it easier for users to understand exactly how their data are being used to customize their settings and deliver a more personalized mobile experience. Indicators alert users to app camera and microphone usage, so they can instantly disable permissions if they don’t want to grant access. One UI 4 also expands on Android 12’s permission options, allowing users to view their permissions history from the last seven days, not just the last 24 hours. They can also check the current data usage of both their permissions and their apps.

¹ The users of Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra can participate in the beta program.

² The Beta Program will be available in China, India, Germany, Poland, South Korea, UK, and US. The release date can vary by each market.

³ Some of the new features might not be supported when beta program is open.

Tigers, lions, bears, giraffes, pandas, fennec foxes… These are some of the wild animals that live in Everland, the Land of Fantasy. Everland takes care of endangered animals by making sure that they are raised in an environment closest to their natural habitats and organizes a variety of ecological programs to help visitors learn about the importance of nature and all living things. To dive into the world of the mysterious world of animals, Samsung Global Newsroom has created its Online Zoo series by capturing the animals with various Samsung devices.

Today, June 21, is World Giraffe Day as designated by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF). This day was assigned to make collaborative efforts to prevent the extinction of giraffes, whose number is rapidly reducing, and to take some time to learn a bit more about these gentle giants. Considering the most characteristic feature of giraffes—their long necks—the GCF chose June 21 as World Giraffe Day as it is the summer solstice,¹ the longest day of the year.

Using some of Samsung Electronics’ most innovative devices, Samsung Global Newsroom followed the everyday lives of the twelve giraffes that live in Everland, from the story of the world record-breaking head of the giraffe family to the surprisingly belligerent nature of giraffes, and finally their charming yet subtle characteristics. Read on and take a look at the videos below to learn more about these gentle yet surprising creatures, and see if you can work out how the Galaxy S21 Ultra and The Sero TV made their way into the footage as you do.

The Most Famous Giraffe in South Korea

Giraffe matriarch Jang-Soon is living the life of a superstar who cannot escape the spotlight. Since making it into the Guinness Book of World Records for a special reason and becoming the most prominent giraffe in Everland, Jang-Soon’s conjugal harmony, silver wedding and other events have been reported on the news. The next giraffe to likely continue Jang-Soon’s legacy in the giraffe family has also come to the forefront. Who is this next contender for the leader of the superstar Everland giraffe family? Let’s find out by following a day in the life of Jang-Soon and her family.

Slow Yet Stealthy: the Hidden Abilities of Giraffes

“If you encounter a giraffe in the wild, don’t look back and run for your lives!” noted Jun-Yeong Park, Everland zookeeper who has been working with Lost Valley’s giraffe family for over 10 years. In fact, the giraffe is one of the top 10 strongest fighters among African land animals. ‘Cheong-Ryong’, the heaviest and strongest member of the giraffe family of twelve, in fact weighs 1.5 tons. If a giraffe harnesses its heavy body and starts kicking with full strength to defend itself, it is enough to break the skull or spine of a lion into pieces.

What’s more, their big eyes, each of which is the size of a tennis ball, grants them excellent eyesight and a visibility range of 4 to 7km, meaning that giraffes are very good at escaping from their enemies. Let’s learn more about some of the surprising physical characteristics of giraffes that are disguised behind their beatific eyes and relaxed gait.

The Longer the Neck, the Higher the Blood Pressure

One of a giraffe’s most characteristic features is its long neck, which is hard to see in one go even if you tilt your head as far as you can. Male giraffes engage in fights using their necks, known as ‘necking’, in order to compete for females, meaning that it is more advantageous to have a longer neck as it increases a fighter’s overall centrifugal force.

That said, as giraffes have to pump blood all the way to the top of their heads which sit 3m above their hearts, giraffes inevitably have high blood pressure, with their normal blood pressure being 270/180 mmHg. The blood pressure of the giraffe is two times that of the human, which is 120/80 mmHg, but nevertheless, giraffes manage to eat, drink, sleep and play with ease. So what is their secret?

Giraffes that group with others live longer than less sociable individuals, according to the team of researchers led by Professor Barbara König at University of Zürich. World Giraffe Day was designated to promote collaborative efforts to the end of preventing the extinction of giraffes. After enjoying this dynamic tale of Everland’s giraffe family captured in the Galaxy S21 Ultra and The Sero, let’s be sure to pay more attention to protecting these gentle giants.

¹ One of the twenty-four solar terms, the summer solstice has the longest day and the shortest night of the year.

But the beauty of Jeju doesn’t stop at its coastline. In commemoration of the United Nations’ World Ocean Day this June 8, a day set to appreciate and advocate for our globe’s oceans, Samsung Global Newsroom is taking a dive into the pristine waters surrounding Jeju along with the help of Dong-sik Kim, an acclaimed underwater documentary director, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. This year’s World Ocean Day theme is “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods,” and so Kim headed underwater to capture the multifarious marine life that lies beneath the waves of Jeju.

Meet Dong-sik Kim, Seasoned Underwater Documentary Director of 39 Years

Dong-sik Kim is a professional underwater documentary director who has been bringing the diverse marine life of the world’s oceans to viewers for the past 39 years in order to help people answer the question, what is life really like beneath the waves?

Kim has devoted his life to making ocean documentaries that capture both the mystery and the beauty of the nature that thrives beneath the surface of our oceans in order to raise awareness of preserving our oceans. Kim is currently working on his latest documentary focusing on Jeju’s diverse marine life, including the island’s famous ‘hanyeo’ (female divers) and its dolphins, all the while highlighting the co-existence of human and marine life.

Given the nature of the subjects he is capturing, reducing the size of his shooting gear is important to Kim. “Instead of weighty gear, a slim and compact smartphone used to capture marine life can help close the distance with my subjects, reduce undue stress on marine life and help protect the environment,” noted Kim. “Shooting a documentary using the Galaxy S21 Ultra is definitely a new challenge for me!”

How to Film Underwater With the Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Galaxy S21 Ultra is an IP68-rated smartphone with outstanding dust and water resistant functionality for use in everyday life. When diving deep, however, a separate waterproof cover is required in order to most effectively harness the S21 Ultra’s camera while keeping the device safe from water exposure at great depths.

Once you’ve fitted your Galaxy S21 Ultra with its extra layer of protection, the ‘record’ and ‘stop recording’ functions become the only settings available for use, meaning that you will need to arrange your camera settings before commencing shooting underwater. For this shoot, Kim set his camera to wide-angled mode in order to properly capture those more active marine creatures like dolphins. Kim also opted for 8K resolution at standard-angled mode in order to take brilliant up-close shots of coral.

Fine-tuning your lighting levels is crucial to getting the best videos with your smartphone. If you are shooting using just natural lighting, you may end up with different results depending on what time of day it is. For underwater photography, early morning and late afternoon are considered the best times of day to shoot, and if low-light situations occur or you encounter ocean sediment, getting closer to the subject can help with the shot.

Online Aquarium Part 1: Jeju’s Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins

As many as 100 Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are estimated to live off of Jeju Island, living in groups that are generally around 5 to 15 in size but that can number up to 70. For these dolphins, enjoying acrobatic feats in the blue waters or harnessing a stray piece of seaweed as a toy is the best way to have fun.

Take a look at the powerful yet graceful movements of Jeju’s dolphins below, captured on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Online Aquarium Part 2: Uncovering a Hidden World

The water temperature off of Jeju is around 1-2℃ higher than other mainland coastal regions, and with its clear water allowing sunlight to penetrate thoroughly, Jeju’s waters make the ideal habitat for a whole range of creatures to live harmoniously, including some tropical species.

Underneath the waters of Jeju lies a colorful and truly beautiful hidden world of life. Take a look at some of these fascinating creatures and their unique underwater lives in the shots below.

Here, a Jeju Balloonfish goes about its way unperturbed. Unlike other pufferfish, the Jeju Balloonfish is not poisonous – but it is almost completely covered in spikes, with the exception of its fins and tail.

In the above, a camera-shy octopus tries to hide between the rocks. Thanks to its excellent camouflage and mimicry capabilities, this creature is well-known as being the chameleon of the sea.

Found at a depth of 50m beneath the surface of the waves, the wide-eyed Scorpion Fish is found at a variety of rocky coastal areas around Korea, including the seas off of Jeju.

A Luna Lionfish shows off its dynamic fins and bold stripes. Known for its awe-inspiring patterns, this lionfish immediately captures attention with its imposing posture.

In Korean, the Spotted-Tail Morwong is known as ‘ahopdonggari,’ or ‘9 pieces,’ in reference to the nine vertical stripes that cover its body.

These Cocktail Wrasse inhabit rocky areas underwater covered with seaweed – the fish will wedge itself between a piece of rock or seaweed in order to get a good night’s sleep. The male of this species has a black-purple body coloring, while the female has a red-brown coloring.

Online Aquarium Part 3: Exploring an Underwater Tropical Rainforest

On the underwater cliff faces of Jeju’s sea sit breathtakingly beautiful corals, a sight that takes the aquatic landscape to the next level thanks to their vibrant color palettes. Over 160 species of corals can be found in the waters around Korea, and of the 126 found in Jeju, 90 of them are native just to the island.

The colorful colony that emerges when a coral reef forms almost resemble the birds-eye-view of a tropical rainforest found on land; take a look at some of these stunning underwater vistas, captured with the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

These delicate red soft coral colonies are known as the cherry blossoms of the sea, and are one of the most common types of soft-type corals found in the waters off of Jeju. They can be spotted with a range of red and yellow colorings, including light yellow, reddish yellow, orange and even pink.

Another common soft coral that can be spotted in the Jeju seas is the giant sea anemone, which comes together to form lumpy colonies.

These plant-like corals may not have flashy coloring, but the array of shapes they come in and the way they sway gently with the tides is certainly eye-catching. They might seem frail, but be careful – they contain poison that can cause burns to human skin.

These broccoli-like members of the Dendronephthya castanea species of coral come together to build a colony that resembles the springtime blossoming of flowers, complete with stems.

The flower sea fan is one of the most well-known fan-shaped corals. While they may appear thin and flexible, the sea fan’s protruding stems are surprisingly strong.

The Euplexaura crassa coral boasts the most vivid yellow color among all the corals found in Korea – while its rounded edges make it seem soft, it is in fact very resilient to breaking.

Ready to dive in and discover more about the astonishing marine life found beneath the waters of Jeju Island? Take a look at Kim’s video below, captured on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, to see more.

And now, several months after the smartphone’s release, the reviews are in and experts and influencers are loving the experience of creating with the Galaxy S21. In this second installment of our ‘Express Your Epic’ series, Samsung Newsroom presents reviews from users who have been creating with the Galaxy S21 this year, as well as some tips for how to get the best out of the smartphone’s enhanced camera.

Moviemaking on the Galaxy S21

[Thailand, 4/12] In mid-April, three famous filmmakers delivered tips for how to create your own content using the Galaxy S21. The filmmakers delivered advice on how to best use lighting and the Galaxy S21’s Super Steady feature to create outstanding videos, as well as how to take stunning portrait videos using Super Slow mode. Check out their pro tips here.

▲ (Clockwise from left to right) Actor and director Chantavit Dhanasevi from Thailand captures salad ingredients; filming surf skating using the Galaxy S21’s Super Steady Mode; filming a model harnessing backlight

[Taiwan, 4/7] In early April, cutting-edge filmmakers Hsu Chih-Yen, Yin Chen-Hao, Birdy Nio, Kay Jan, and Alex III detailed how they used Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G and Galaxy Z series devices to shoot “daily blockbuster movies”. This piece also introduced the ‘#Wonderful Build – Galaxy Shooter Trial’ Instagram campaign, which involved using Galaxy smartphones to capture videos longer than 15 seconds in length. Check it out here.

The Galaxy S21 for Fashion and Beauty Content

[Russia, 4/23] In late April, as red carpet season began, the Russian newsroom covered how star stylist Jason Boden utilized the Galaxy S21 to complement his work. In a piece entitled ‘The Star Stylist’s Secret Weapon – How the Galaxy S21 Helps Prepare for the Red Carpet’, the high-profile stylist explained how he uses the Galaxy S21 when working for celebrities and described the smartphone’s camera as “just unreal.” Take a look here.

[UK, 3/10] Also in March, London innovation hub Samsung KX partnered with world-renowned makeup artist Hannah Martin to open a virtual masterclass on beauty trends for the spring and summer seasons. The masterclass was filmed using the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G and was shared through the Samsung KX content hub on March 18^th. Read more about the masterclass here.

Click here for the full video.

Creating Pictorial Content With the Galaxy S21

[USA, 4/18] In celebration of Mother’s Day, the article “Make Mom Epic #WithGalaxy This Mother’s Day” was released in April. It highlighted the spirt of celebrating moms around the world and debuted video from #TeamGalaxy creators as they used the Galaxy S21 multi-lens camera to capture studio quality photos of their moms in Portrait Mode, crystal-clear 8K video, 8K Video snap, and Single Take. The article concluded with details on a number of Galaxy S21 promotional offers.

The Galaxy S21 and Food Content

[UK, 2/15] To celebrate the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G Series, Samsung UK teamed up with British influencer The Bake King on Pancake Day, revealing tips on how to make the most ‘flip-able’ pancakes. Inspired by the colors of the device, and shot entirely on the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, The Bake King delivered some stunning images and videos – and some tasty pancakes. See more here.

From movie-making, to getting stars ready for the catwalk, making mothers feel appreciated to upping your pancake game, the Galaxy S21 is here to enhance your creations, whatever they may be. With the proof very much in the pudding, influencers and experts from a range of countries and industries are coming together to attest to the way the Galaxy S21’s enhanced camera is underpinning their creativity and empowering them to express better.

But the capabilities of the Galaxy S21 series’ camera go beyond just making everyday moments epic. In order to showcase the creative heights that users can reach with their Galaxy S21 series device’s cameras, Samsung has been collaborating with a diverse and exciting range of content creators – and the results have been astonishing.

In the first part of this two-part series documenting the true potential of the Galaxy S21 series’ camera, Samsung Newsroom has compiled just some of the examples of how leading content creators around the world have been harnessing the camera’s pro-grade functionalities across all kinds of mediums.

Read on to see more.

Making Movie Magic

An homage to the late Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa, the Samsung Portugal team collaborated with local creatives to produce one of the late writer’s screenplays. Filmed entirely on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, the resulting film ‘O Ídolo’, or ‘The Idol’, has resonated with literary fans and Portuguese speakers the world over.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the production of ‘The Idol’ at Samsung Newsroom Brazil.

Taking Music Videos to the Next Level

March of this year saw the groundbreaking Galaxy S21 series’ camera mark another first in the creative industry, as the music video for Spanish artist Aron Piper’s single ‘Mufasa’ became the first music video to be recorded entirely with the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

See more about how the portability and pro-grade functionality offered by the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G helped bring Piper’s vision to life over at Samsung Newsroom Spain.

That same month saw Ukrainian singer and artist Lida Lee of the MONATIK Corporation collaborate with Samsung Electronics Ukraine to create a unique video project captured entirely on the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

See more about how the project went down on Samsung Newsroom Ukraine.

Over in Poland, singer Rosalie and director duo Andiamo harnessed the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to create a 90s-themed music video for the song ‘Come, come, come’, making use of the extensive range of camera modes and functionalities to evoke the iconic lighting style of the era.

Hear more from those who worked on the project over at Samsung Newsroom Poland.

Marking a fresh new age of music marketing, Samsung Electronics worked with Thailand’s AIS and GMM Grammy to produce a revolutionary interactive music video for fan-beloved group Three Man Down, shot using the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Learn more about this unique project and how Samsung brought it to life at Samsung Newsroom Thailand.

Taking Pictorials to New Heights

This April, GQ South Africa harnessed the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to shoot dynamic dual covers for its May/June issue cover. What’s more, the fascinating behind-the-scenes content behind this unique pictorial was also captured on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Hear more about bringing this project to life from photographer Austin Malema and GQ editor Molife Kumona over at Samsung Newsroom South Africa.

National Geographic photographer and explorer Prasenjeet Yadav switched out his usual hefty wildlife photography setup for a Galaxy S21 Ultra when shooting in Western Ghats, India, producing a pictorial that went on to make National Geographics Traveler India Edition’s March issue.

Hear more from Yadav and how the Galaxy S21 Ultra allowed for him to take flawless shots with seamless mobility over at Samsung Newsroom India, and take a look at the #UncoverTheEpic campaign hosted by Samsung, Yadav and National Geographic Traveler magazine that saw a high-definition cut from an 8K video make the cover for the first time in the magazine’s history here.

Earlier this year, world-famous British photographer Rankin harnessed the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to capture photoshoots with rapper Stefflon Don that combined the spirit of the 1980s with the creativity of today’s social media.

Featuring still shots, videos and social-friendly content cuts, the collaboration harnesses the variety of pro-grade camera functionalities available on the Galaxy S21 series; hear more about how the shoot went down from Rankin and Stefflon Don themselves on Samsung Newsroom U.K.

Putting Budding Photographers to the Test

In order to elevate the epic moments being realized through the missions on Chilean reality show ‘Epic Mode’, 12 famous contestants were handed Galaxy S21 devices to capture the final moments of their achievements over the 6 episodes of the show.

Take a look at the winning shots over at Samsung Newsroom Chile.

Finally, streaming on Hulu in the United States, ambitious mobile photographers are putting their skills to the test on the reality show ‘Exposure’. A testament to the pro-grade power of today’s smartphone cameras, ‘Exposure’ sees contestants compete in weekly themed challenges which they have to complete with the help of the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s advanced camera system.

Catch the first glimpse of ‘Exposure’ and learn more about the first-of-its-kind mobile photography competition series over at Samsung Newsroom U.S.

Stay tuned to Samsung Global Newsroom for more best practice tips and tricks on how to make the most out of your Galaxy S21 series camera, and for the second part in this series highlighting the photography prowess of the latest flagship’s camera.

This Mother’s Day, Samsung Electronics is celebrating with a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of working moms around the world. Shot with the Galaxy S21, the video highlights the hard work, dedication and love that #MakeMomEpic.

Check out the full video below.

From birth through their first encounters with their owners and up until their retirement, training a single guide dog requires the dedicated efforts of not just one, but a large group of people – not to mention the dogs themselves. Socialization training, for example, is a must in many countries for guide dogs.¹

In order to celebrate the efforts of guide dogs and the people who work with them, Samsung Newsroom visited the Samsung Guide Dog School, which has been training up guide dogs since 1993. Take a look at the photos below to learn more about the stories of these special companions.

* The following photos and videos have been captured using the Galaxy S21 Ultra

① Birth

Over 90 percent of guide dogs currently serving are retrievers, a breed that has been recognized for their disposition, affinity, and health. Amongst them, Labrador retrievers account for the largest number of guide dogs by merit of their adaptive, gentle and loyal natures.

▲ Three-week-old guide dog training candidates.

▲ At this young age, it’s especially important that the puppies eat and sleep well. They spend most of their time with their mother and are constantly growing.

We filmed three-week-old puppies and soon-to-be guide dogs with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The device’s camera vividly captures the soft fur of these adorable puppies – it is almost as if you can hear their calm breathing right from the photos. Of course, eating and sleeping are of utmost priority for these animals at this stage of their lives.

② Puppy Walking

Once they have grown somewhat, the next stage of their guide dog lives commences: puppy walking. At around seven weeks of age, the puppies are entrusted to volunteers and undergo various different socialization activities. The puppies’ walkers care for them for around a year and help with the different training procedures at home and at nearby parks, as well as at local restaurants and cafes.

“Puppies normally learn to interact with people at about three to 15 weeks of age,” explained Taejin Park, Director of the Samsung Guide Dog School. “The new experiences they gain during this period play an important role in determining their lifelong personalities.”

▲ Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance’s Samsung Guide Dog School offers basic training related to puppy walking, such as how to form a bond, how to get your pup to concentrate and sit down, and how to take a walk with a leash.

We were able to capture some puppy walkers and their companions, aged eight weeks old, on a visit to the School for a training session. The puppies captured below are just one week into their extensive training process.

▲ Activities like resting in one spot and even sleeping are all part of the guide dogs’ socialization training.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Portrait Mode is the perfect way to capture these puppies enjoying life much as children do, as if they have no cares in the world. The AI-powered camera not only analyzes the direction and angle of the scene’s lighting, but also measures the depth of field, allowing you to capture precious photos that have a professional feel to them. What’s more, you can then edit the background and other effects in the Gallery to suit your tastes.

* A video taken with the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Single Take feature.

You can also take all kinds of different photos and videos at once with the Single Take feature.

③ Guide Dog Training

After their year-long ‘puppy walking’ phase, the guide dogs in training return to the School for the formal training process. This training lasts around six to eight months, and the puppies learn such basic skills as sitting, waiting and toilet training, as well as such key behavioral traits as concentrating, learning to avoid obstacles and walking to target destinations.

▲ “Whose smile is the biggest?” This school is always full of smiles!

Once they have finished the entire training process, the puppies will undergo a test to ascertain whether or not they are fit to become guide dogs. But don’t be disheartened: puppies that fail the test then go on to become regular companions or work as ‘demonstrators’ within the guide school.

▲ This guide dog candidate is excelling at various tasks, including going upstairs, avoiding obstacles, and staying on the sidewalk.

“Truly, there’s no such thing as ‘success’ or ‘failure’ when it comes to undertaking guide dog training,” noted Park. “All the puppies ultimately live long, happy lives thanks to their kind natures and adaptive personalities.”

④ First Encounter with a New Family

Becoming a new member of the family they are to serve is an important step in any guide dog’s life, which is why the dog-to-owner matching process is extensive and rigorous. Factors such as the owners’ personality, vocation, walking pace and health condition are all taken into account when matching guide dogs to potential owners.

We paid a visit to a family to learn more about the life of a guide dog. Suhkjong Yu and his wife, Myeongji Sun, are both visually impaired and currently live with two guide dogs named Haedal and Jigu, as well as their two lovely daughters.

▲ Guide dogs, like any other dogs, require constant care from their owners. Owners should feed their guide dog breakfast every morning, take them out so they can relieve themselves upon request, walk them, and check to make sure that they’re feeling well. It goes without saying that owners should spend a large portion of their day dedicated to their guide dog.

▲ Seated comfortably under the dining table, guide dogs Jigu and Haedal join their family for dinner time.

“It is the responsibility of the visually impaired to take utmost care of the guide dogs who support them so much,” said Yoo. “The chemistry between the owner and the guide dog is really important, as they are the ones guiding us to our target destinations in the safest way possible, avoiding every obstacle along the way.”

▲ Cute and playful at home, guide dog Haedal is a very reliable and helpful partner during Mr. Yoo’s commute to work.

▲ Haedal and Mr. Yoo go for walks together every day. “The average life span of guide dogs is about one year longer than other retrievers. That goes to show you that guide dogs live happy, fulfilling lives,” said Tae-jin Park, Director of Samsung Guide Dog School

Guide dogs that retire after seven to eight years of service become rehomed with volunteers and go on to happily enjoy the rest of their lives.

▲ A retired guide dog who was adopted by a volunteer goes for a walk.

¹ Conditions may vary by country or region.

But exactly how do these dogs go from being ordinary puppies to becoming ‘eyes’ for those who cannot see for themselves? Captured on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, this short film documents some of the guide dogs at Samsung Guide Dog School, showcasing the process a guide dog goes through from birth all the way through to retirement.

Take a look at the video below to learn more.

While DSLRs have long been viewed as some of the best cameras for taking high-quality photos, even their staunchest fans would admit that there are some downsides. DSLRs can be bulky and heavy, and they require a variety of lenses – from wide angle to telephoto – to capture various scenes. It’s important to keep that in mind when using a DSLR because the scene you’re capturing will look different depending on the angle of your lens.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera combines four different lenses – Ultra Wide, Wide-angle, and 3x and 10x telephoto zoom – into one powerful, highly portable package. How does the smartphone’s feature-packed shooter compare to a DSLR? To answer that question, Samsung Newsroom enlisted the help of a professional photographer. Read on to find out how the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s landscape photos compared to those taken with both full-frame and APS-C crop sensor DSLRs.

Picking the Perfect Lens for the Scene

As mentioned above, even when photographing the same subject, different lenses can produce completely different results. If you understand the characteristics and field of view of each lens and utilize them appropriately, it becomes easy to get the photos you want. By combining four of the most frequently used lenses out there, the Galaxy S21 Ultra adds new levels of ease and convenience to mobile photography.

Once you launch the smartphone’s camera, you’ll see four tree-themed lens icons at the bottom of the screen. The one on the far left is the 13mm Ultra Wide lens. It features a 120-degree field of view, which places an exceptionally large area in the camera’s frame. To its right is the default 24mm Wide-angle lens, which is great for capturing vast landscapes and wide objects.

Next up are the camera’s telephoto lenses, which are perfect for capturing subjects that are far away. With a narrower field of view than their wide-angle counterparts, they allow you to zoom in on subjects and snap stunning shots. The 3x telephoto lens is ideal for focusing on a specific part of a given scene, while the 10x telephoto lens captures a level of detail that highlights objects in the scene that you may not have noticed before.

The Ultra Wide Lens: Fit Everything Into a Single Shot

To test out the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Ultra Wide lens, the photographer chose to photograph a merry-go-round in a local park. The lens allowed them to fit the entire ride in one shot – from its elaborate gold decorations to its majestic white horses.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Ultra Wide lens easily captured the periphery of the space with a field of view that was comparable to a DSLR.

Ultra-wide-angle lenses allow us to capture images that offer a fuller view of a scene without looking cramped. Whereas photos taken with conventional ultra-wide-angle lenses often feature distortion at their edges, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s lens addresses this issue with a function that automatically reduces distortion to ensure a high-quality photo.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Ultra Wide lens (left) captures more area than its wide-angle lens (right).

The Wide-Angle Lens: Capture the Scene as You See It

The Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Wide-angle lens is optimized to capture spacious scenes with minimal distortion.

A comparison of photos taken with the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Wide-angle lens, a full-frame DSLR, and a crop-sensor DSLR with a wide-angle (24-70mm) lens.

As you can see in the images above, the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Wide-angle lens offers a field of view that’s as wide as a DSLR. Its 108MP sensor allowed the photographer to snap a sharper, more detailed image. It’s an image that captures this ride’s true colors thanks to the camera’s ability to optimize key settings like exposure and light sensitivity.

Speaking of optimizing settings, the Galaxy S21 Ultra also makes it easy to find the best possible composition for your scene with convenient features like ‘Shot suggestions’. When you turn on the function, a circle indicating the optimal point upon which to center your photo instantly appears on the screen to help you snap the perfect picture.

A comparison of photos taken with the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s Ultra Wide (left) and Wide-angle lenses.

3x and 10x Telephoto Lenses: Crystal Clear Close-Ups

Wide-angle lenses widen the camera’s field of view to capture more aspects of a given scene. Telephoto lenses, on the other hand, do the opposite – narrowing the camera’s field of view to make faraway objects appear closer.

A comparison of photos taken with the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 3x telephoto lens, a full-frame DSLR, and a crop-sensor DSLR with a telephoto (70-200mm) lens.

How did the Galaxy S21 Ultra stack up when photographing subjects that were farther away? Once its angle was adjusted to focus on the subject, the smartphone’s 3x telephoto lens produced a photo that boasted considerably more depth than those that were taken with the DSLRs. The fact that the 3x telephoto lens featured a deeper depth of field than the other cameras enabled it to fully focus on its subject. This allowed the lens to capture the colors of the park in a way that was crisp and clear.

A comparison of photos taken with the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 10x telephoto lens, a full-frame DSLR camera, and a crop-sensor DSLR with a telephoto (200mm) lens.

The photographer found that the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s 10x telephoto lens was perfect for capturing the quiet beauty of these colorful steps. Both the writing on the steps and the cracks in the rocks were captured in exquisite detail. The 10x lens features a narrower field of view than its 3x counterpart, which allows you to photograph small, distant subjects as if they were right in front of you.

(From left) Photos taken with the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s telephoto lens, both with and without a tripod.

If you’ve tried taking photos with a telephoto lens on a DSLR, you’ll know that the higher the magnification of your telephoto lens, the more unstable it becomes as you zoom in. A tripod can help address this issue, but if you don’t have one, your pictures are likely to come out blurry. With the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s telephoto lenses, you don’t need a tripod to snap a stable shot. That’s because the lenses feature a built-in image stabilization function that ensures that images remain sharp when photographing faraway objects.

A remarkable camera – including four lenses, a 108MP sensor, 10x optical zoom, and image stabilization – is but one of the many innovations that make the Galaxy S21 Ultra a phone worth falling for. Click here to learn everything you need to know about the Galaxy S21 Ultra and the other devices in the Galaxy S21 series.

Sometimes a single picture or video just isn’t enough to truly capture the moment. Single Take, first introduced on the Galaxy S20 series, aimed to solve that problem by using AI processing to capture multiple pictures and videos simultaneously, then automatically apply post-processing edits.

In the second part of our Behind the Snapshot series, we’ll take a closer look at how the AI behind Single Take on the Galaxy S21 series gives you the power to create instantly shareable photos and videos.

Capture More of the Scene

Backed by more powerful AI, the Galaxy S21 ensures you never miss a moment by expanding the capabilities of Single Take with a duration of five to 15 seconds during which it records video while capturing up to ten photos per second. After capturing your scene, the AI takes over and processes the captured content to deliver up to the ten best photos and up to four video clips.

To find the best photos, the AI analyzes your content to determine which enhancements to apply. With photos of people and pets, for example, it may apply Portrait mode to emphasize the subject. For live events or landscapes, it may use Smart Crop to edit around the most interesting part of the scene or apply a variety of AI filters that adjust color and lighting.

For videos, the AI analyzes the footage for action and scenery. By default, videos receive either the Fast Forward (3x) effect or the new Dynamic Slow-mo effect, which applies slow motion when there is fast action in the scene. Other video effects include Boomerang, Reverse, Highlight video and Scene Relighting (a 24 hour time-lapse video). Results that would take normal users, hours of filtering and editing, Single Take can produce in an instant. So just how does it work?

Selecting Your Best Photos in an Instant

In order to deliver results quickly, the Single Take AI uses multiple engines powered by deep learning and computer vision to evaluate and filter images to choose the best moments.

The Aesthetic engine, for example, uses a deep learning engine trained using approximately 300,000 images carefully selected by professionals to evaluate overall clarity, image quality, facial expressions, and more. Through this process, the AI eliminates images where eyes are closed, or the subject’s face is angled down. Once the engine chooses the best moments, the AI then decides which filters and features to apply using the same deep learning technology. The most popular filters are automatically applied to your image.

The Angle Evaluation engine uses the same process, analyzing a database of approximately 100 million photos to determine the best crop angle. Finally, for pets and people, Portrait mode uses AI to segment subjects from the background and applies blur or other backdrop effects to the final photo.

Here’s a quiz to demonstrate how Single Take selects photos: which one do you think will be the best moment?

Creating Instantly Shareable Videos

In addition to photos and filter selection, Single Take uses multiple intelligence engines to do a lot of the heavy lifting of editing and processing your videos like a professional.

Capture intelligence analyzes the scene and leverages high-speed capture to produce the best image based on the available light. Human awareness intelligence, on the other hand, identifies human faces, expressions, body poses, head tilt, and helps to emphasize human subjects by making them stand out from the background. For videos, motion intelligence detects the peak moments of action in a scene. At any given moment while using Single Take, multiple intelligence engines work simultaneously to get the best results.

In the new Highlight video, for example, Single Take uses scene intelligence, capture intelligence, motion intelligence, and human awareness intelligence to pick the best photo and video moments in a scene and stitch them together into an instantly shareable video enhanced with filters, transitions, and background music. In more action-packed scenes, Single Take uses motion intelligence to analyze the scene and applies Dynamic Slow-mo, Boomerang or Reverse effects to emphasize the peak of the action.

In addition to Highlight video, you can also create stunning time-lapses with the Scene Relighting feature, which generates a video of your scene showing the full transition of light from morning to night using a single image. Based on your photo, the AI generates images with lighting adjustments for different times of the day—morning, evening, sunset, blue hour, night, and dawn—using a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). It then combines these images into a 12-second time-lapse video, smoothly blending the images to show the light transitioning in the scene over a 24-hour period.

The AI is able to analyze the sky, clouds, water, trees, and buildings in your scene, and naturally restore their edges and features just as you captured them. Scene Relighting videos are generated with such realism that you’ll never have to worry about missing a stunning blue sky or precious sunset again—simply capture the scene with Single Take and the AI will recreate it for you.

To learn more about the intelligent features behind the Galaxy S21 series’ powerful camera, be sure to check out the rest of the Behind the Snapshot series at Samsung Newsroom.

Starting with the Galaxy Note9’s Scene Optimizer, which used deep learning to deliver the best photos and editing effects, Samsung has continued to introduce more powerful AI features to its Galaxy cameras.

The Galaxy S21 series is the latest to feature Samsung’s cutting-edge AI-powered cameras, giving mobile photographers of all skill levels pro-grade tools that work behind-the-scenes to ensure every moment you capture is truly epic. In the first of this three-part series, we’ll take a closer look at how AI is improving portraits on the Galaxy S21 series.

Enhanced Selfie Experience

We’ve all had that moment of panic, frantically thumbing for the delete button, after taking a less than adequate selfie. But with the Galaxy S21 series’ selfie camera, you’ll always look your best with AI that delivers a more natural look and improved details. There are two key parts to the enhanced selfie experience:

1. Face information detection: When you snap a photo, the AI-powered selfie camera first identifies faces in the image, then segments them from the rest of the details in the scene, and finally applies natural enhancements to your subjects—all in the blink of an eye.

2.Restoration: The natural enhancements include bringing out the details in your subjects’ hair, eyes, and facial features and adjusting white balance to create more natural looking skin tones in any environment. The results are instantly shareable photos that don’t look overly processed or require further editing.

Samsung also included support for third party apps, so you can take images from your favorite camera or social media app and still get the benefits of AI-powered selfie camera.

Updated Portrait Mode

The Galaxy S21 series goes beyond just improving selfies—it also allows even beginners to capture studio-quality portraits of your friends, family, and even pets. The new advanced Portrait mode, formerly known as Live Focus, uses improved 3D sensing to deliver photos with more depth and dramatic effects.

When using Portrait mode, you can select from a variety of special effects to apply to your final image which include Blur, Studio, High-key Mono, Low-key Mono, Backdrop, and Color Point. As soon as you click the shutter, the onboard AI begins segmenting, matting, and refining the details of your subjects. Here’s how it works:

1. Segmentation Map: First, the AI immediately recognizes the humans or pets in the scene and generates an instant segmentation map to separate each individual subject.

2. Seed Map: Based on this segmentation map, a seed map of the subjects is generated to which your selected effects will apply. In a portrait like in the chart above, a seed map would separate the background from the main subject.

3. Tri-map: Image processing then adds a tri-map on top of the seed map, to identify the subject, the background, and the areas where they blend together.

4. Matte Map: Matting is then applied to the tri-map to bring out the details in the hair and facial features of your subjects.

5.Depth Estimation: Meanwhile, the AI simultaneously measures depth information to refine the background details and depth-of-field.¹

During segmenting, the AI powering Portrait mode is able to discern whether you’re capturing a singular person, a group of people at different depth levels, or a pet cat or dog.

Refining the Details

Regardless of whether your subject is a human or an animal, AI matting plays an important role in ensuring you capture them in as much detail as possible. As noted above, after segmenting your subjects, the seed map generates a tri-map where black represents the background, white represents the subject, and gray represents areas of the image that are uncertain.

During image processing when the background is blurred out in Portrait mode, this map ensures that the blur doesn’t overlap with your subject. A matte map is then generated to refine the details in the gray, unknown areas of the scene and to improve the resolution of the image. At the same time matting takes place, the AI uses the seed map to refine the details of the interior parts of the subject. The maps are then combined and upscaled to produce a final, high-resolution portrait where your subjects really pop off the background. Although it seems like quite an extensive process, it all happens within 3 seconds.²

To learn more about the intelligent features behind the Galaxy S21 series’ powerful camera, be sure to check out the rest of the Behind the Snapshot series at Samsung Newsroom.

¹ Depth-of-field adjustments are only applied when using the Blur effect on portraits of people and animals. If the camera measures an object at the same depth as a person, the effect is not applied, and the image is saved with its natural depth-of-field.

² Portrait mode processing times may vary depending on the shooting conditions.

The virtuoso pianist’s performance of ‘Over the Horizon’ on the grand piano teems with hope and optimism. Music lovers can now enjoy the full performance of the theme tune in the video below. Also check out the making-of video, where Yiruma shared his thoughts on the writing and recording process, to learn more about the piece.

Whether ordering the Galaxy S21 series devices online or picking them up in person at retail stores, Samsung is committed to providing customers with the best experience. To ensure the safety of both employees and customers, Samsung has taken extra precautions at retail locations. Safety measures include social distancing, temperature checks, mandatory use of masks, and frequent cleaning of store surfaces. In addition to disinfecting devices in the factory, display devices in stores are also routinely disinfected.

To celebrate the release of the Galaxy S21 series, here’s a look at their full journey from the factory floor to store shelves.

The quality control team at Samsung’s automated factory conduct final checks before sealing the devices in their packaging.

Team members at Samsung’s distribution center prepare the Galaxy S21 series for shipment to stores and customers across the globe.

Samsung retail teams set the stage for customers by preparing Galaxy S21 series, disinfecting devices and store surfaces, and reviewing safety measures.

Hungary

Belgium

Singapore

Singapore

Thailand

Thailand

Customers arrive at Samsung retail locations around the world to buy their favorite Galaxy S21 series device. Samsung’s retail members provided their expertise and guidance and helped customers get up close with Samsung’s latest innovations.

India

Singapore

Belgium

Belgium