Founded in 1953 as Die Gute Industrieform e.V., the iF Design Award conducts comprehensive evaluations of differentiation and impact, among others, in a total of nine categories — Product, Packaging, Communication, Professional Concept, Interior Architecture, Architecture, Service Design, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI).

“It is important for a design to connect the changing values with innovative technologies,” said Jinsoo Kim, Executive Vice President at Corporate Design Center in Samsung Electronics. “We are committed to offering a meaningful experience that both meets the various demands of customers and improves the quality of our lives.”

Three Gold Award Winning Products Recognized for Designs That Offer Customized Experiences to Different Lifestyles

The Freestyle is a portable screen that can display as large as 254cm in diagonal length depending on the environment where it is used, be it on the wall, the ceiling or the floor as it rotates 180 degrees.

Thanks to its lightweight and minimal design, The Freestyle is highly portable, allowing the user to hold it in one hand, and can be used with ease both indoors and outside such as on camping sites. Depending on each individual lifestyle, it can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker or as an ambient lamp that can glow light in various colors.

The Galaxy Z Flip3 was honored for its iconic and compact design that comes with premium features and exclusive foldable experiences, providing a truly personalized smartphone experience. With Galaxy Z Flip3’s unique form factor, users are able to enjoy the full smartphone experience when unfolded and pocketable design when folded in half. Not only is the design refined by providing a large Cover Screen, but it also maximizes the usability by allowing users to view notifications and capture a quick photo even when folded.

The vacuum cleaner The Bespoke Slim also won the Gold Award for its simple design that blends well with the surrounding living space. The Bespoke concept, which brings customized products to fit lifestyles and tastes, was applied to the product, improving the experience throughout the entire cleaning process from product storage to dust emptying.

Total of 71 Awards, From Product to UX Design, Including TV, Home appliance and Smartphones

With its designs being recognized in all categories at the iF Design Award 2022 including Product and User Interface (UI), Samsung Electronics won the most number of awards totaling 71.

In addition to the three Gold Awards, the Neo QLED 8K, the Bespoke French Door Refrigerator and the Galaxy Buds2 also won awards in the Product category.

The One UI 4, new interface of Galaxy smartphones that enables users to customize their devices, and the Galaxy Upcycling at Home, which allows users to build a smart home by recycling unused Galaxy phones into Home IoT devices were also recognized for the design excellence.

“The society and environment we belong to are constantly changing. With this change, users desire more complex and diverse experiences. In today’s world, there is also a constant influx of innovative products based on advanced technologies that change our everyday lives. In the midst of all this change, One UI will always listen to the voices of customers and continue to evolve so that our users can comfortably and joyfully experience their everyday lives.”

– Yoojin Hong, Head of UX Team for Samsung Electronics Mobile eXperience Business

Samsung Electronics designed the brand identity for One UI 4 as a seamless mobile experience that is able to harmonize with any device or story. The delicate yet flexible elements of the interface help users freely express their individuality while providing the tools to make everyday life more convenient and secure. In any situation, One UI 4 elevates the user’s lifestyle to a new level thanks to its expansive possibilities.

Samsung Newsroom sat down with Samsung’s UX design team to learn more about the user-first design process behind One UI 4.

Simple and Streamlined Style

It’s easier to focus on what matters most when unnecessary items are removed from view. One UI 4’s clear visual hierarchy guides your eye to the most important elements on each page at a single glance.

One UI 4 arranges colors and text so users can understand information intuitively. By simplifying the color system and readjusting the font size and thickness, One UI 4 delivers a clearer and more cohesive visual experience.

The new version of Samsung UI also organizes information into a system of streamlined, updated cards to enable instant understanding of facts and figures. By removing visual distractions and categorizing data into layers, users can now effortlessly navigate through their device to find whatever they need, whenever they need it.

Q: What was the reason for the color system re-organization and which part of the task did you focus on?

The key theme behind this color system re-organization was ‘Clean up’. We carried out the task by applying color to the most important information first and keeping less important information more monotone.

Q: Functional colors with similar meanings have also been unified, specifically red and green.

Red is usually associated with the ideas of Stop, Delete, Remove, Reject, or Decrease. Before One UI 4, the colors of features with a similar purpose were all slightly different. We focused on unifying the theme by using only one shade of red so that users could clearly understand the context of each function. Additionally, we slightly increased the brightness and saturation to enhance visibility while combining all the different reds and greens into their single respective colors.

Q: It seems that the font was tidied up all around through letter spacing and boldface type. Please explain how this was implemented.

We focused on making the presentation of information more prominent than before by adjusting the visual contrast based on the priority of information. We created optimal negative space by altering the dynamics of the font size and thickness according to the content’s importance.

Q: The overall Weather app has been upgraded with a clean, stylish look along with a new weather icon.

What people consider to be important information varies from user to user. For instance, the current weather is important to some people, while changes in the weather throughout the day are more important to others. While this information was previously mixed in the upper main card, One UI 4 now displays ‘current weather’ and ‘today’s weather’ separately. The essential data, current temperature, location and weather icons were revamped with stylish visuals and placed at the top to enhance readability.

Q: How has the Calendar app been reorganized to provide the date and calendar events more easily?

Based on our data, most users create between one and three calendar events a day. With that in mind, we designed a screen that looks seamless, even without any events scheduled for the day. We also allowed users to pay better attention to key information such as the month, day and schedule by replacing the previous gray background with a clear white background. The updated UI features centered text for a stable layout, and we added horizontal lines to create a clear view of information sorted by week.

Q: What kind of efforts were made to effectively communicate data in Samsung Health without looking complicated?

Samsung Health expresses information in three main ways. We used a simple bar chart to describe any range, progress, or status information, such as the number of steps, heart rate, stress, or blood sugar level. We used a symbol to communicate information such as food intake, sleep state or water consumption since cumulative data in this category is more important than progress. Lastly, we included a text-only type that displays a number without a graph when it’s important to know the figure on its own.

Q: Delivering concise and accurate information seems crucial for the newly-introduced Samsung Wallet since it contains important user data.

The Quick Access tab, the first screen of Samsung Wallet, is divided into a stacked view and an expanded view. While in the stacked view, 35% of each overlapping card can show information. With this in mind, the design team made the most of the space by efficiently placing the logo in the upper left corner while displaying the card properties in the upper right. Information with similar characteristics on each card was grouped together for an easy search. By contrast, functions and information with different features, such as usage history and running tasks, have been separated visually.

Safe, Comfortable and Secure Usage

As more time is spent on smart devices, there are more things to keep in mind, such as security and health. One UI 4 values the importance of people using smart devices to stay safe and comfortable anytime, anywhere, without worries or inconvenience. It is natural for users to feel anxious about having their personal information leaked through their smart devices. One UI 4 has been implemented with various features to protect users with high standards for security and privacy.

Every detail was carefully examined to help users conveniently use their smart devices in any setting. Dark mode reduces visual fatigue down to even the smallest detail. Additionally, a consistent visual design has been applied to provide comfortable usability even across multiple devices.

Q: Users can check when the camera or microphone is turned on with an icon. Where did you get this idea?

User interest in privacy and security has increased significantly in recent years. We applied the same newly-added function to the Android 12 OS, keeping the users’ best interests in mind.

Q: The Permission Dashboard shows where and how often the camera, microphone and location data have been used. Can you tell us more?

Malicious apps that access and exploit various sensors and data after gaining access to personal information have recently become a problem. The Permission Dashboard can now check and block apps that request unnecessary permission for personal information, even while the app is inactive.

Q: How did the design details come together for Dark mode?

We tried to find an appropriate level of darkness to enhance visual comfort without compromising each app icon’s aesthetics and striking features. As a result, we decided upon the current darkness level that naturally and uniformly tones down the entire app icon color, prevents glare from white space and satisfies the visual balance between home screen elements.

Q: How do you ensure that various Samsung devices can be smoothly and comfortably used together or individually?

One UI 4 applies a single visual language to various Galaxy products, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and PCs. Devices can be used comfortably through unified elements such as icons, rounded corners, components, menu styles, layouts and more, even when changed.

Self Expression, Centered on You

For today’s users, smart devices have become a tool for expressing one’s emotions and individuality. One UI 4 expands the range of choices and customizable features to match every user’s unique lifestyle and tastes.

From personalizing their devices with different wallpapers to using the Color Palette function to change the visual theme of each device, users can reflect their individuality and taste to the fullest.

Customization and self-expression have never been easier or more enjoyable than in One UI 4. Users now can combine two emojis into one or use AR Emoji to reveal their virtual selves. One UI 4 expands the user experience through new options for users to make the device their own, from smartphones to smartwatches. For instance, users can customize their smartwatch to fit their lifestyle through various unique watch faces, or they can stay up to date with updated widgets. No matter how a user experiences One UI 4, there are limitless opportunities to add their personal touch.

Q: How did the wallpaper’s ‘Particle’ concept come about?

We researched different design elements that can be freely expressed on a variety of products. In the process, we discovered the potential and scalability of a material called ‘Particle’.

Taking the Galaxy Z as an example, we were inspired by the art of paper folding when conceptualizing the message we wanted the product to communicate through its foldable structure. We believed this type of art’s versatility, strength, continuity and expandability represented the Galaxy Z Fold’s characteristics. The Galaxy Z Flip was also designed in a similar context, but we differentiated the two by highlighting a more fashionable and unique product image for the latter.

Q: The Color Palette extracts five colors from the wallpaper and changes the visual theme of the device. How was it implemented?

The color palette is a function that integrates Android 12 Material You – Dynamic Color based on One UI. It uses five colors extracted from different wallpapers to support Google and other apps.

While researching color palettes, we collaborated with designers researching the best method to extract color from an image. Together, we discovered an optimal color extraction method that analyzes the original image, divides it into color groups, and then develops a prototype that recognizes the distribution of extracted color.

Q: Why was the decision made to tone down the colors from the original version?

The design was revised to convey the overall mood of the wallpaper for users to focus on and comfortably view the content. In the final version, the background color saturation was lowered, and the buttons were adjusted for colors to stand out without straining the eyes.

Q: The Emoji Pair, which expresses two different emojis in various animations, is a new and entertaining concept.

Emojis expressing complex emotions such as ‘sad-laugh’ and ‘laughing but not laughing’ have never existed before. The need for these complex emotions was confirmed through user interviews. Thus, the Emoji Pair was born.

Q: The concept has been expanded from ambivalence to complex emotions. What was the reason?

When the first concept was ambivalence, we decided that the situation of combining emojis with similar emotions without opposition should also be considered, since forcing the user to create emoji combinations is an impossible task. This is why the concept’s scope has since expanded from ambivalence to providing more complex emotions.

Q: The sophisticated movements of AR Emojis’ witty gestures are very eye-catching. How are these animations made?

Simple movements and expressions have been carefully worked on by animators one at a time using the keyframe method. They also collaborated with famous artists to create high-quality motion graphics, such as professional dance moves.

Q: How do the preferred AR Emoji stickers differ by country or age?

AR Emoji stickers were produced based on voting in four countries: South Korea, Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom. While there was no significant difference in overall preferences between the countries, there was a slight difference among the age groups. People in their twenties preferred more caricature and exaggerated stickers than those in their thirties. Most users wanted to give off a funny and pleasant impression, rather than being serious when using stickers. For example, ‘I wanted to exaggerate my laughter while laughing and not be too serious when I’m sad.’

Q: Which part of One UI 4 watch face did you focus on?

When the Galaxy Watch 4 was released, we focused on expanding the spectrum of the Expressive face type. We completed a three-dimensional lineup by adding characters of various styles to the watch face, such as a vegetable character for a healthy diet or a bear character for challenges.

Q: What standards or systems do you refer to when designing various watch faces?

The design system was built by referencing the types and designs of Indexes, Hands and Sub Dials of real analog watches to create consistency between the watch faces. The color of the strap and its surroundings was selected as the primary color to blend with the Galaxy Watch strap, and the remaining colors were chosen based on the international color system.

Q: The One UI 4 widget gives off a neat impression overall.

After continuous consultation and effort, changing the widget shape collectively within Android became possible. We applied the One UI visual language to both Samsung and third-party widgets to enhance their appearance.

The widget area is not wide compared to the information provided by the widget. It was designed to provide visual contrast for information to be seen at a glance while focusing more on what needs to be emphasized. By changing the background color to 100% white, we’ve enhanced the minimalist feel and allowed the user to more easily focus their attention on each widget content.

* The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may differ from the actual product. Product specifications may vary by country, region, model and carrier.

“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.

Our smartphones are gateways to a world of limitless experiences. However, because there are no limits, parents should be careful about protecting their kids from content that could be harmful, and need to prevent them from accessing important files. These are just a few of the concerns that tend to prevent parents from allowing their kids to use smart devices.

If you’re a parent in need of a ‘fence’ that allows kids to access the limitless digital world in a safe manner, Samsung Kids could be just what you’ve been looking for. Samsung Kids is a home launcher made just for kids that prevents them from being exposed to external services and fills their smartphone with family-friendly apps that entertain and encourage them to learn. Read on to find out how Samsung Kids’ latest update with One UI 4 adds even more safety and variety to features that families rely on every day.

How Samsung Kids Evolved To Offer More Convenience and Fun

The platform we now know as Samsung Kids was originally introduced in 2014 as Kids Mode. Created to enable kids to use smartphones more safely, Kids Mode featured settings that made it easy for parents to ensure that their kids only had access to apps provided by the Kids Mode service, along with any others that parents had allowed. It also offered kids their first taste of the Galaxy ecosystem with the design that catered to their preferences and featured unique and friendly characters.

Since then, Kids Mode has continued to evolve. A diverse collection of content was added for each age group and category to ensure that kids would continue to have fun and learn with their smartphones.

When Kids Mode eventually became Samsung Kids, it became even more convenient and offered a greater variety of content. Now users can activate Samsung Kids with just a single tap in the Quick Panel – no download required. They can also instantly turn the feature on or off when unlocking their phone. There’s no need to set up a dedicated password, and the feature offers a detailed view of usage patterns. Samsung has also enriched the service with more types of content through collaboration with partner companies. You can learn more about these and other enhancements that offer kids a richer smartphone experience and take the stress out of choosing content for your child in the video below.

Key Update ①: Adjusting Background Colors and Apps Based on Age Groups

Samsung Kids is mainly intended to be used by kids between the ages of three and eight. Now, with the update, there are options to change the background’s color and the apps displayed on screen so that more age groups can utilize the service. To better cater to their child’s needs, parents can delete default apps and populate the home screen with the content from the Recommended Content page and apps that they have downloaded and allowed.

Useful default apps for younger kids include Bobby’s Canvas (a drawing app), My Magic Voice (a voice modifier) and Lisa’s Music Band (a musical app). Parents also have the option to hide certain apps and content if they wish.

Kids who are eight years old and older may benefit more from content that’s a little more challenging. Examples include apps like Crocro’s Adventure, which allows kids to practice logical thinking through block coding, My Browser, which features English news articles, and Pettson’s Inventions, which is listed under partner apps. Users also have the option to change the background color to suit their preferences. In addition, by early next year, kids who use the home launcher will be able to decorate their home screen with their own drawings.

Key Update ②: Stronger Parental Controls for Monitoring Activity and Setting Weekly Goals

Every parent wants to know which apps their kids use most and what kinds of apps they prefer. Samsung Kids’ updated parental control feature not only provides detailed insights on kids’ mobile activities for the day, but the last month as well. Apps are listed based on frequency of use, making it easier to monitor screen time for each one.

Healthy smartphone usage habits are created when goals are established and adhered to. Having a record of your child’s smartphone activities is helpful for setting up weekly usage goals. Depending on their circumstances, users can establish a same screen time goal to be followed every day, or they can also set up different goals for each day of the week.

Key Update ③: Recommended Content Page Now Includes AR Features and Partner Apps

Samsung Kids not only provides features for basic activities like taking photos and drawing, but also includes a wide range of content developed through collaboration with partners. If you swipe right on the home screen, you’ll find various new apps that cater to kids’ preferences, which can easily be dragged and added to the home screen.

Apps that make use of AR (augmented reality) are also introduced with the update. For example, My AR Theater and My Art Studio allow kids to craft their own special stories with Crocro and his friends in augmented reality. They can save their stories as videos, and can take pictures and decorate them with AR stickers made from their own drawings. These features empower kids to unleash their imagination and develop their creativity. Kids can also enjoy a wide variety of fun activities with partner apps like LEGO DUPLO World, Disney Coloring and Toca Boca’s newest apps.

Key Update ④: Promoting Healthy Mobile Habits by Offering Kids Insights Into Their Smartphone Use

Samsung Kids continues to evolve to make it easier for young users to enjoy more fun and educational content. Beginning with One UI 4, Crocro’s Little Friends will welcome kids on the Welcome Board, and their greetings and interactions will differ depending on the situation and as more character actions are added.¹ The newly added partners’ content app card, meanwhile, groups recommended apps together based on category, making it more convenient for users to find apps that they might like.

Cards designed to help users monitor their activity and screen time have also been added. This was done under the assumption that kids, like their parents, would also be curious about their smartphone activity. Now, kids can monitor their activities and screen time together with their parents, or set up their own smartphone usage plan to further develop their autonomy.

Key Update ⑤: Introducing New and Even Friendlier ‘Little Friends’

With the update, Crocro and his ‘Little Friends’ – Samsung Kids’ group of charming and unique characters – have become even friendlier, and now include characters from both the land and the sea. You can meet all six characters in the video below, including new additions like Leo the seal, who likes to collect things from the ocean, and Finn the intelligent dolphin.

With limited opportunities to enjoy the outdoors these days, kids have been using mobile devices more frequently. In light of this trend, it has become even more important for kids to develop good mobile habits and utilize fun and educational content. Going forward, Samsung plans to make Samsung Kids even more enjoyable, and a safer ‘fence’ for the digital world that considers both parents and kids.

“We want Samsung Kids to be a partner as well as a friend to both kids and their parents. We’ll devote more efforts to making sure that users see more of Crocro and his Little Friends, more often,” said Jong-in Lee, Samsung Kids service PO (Project Owner) in Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business.

¹ Welcome Board functions may differ depending on the version of the operating system

“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

During the event, Samsung highlighted its consumer-centric approach to innovation. In particular, the company showcased how advancements in AI, IoT and security work alongside the breadth of Samsung’s portfolio to create experiences that fit into how people live, ultimately unlocking a new era of connectivity and collaboration.

“We are proud of the pioneering work we are able to do in partnership with the creative developer community,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “As society becomes more closely connected through new tools and devices, we want to make people’s lives easier and smarter – wherever they are.”

Platforms Designed for Connected Experiences

A strong platform of technologies across AI, IoT and security enhances the consumer experience and accelerates the ability of developers to build creative applications. Samsung detailed its plans to strengthen core platform technologies such as Bixby, SmartThings and Samsung Knox.

During the SDC21 keynote, Samsung announced improvements to Bixby, which has become a central part of the user experience for more than 300 million Samsung devices. Bixby now uses on-device AI and deep neural networks to process commands on devices themselves. Thanks to on-device AI, this development makes the service up to 35% faster than before.

For developers, Samsung also announced the Bixby Home Platform, which serves as an intelligent layer between Bixby’s natural language processing and SmartThings. With the platform, voice commands can now be executed more intelligently, taking into account the state and context of various devices.

Samsung made further announcements with regard to SmartThings, including how the platform will be fully integrated with Matter, the newest standard in smart home compatibility. Matter solves developer interoperability challenges and with an expansive list of partners, will be the catalyst that makes smart home connectivity nearly effortless. SmartThings Hub software will also be embedded into the Samsung product portfolio, which includes Samsung Smart TVs and Family Hub refrigerators.

Samsung believes that consumer data and personal privacy is just as important as the experiences they enable. Samsung is committed to providing a seamless consumer experience, and to ensuring that its devices and services are secure from beginning to end. Samsung Knox, the company’s defense-grade security platform, offers built-in protection for more than 100 million Samsung devices. To further secure consumer data, the Samsung Knox Vault comes in a combination of security-specific hardware (a new secure processor and isolated secure memory) and new integrated software that shields the most secure data from the Android OS and applications. During the SDC21 keynote, Samsung highlighted the importance of collaboration and its philosophy of open innovation to improve security and privacy, reiterating its work to continue releasing security analysis tools as open source projects.

Samsung also outlined its Privacy Principles at SDC21, highlighting the three commitments that guide all innovation at the company: Protection, Choice and Transparency. With these principles, consumers, developers and partners are given the information needed to make decisions about how data is managed. The company offers users the option to review and manage their permissions from the privacy setting on their Galaxy devices and Smart TVs and discloses Samsung’s privacy policies through the Privacy Portal. Going forward, Samsung will collaborate with global security experts while continuing to release open source security analysis tools to make its ecosystems more secure.

Tizen Takes Smart TV to New Heights

Based on its ‘Screens Everywhere, Screen for All’ vision, Samsung continues to build on its position as the world leader in TVs by developing new experiences that enhance connectivity, functionality and immersive entertainment. At SDC21, Samsung introduced various ways that Samsung TVs are enabling new experiences, including:

• Video communication based on partnership with Google to allow users to enjoy better video calling on TVs via AI-enabled focus and zoom features.
• Samsung Health on Smart TVs that connects with a webcam to analyze movements and provide real-time feedback during a workout.
• More realistic gaming thanks to HDR10+, with automated settings for low latency and HDR calibration.

For enterprises, Samsung will launch Tizen for Business. This service supports interactive e-boards in schools, kiosks in malls, and even displays in restaurants, airports and subways. With new management portals, businesses can conduct real-time monitoring and control screens remotely, easily applying settings to multiple devices with one simple touch.

With the Tizen TV Platform Licensing, manufacturers who want to introduce a premium TV platform like Tizen can do so quickly with minimal cost. This enables them to use the Tizen TV presence to promote their products in the Smart TV market, and ultimately, help more consumers enjoy Tizen.

Innovating Across the Galaxy Ecosystem

Samsung provides a user experience that meets the needs of all users and devices. And with an expanding range of device types and form factors, developers have a breadth of opportunities to innovate in new ways.

At SDC21, Samsung introduced the new One UI 4, the latest version of its user interface for mobile devices. One UI 4 will provide new levels of customization to enable users to create an experience and a device that is truly theirs. It combines Samsung’s leading privacy and security features with options for users to personalize permissions so that they are always in control of their data when using a Samsung device.

Samsung demonstrated the possibilities of One UI 4 to developers at the event, particularly for foldable devices such as the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3. Thanks to One UI 4, users will be able to make use of features such as Flex mode and Multi-Active Window, which enable users to enjoy more intuitive and user-friendly experiences that are unique to the foldable form factor. SDC21 also included a Galaxy Watch session that showcased developer tools to help them build new apps in the new watch app ecosystem.

Samsung invites developers and partners on its journey to bring new and secure experiences to life. For more information about the Samsung Developer Conference 2021, please visit developer.samsung.com.

At SDC21, the company plans to share its latest updates in software, services and platforms with thousands of developers and creators to enable smarter, more seamless connectivity across devices. The attendees will be able to discover opportunities to create cutting-edge solutions for millions, leveraging Samsung’s expansive ecosystem.

DJ Koh, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics’ IT and Mobile Communications Business Division, will open SDC21 by addressing which direction Samsung’s strategy would head to bring innovation to consumer experience.

The following keynote speakers are lined up to discuss Samsung’s strategies for platforms and ecosystems with topics ranging from security, privacy to various platforms including Bixby, SmartThings and Tizen:

• Daniel Ahn, Senior Vice President, Mobile Platform Center
• Samantha Osborne, Vice President, SmartThings Inc.
• Jeongsook Lee, Vice President, Customer Experience Office
• Yongjae Kim, Senior Vice President, Visual Display Software R&D
• Bill Mandel, Vice President, Visual Solution Lab, Samsung Research America
• Janghyun Yoon, Executive Vice President, Mobile Software R&D

SDC21’s highlight sessions consist of three groups. The first one, Platforms Designed For Connected Experiences will explore Bixby and SmartThings’ cross-device experience and how Samsung plans to make the vision of the future Smart Home a reality.

The second session Innovating Mobile Experience Across Samsung Galaxy Ecosystem will take a look at the One UI 4’s innovations and foldable device design process to help developers optimize their own apps for a growing number of foldable devices.

The third session, The Evolution of Tizen and Innovative Screen Experiences will peer into Samsung’s new Smart TV services and how its ecosystem has enhanced with Tizen 6.5.

Furthermore, developers who want to keep abreast of industry insights and state-of-the-art technology will find Tech Talk sessions from Samsung’s top experts very helpful. For those interested in the latest Samsung technology, it is highly recommended to visit SDC21’s Digital Tech Hub, a digital exhibition of the Samsung technology with easily accessible resources.

Code Lab will offer an opportunity for developers to boost their skills with a hands-on coding experience with sample applications for testing simple scenarios. Developers can even try their codes on cutting-edge devices like Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Filp3 via remote access.

In recognition of content developers for excellence in design, innovation, quality and performance, the winners of the 2021 Best of Galaxy Store Awards will be announced in SDC21.

The developers and even end-customers will have the chance to win a Galaxy Z Flip3 by participating in digital badge collection on the SDC21 website. By watching sessions and participating in Code Lab and Hacker’s Playground as well as social media events like #mySDCstack and securing five or more digital badges, participants will earn the chance to win a Galaxy Z Flip3.

The SDC21 will be broadcast on Samsung Newsroom and the SDC website on October 26, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. For more information about the SDC21, please visit https://developer.samsung.com/sdc. Further information can also be found on Twitter (@samsung_dev) and Facebook (@samsungdev) with the hashtag #SDC21.

“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.